Company Secretary is an incredibly respectable job with very appealing salary packages. It’s something that sets you apart from the crowd!
Company Secretary is one of the principal positions in a company. Also known as Compliance officers, they are part of the key managerial personnel of any organization. Company Secretaries handle all legal aspects of a business, enterprise, or individual.
A CS’s job responsibilities include maintaining and auditing a company’s tax returns, advising and guiding the board with respect to the company’s financial health, keeping records, and most essential, ensuring that the company shows compliance with legal and statuary regulations.
To be able to professionally practice Company Secretaryship in India, one has to complete the Company Secretary (CS) course affiliated with The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).
Company Secretary Course
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) is the official statuary body that regulates the profession of Company Secretary in India. They provide and regulate Company Secretary course exams to students pursuing this field in India.
CS Course consists of two stages – CS Executive and CS Professional, and to enroll in the CS Executive program, a candidate must appear in and clear the CSEET exam.
Stages of Company Secretary Course
- Company Secretary Executive Entrance Test (CSEET)
- Company Secretary Executive Program (CS Executive)
- Company Secretary Professional Program (CS Professional)
For more information regarding the CS Course, what will be the syllabus, subjects, marking scheme, and more: TopLad CS.
Who can pursue this course?
The Company Secretary course has become quite popular these days due to several reasons. A career in this field holds immense opportunities for growth and salary. There are numerous benefits that CS gets to enjoy, which we will get into later in this article. But, it’s not all sunshine and flower beds, there might be some cactuses too. Everything has pros and cons, right?
CS course can be a bit challenging. It will require a lot of hard work and dedication to be successful. And if you are up for the challenge and are willing to put in all the necessary efforts, then no one can stop you!
But, what can make this journey much easier and fun is if you have the mindset, interests, and skillset relevant to it.
What are the skills and interests that a Company Secretary should have?
- Multitasking: A company secretary has to juggle a lot of balls in the air. He has to be responsible for ensuring corporate governance compliance, regulating several important meetings, supporting communications between management and the board, along with collaborating with a lot of other people in the company. Hence, there are a lot of tasks present on the table and multitasking comes in handy.
- Time management: As we have already established that a company secretary has many tasks to manage, time management skills are also important. Company secretaries hold very significant responsibilities and it is very important to manage all of them to avoid penalties.
- Organizational Knowledge: Company Secretaries should have a thorough understanding of the business and context of their organization. It is a CS’s job to bring all issues regarding corporate governance and compliance with solutions and present them to members of the organization so they can understand them easily.
- Effective Communication skills: a company secretary deals with a lot of senior people in the company, the board of directors, senior executives, the CEO, the chairmen, and external stakeholders, for which he must have effective communication skills.
- Sound Judgement: Company Secretaries should have an excellent judgment to deal with circumstances involving conflicting issues. He has to make certain important decisions for the company.
- An eye for detail: a company secretary should have an eye for detail to ensure that the work of particularly the board of directors and the organization is executed correctly and without errors.
Now, remember, having these skills and interests will make things a lot easier and fun but not having them doesn’t mean you won’t succeed. Skills and interests can be built. Hard work always wins in the end.
Eligibility Criteria for CS Course
Skills and interests aside, what you actually need to be eligible to enroll in this course is mentioned below.
- The candidate must be 17 years old or above
- The Candidate must have passed class 12th in any discipline except fine arts from a recognized board or university
- Graduates and Post Graduates can also apply
Career as Company Secretary
Company Secretary is an incredibly respectable job with very appealing salary packages. It’s something that sets you apart from the crowd and is just as demanding in terms of coursework and training. Today, almost every industry is in need of a company secretary. The demand for them is high and ever-growing. A career in CS is one of the top choices these days!
