Careers

Highly valued by employers for their broad based training, Chartered Secretaries use their skills in a huge variety of ways. They are the primary source of advice on the conduct of business and this can span everything from legal advice on conflicts of interest, through accounting advice on financial reports, to the development of strategy and corporate planning.

Once qualified, Chartered Secretaries often find themselves gaining access to the boardroom more rapidly than in many other professions. As well as working in an advisory capacity with the Chairman and the board, they act as chairs, chief executives and non-executive directors.

Chartered Secretaries have the choice of working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors or of setting up their own business. Many ICSA members comment on the variety which the profession offers, not just in terms of career options but in their daily working lives:

"What struck me about the profession of Chartered Secretary was the variation in what you were being asked to do. You never knew what you would be hit with when you went into the office, dealing with everything from corporate affairs, securities and employment law to events, publications and project management" - Alison Dillon FCIS, former Deputy Company Secretary for Unilever

Chartered Secretaries also need to have a highly developed sense of integrity because they are often party to sensitive information, in some cases before some or all of the board members. This indicates the level of responsibility with which the profession is imbued.

As well as enjoying variety and flexibility in their jobs, Chartered Secretaries are well remunerated. A survey published in April 2008 found that the average salary of company secretaries working in FTSE 100 companies was in excess of £200,000.

Key skills for Chartered Secretaries:

• A keen interest in business and the economy
• The confidence to communicate with people at all levels
• Highly organised with the ability to prioritise and manage time
• Ability to focus on detail
• Highly literate and numerate
• Well developed integrity
• Ability to absorb and digest technical knowledge

The Chartered Secretary – a career with a difference

Owing to their expansive range of skills, Chartered Secretaries are in demand in many sectors and can be found working in different sectors as:

• Company secretaries in all sizes of companies
• Secretary to the board and chief executives in charities and other not-for-profit organisations
• Heads of administrations and company secretaries in schools, hospitals and Foundation Trusts
• Local government officers
• Offshore investment trust administrators
• Share registrars
• Entrepreneurs
• Chartered Secretaries in professional services companies such as large firms of solicitors and accountants

Others set up their own specialist businesses providing company secretarial services and services to clients. Those who choose this career route enjoy the full support of ICSA through its Public Practice Scheme