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Company secretary

Alternative titles for this job include Chartered secretary

Company secretaries make sure that directors follow company law and finance rules.

Average salary (a year)

£26,000 Starter

to

£90,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 39 a week

You could work

evenings occasionally

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • training with a professional body

University

You'll need a foundation degree or degree in a relevant subject like:

  • business
  • law
  • accountancy
  • public administration

You'll 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

More Information

College

You could start by doing a higher national diploma in business management or law. Then you can apply to join a company as a trainee company secretary.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national certificate or higher national diploma

More Information

Apprenticeship

You may be able to become a company secretary by doing a Governance Officer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

You might also get into this type of work by completing a Solicitor Level 7 Non-Degree 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

More Information

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, for example in law.

More Information

Professional and industry bodies

You can join The Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland to:

  • get professional recognition
  • find training opportunities
  • make industry contacts

Further information

You can find out more about how to become a company secretary from The Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • administration 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 competently

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.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could:

  • prepare yearly company reports
  • control share option schemes and pay profits
  • 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 the business

Working environment

You could work in an office.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a company's chief executive or managing director.

You could also work freelance as a consultant or a part-time company secretary for several smaller businesses.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

Governance Officer Apprentice

  • Wage: £24,243 a year Annually
  • Location: Thorpe Road, Staines-Upon-Thames

Governance Apprentice

  • Wage: £14,722.50 to £23,809.50 a year Annually
  • Location: Traynor Way, Whitehouse Business Park, Peterlee
Find apprenticeships near you

Courses In England

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