A Company Secretary’s expertise comes in handy in the following areas:
- A legal expert, a compliance officer who works only for that organization
- Expert in Corporate Laws, Securities Laws, and Capital Market and Corporate Governance
- Chief Advisor to the board of directors on practices in corporate governance
- Being responsible for all regulatory compliances of the company
- Corporate planner and strategic manager of a company
In addition to these, there are a number of other career options that a CS can pursue:
Corporate governance and secretarial services
- Corporate Governance Services
- Corporate Secretarial Services
- Secretarial/ Compliance Audit and certification services
Corporate Laws Advisory and Representation
- Corporate Law Advisory Services
- Representation Services
- Arbitration and Conciliation Services
Financial Market
- Public issue, listing, and securities management
- Takeover code, inside trading
- Merges and Amalgamation
- Securities compliance and certification services
- Finance and Accounting services
- Taxation
- International Trade and WTC services
Management Services
- General or Strategic management
- Corporate communication
- Public relations
- Human resources management
- Information Technology
One can also opt for a career in teaching the company secretary course. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India offers a globally recognized Ph.D. course.
What are the pros and cons of a career as a company secretary?
Pros of company secretary course:
- Lots of Money – this field no doubt offers you high earnings and salary growth structure. The average salary of a company secretary in India is Rs.60,000 per month
- Lots of respect – A company secretary is a professional that everyone respects, not for the position itself but for the hard work it takes to be one.
- You can work globally – there are company secretaries working in counties like the US, Canada, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand.
- High position jobs – company secretaries are one of the key managerial positions in a company.
- Huge Knowledge – after completing the CS course and professionally practicing in the field, the amount of knowledge one gains is immense.
- High in demand – almost every organization in the world needs a company secretary
- Scope – there is high demand as well as high scope in this field for growth and opportunities. CS can win top positions in any organization with the right skills and expertise
- You get the opportunity to stand out from the crowd
Cons of Company Secretary Course:
Just like every coin has a flip side, I can’t say a career in CS doesn’t But, there aren’t a lot of cons to this course as expressed by many, some that are relevant are mentioned below.
- Lack of time to pursue hobbies – the CS course is quite demanding and requires a lot of time to be put in by students, so, there is less time available for doing other hobbies that you love.
- Lack of time to chill with friends – for similar reasons, there is less time to devote to friendships and relationships which affect social life
- Another con that some people face is not getting paid enough to their expectations. The result depends on a lot of factors which are mainly in the hands of that person such as lack of communication skills, lack of presentation skills, or sometimes lack of knowledge.
How to become a certified Company Secretary?
As mentioned above, to become a certified company secretary in India, one must complete the Company Secretary (CS) course affiliated with The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).
Step 1 – Register for the CSEET Course on the official website of ICSI.
Step 2 – Study, take coaching classes and pass the entrance exam
Step 3 – Start and complete your computer training program from a regional council, including two days of induction, three days of e-governance, and five days of skill development and entrepreneurship development.
Step 4 – Register for the CS Executive course
Step 5 – Within 6 months of registering, you have to undergo a 7-day students induction program (SIP)
Step 6 – Study, take coaching classes and pass the intermediate exam
Step 7 – Begin your membership training for 15 months
Step 8 – Register for the CS Professional course and pass the examination
After you complete your membership and have passed all the exams, you successfully complete your CS course.
Start Your Career in CS with TopLad
TopLad is India’s largest online learning platform for CMA, CA & CS. With some of the best teaching faculties in India, online classes, authentic study material, mock test papers, practice manuals, and much more, we have helped thousands of students reach their dream of becoming a CS. CS course, no doubt is challenging, and it can take multiple attempts to clear all exams, but with the right coaching, the right strategy, and the right approach, we help our students clear exams in a single attempt and become successful in their career.
Check out TopLad’s CS online classes:
What TopLad Offers:
- Online Classes taught by the top faculties in India (English & Hindi)
- CSEET, Executive and Professional Courses (Individual subjects or combos)
- Study Material – Books, Notes, practice manuals, video lectures (pen drive or google drive)
- Mock Test Papers
- Previous year question papers with solutions
- Test series strictly as per exam pattern of Institute of company secretaries of India
- Doubt sessions
- Job Portal – With our job portal you can easily find job opportunities from the best organizations in India. Whether you have qualified for your course, still pursuing it, or looking for an organization for your membership, you can find a job with TopLad.
- Quality learning and a faculty that you can trust
