CAREER AS COMPANY SECRETARY
INTRODUCTION
The post of a Company Secretary
is considered a respectable one in the hierarchy & this is one of the most
important posts a person handles. This is because, in this position, one acts
as the mediator between the company & its Board of Directors, government,
shareholders & regulatory authorities. The job of a company secretary is to
ensure that the Board procedures are strictly followed & regularly revised.
Company Secretary is the conscience seeker of a company. He or she guides the
Chairman & the Directors on how to make the best use of their
responsibilities under various laws.
A Company
Secretary has been recognized by various enactments as one of the principal
officers of the company. The knowledge and training acquired by him makes him
versatile to carry out various functions in finance, accounts, legal
administration and personnel areas in addition to his own secretary’s duties
and responsibilities.
The Company Secretaries (C.S.) have emerged as indispensable
adjunctments, to the Indian Corporate Sector due to their thorough knowledge
base in areas such as corporate laws, capital market operations, stock exchange
and trading etc. They have contributed significantly to the growth of Indian
Corporate Sector by rendering effective secretarial, legal and management
assistance to the small, medium sized companies and other business
establishments.
NATURE
OF WORK
Company
Secretary has been recognized by various enactments as the Principal Officer of
the company. He not only meets the legal requirements and ensures statutory
compliances by the company but also by virtue of his integrated knowledge of
multiple disciplines of law, management, finance and corporate governance,
facts as an interdisciplinary corporate manager and inhouse legal counsel for
giving advice and guidance to the company on legal aspects of business, which
basically concern areas such as production, sales, marketing and
administration.
His role starts from the very moments
where the idea of formation of a company is conceived. However, his
responsibilities may vary from company to company. A Company Secretary’s work
involves mainly the following:
I.
To act as an agent of the
Management, policy forming and exercising of powers of the company visits with
the Directors. The Secretary is the medium to carry out the instructions and
order of the Board. He represents the Board to the share holders, staff and
outsiders in their dealing with the company.
II.
To act as a registrar for
the company looking after the secretarial functions.
III. To act as a Chief Executive, assuming full responsibilities and
control of the company’s operation.
A Company Secretary’s service is very much important
for a company’s management. The work of a company secretary covers a wide variety
of functions, he acts as a vital link between the Company, the Board of
Directors, shareholders & governmental & regulatory agencies. He is a
compliance officer of the company as well as Corporate Planner & Strategic
Manager. Apart from carrying out these functions he also looks after finance,
accounts, legal, personnel & administrative functions. Company Secretary is
required to handle matters related to central/state sales tax, excise laws,
labour laws & corporate law.
Their other responsibilities include incorporation,
managing public issues, act as internal legal advisor & representative,
process inter-corporate loans & investments, maintain company’s records,
take care of company’s tax planning, tax management, tax returns, explore
expansion opportunities, arrange collaborations, amalgamations, joint ventures
within & outside India etc. They are required to understand relevant
aspects of law, update themselves with the changes to ensure proper compliance
of legislations. The job also involves arranging company meetings, collecting
& compiling information & recording the decisions.
CONDITIONS OF WORK
•
It is essentially an office-based job, combining a vast amount of
documentation with a good deal of discussion in committees and meetings.
•
The work of a secretary is basically of an assistant. He/She manages
all office work, receive phone calls, takes messages and carries out the bosses
instructions.
HOURS OF WORK
An average day
normally entails working from 9am to 5pm, with minimal breaks in between. Most
work is done in ones assigned office.
HEALTH
AND/OR ACCIDENT HAZARDS, IF ANY
Working on
computer and/or sitting for long time can raise physical problems
EARNINGS
A budding & meritorious Company Secretary can
hope to start his career with a monthly remuneration of Rs. 20,000 - Rs.25,000.
However, for an ordinary candidate, a monthly salary of Rs. 10, 000 is almost
guaranteed
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS &
TRAINING
Company
Secretary is a professional course administered by The Institute of Company Secretaries
of India (ICSI) under the Company Secretaries Act, 1980 to develop &
regulate the profession of Company Secretaries in India.
Candidates
who have passed senior secondary (10+2) from any stream can apply for the
foundation course. Graduates, post-graduates (excluding fine arts) & who
passed final exam of ICWAI or ICAI or of any other accountancy Institution in
India or abroad recognized by the Council of the Institute can directly enroll
to the intermediate course without doing foundation course.
To
become a company secretary, the candidate need to pass the Foundation,
Intermediate, & Final course conducted by the institute & further, they
need to undergo practical training to become eligible for the membership as a
Company Secretary.
Registration
for each examination should be done at least nine months before the month in
which the examination is held.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES REQUIRED
In
essence, excellent command over English, both written & oral is important
for a company secretary. At the same time ability to understand, analyze
complex & technical issues & exercise accordingly with tact &
intelligence are other essentials. It is the moral responsibility of the
company secretary to be loyal to his organization on knowing their top level
plans & important secrets
Bearing a moral character is
important. Diplomacy should be followed in understanding the company strategies
& policies of the company. Intellectual, Loyal, sophisticated, loyal &
meticulous individuals become successful company secretary.
High level
organizational skills, Flair for Administration, Integrity and sound judgment
with the ability to act with the authority for the good of the company, Good
Communication skills, Understanding of figures and Information Technology are
also essential.
METHODS OF ENTERING THE JOB
- Through Campus placement or
off campus placement
- Advertisements in different
newspapers and job search sites
TYPICAL
PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT/SELF EMPLOYMENT
A freshly qualified candidate is
appointed as a Company Secretary, or Assistant Company Secretary or at an
Administrative position depending upon the size of the Company. Openings are
also available in Public Sector Undertakings, Govt. of India, State Government,
Stock Exchanges, Nationalized Banks etc.
Qualified company secretaries can find well paid positions in the
private sector and public corporate sector, Banks and financial institutions,
stock exchanges, the Department of company affairs, company law boards and
Government departments. The larger the company and wider its fields of
activity, the better the emoluments earned by the CS. Private consultancy jobs
are a very lucrative option.
TRAINING
INSTITUTES
- The
Institute Of Company Secretaries Of India, ‘ICSI
HOUSE’ 22, Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003, Ph.
24617321-24, 2464431-32 (STD 011) Fax: 91-11-24626727, E-mail:
info@icsi-india.com. Website: www.icsi.edu
- NORTHERN
INDIA REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE ICSI, ICSI-NIRC
Building, PlotNo.4, Prasad Nagar Institutional Area, Rajendra Place, New
Delhi- 11 005 Ph: 25763090, 25767190 (STD 011) Fax: 91-11-5772662 E-mail: icsinirc@nde,vsnl.net.in
SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION
- http://www.icbse.com/careers/careers-in-company-secretary
- CIRTES
- www.icsi.edu
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CAREER AS COMPANY SECRETARY
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