Are you a candidate aspiring to become a Company Secretary? In this blog, learn the eligibility criteria for becoming a Company Secretary. Check out now!
Today, organizations need professionals who are capable of maintaining transparency and credibility with the stakeholders and also help organizations retain the confidence of such persons who are invested in a company. This emergency need is because the recent corporate disruptions have undermined the faith of many business professionals associated with the company in one way or the other. Therefore, the role of the Company Secretary is one of the most massive and critical aids in the efficient operation of the company’s business.
The CS is one of the most important positions in a company. A CS is appointed by the company’s Board of Directors, who manages the affairs of the company. His main responsibility is to guarantee that the company complies with the Companies Act’s rules and regulations and the Memorandum of Association. A Company Secretary’s roles involve registering the company’s legal data, handling correspondence, and maintaining the company’s affairs in the general order. In India, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India maintains and administers the corporate secretary’s profession.
Eligibility – For Candidates Who Want to Become a Company Secretary
Following are the eligibility requirements for any candidates seeking to become a corporate secretary:
- All CS aspirant candidates must pass through the three stages. They are Foundation, Intermediate and Final.
- Candidates who want to pursue the Company Secretary course must finish their class 10+2 in any discipline except fine arts from a recognized institution. After that, you are eligible to apply and get registered for the first level of the CS Foundation Programme, or CSEET.
- The Foundation CS course takes eight months to complete. However, you need to be able to qualify for the course within three years of admission.
- Candidates who want to study CS after graduation will only need to complete two levels of the Company Secretary course, which include the Executive and Professional Programme.
- Once done and completed with the Foundation course of the ICSI, a candidate may enroll in the next CS Intermediate course known as the Executive Programme.
- Those who have finished their degree and postgraduate studies or have passed the Foundation level of the Chartered Accountancy and Cost Accountancy courses offered by ICAI and ICMAI, respectively, can apply for admission to the CS Executive level.
- After completing the Executive level, the next and final step is to enroll in the Professional Programme of the ICSI course.
- The following stage is that of the training process. Candidates are required to undergo short-term training after finishing the final level of the company secretary course.
- Once candidates have completed all the levels of the ICSI along with the training, they are now at this level, entitled to the corporate secretary as their main career path.
Skills Required to Become a Company Secretary
A corporate secretary is responsible for performing the business’s statutory duties and day-to-day activities. Besides, they also help organizations keep detailed minutes and records of the meeting and report the same to shareholders and the registrar of companies. In the absence of the directors, the company secretary is responsible for communicating with shareholders and the authorities.
Therefore, they have various roles and responsibilities to perform and run the company. Hence, these activities and duties entail the acquisition of some desirable skill sets so that your position as a Company Secretary is backed by the dynamic attitude to face uncertain environmental changes.
As a professional Company Secretary, you must have abilities in the following:
- Analytical Study
- Excellence in Observation
- Meticulous Attention to Detail.
In addition to the above abilities, a Company Secretary job would always require you to have vitality in:
- Perseverance
- Mental Strength and
- Enthusiasm with a Strong, Convincing Potential
Other skill sets that act as strong determinants for a candidate to become a Company Secretary are:
- Strong Communication Skills
- Time Management Skills and Multitasking ability
- Analytical Aspects
- A Company Law Expert
- Written and Spoken English must be Good
- Strong Foundation in Numerical Skills
Although the three-level Company Secretary courses of the ICSI provide candidates with all of the necessary skills and training, applicants should take the CS course only after determining their ability to perform analytical duties and obligations related to financial evaluations and audits.
Roles of a Company Secretary
If you are keen on becoming a corporate secretary and working for any organization, below are the roles and responsibilities you should know about. They are as follows.
1: Company Secretarial Work
They are engaged in handling the company’s paperwork, meeting regulatory requirements, and administering the procedures and records of the company.
2: Company Governance and Compliance
The CS advises and assists the Board of Directors in fulfilling their legal obligations and oversees the company’s compliance with legislation and regulatory requirements.
3: Company Management
As a member of the Board of Directors, the CS is responsible for the day-to-day business administration, including managing resources, staff, and finances effectively
4: Company Law
Wherever and whenever appropriate, the Company Secretary has responsibility for advising the Board of Directors and the company’s auditors
5: Company’s Financial Reporting
The Company Secretary is responsible for preparing and filing accounts and reports.
Conclusion
To conclude, the Company Secretary’s role at a firm is to keep track of all the activities the owner engages in. Suppose you are to become a corporate secretary. In that case, you will have a better understanding of the company’s transactions and a heightened awareness of the challenges that occur in the firm. Besides, you will also be able to assess the sort of transactions the firm is holding and access to the documents that the company keeps secured and safeguarded. You will have better identification of the documents issued by the firm. Therefore, the CS has a pivotal role to play in any type of organization for the smooth functioning of the business while maintaining competitive dynamism. To know more, you can visit and contact experts from Vakilsearch.
