Company secretary
Company secretaries make sure that directors follow company law and finance rules.
Also known as: Chartered secretary, governance officer
- Starter salary£28,000 a year
- Experienced£95,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 39 a week
What you'll do
As a company secretary, you could:
- manage committee, panel and board meetings
- prepare company reports
- control share option schemes, dividends and other transactions
- provide legal advice to directors and board members
- deal with other professionals like lawyers and auditors
- send company information to Companies House or the Stock Exchange
- keep up to date with policy, legal and statutory requirements for companies
Working environment
You could work in an office.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- business management skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- excellent written communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a company secretary
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- training with a professional body
University
You could study for a foundation degree or degree in a relevant subject, such as:
- business management
- law
- accountancy
- finance
- public administration
You would also need relevant business experience in areas like:
- pensions or insurance
- personnel
- accounts and credit control
- purchasing
- office management
You could get valuable work experience during your studies by doing a placement year or summer internship.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
College
You could start by doing a higher national diploma in business management or law. Then you could apply to join a company as a trainee company secretary.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You may be able to apply to do an apprenticeship with an organisation. For instance:
- Governance Officer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
- Chartered Legal Executive Level 6 Apprenticeship
- Solicitor Level 7 Apprenticeship
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
Other routes
You can take professional qualifications offered by The Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland to become a company secretary.
You'll begin by doing the Chartered Secretaries Qualifying Scheme, which starts at foundation level. You can join at a more advanced level if you already have a relevant qualification or experience, for example in law or finance.
Restrictions and requirements
To be the secretary of a public limited company (PLC), you'll need to meet the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 . You can get more information about this from the The Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a senior company secretary, chief executive or managing director.
You could work towards chartered status , which recognises your skills and expertise in the profession.
You could also work freelance as a consultant or a part-time company secretary for several smaller businesses.
Professional and industry bodies
You can join The Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland to:
- get professional recognition
- find training opportunities
- make industry contacts
Guides for this industry
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