This article describes the scope and opportunities for building a successful career in company secretary course. It also highlights different aspects of company secretary course so that candidates can make right decision in planning their career path.
Confusion about which Career to pursue becomes overt when students either reaches or succeeds in clearing 10 + 2. It is a common issue for the students as well as their parents to identify most suitable educational career to lay down a strong pillar of their lifelong career.
Do not get confused. You're not alone. All of us pass through this stage of life. But it is important for you to be alert, identify options available and do an intra-personal analysis before selecting the right course. Psychologists have suggested that a student should listen to their parents but they should follow their heart. But it is recommended that a student should pursue a career which is challenging, rewarding, and satisfying. The money factor is really important while choosing a career. If you are getting high paying jobs, then you surely want to pursue that career. A lucrative offer always makes you think twice for a job offer.
(1) Career Determinants and Choice:
Students should consider three basic determinants before choosing any career, which are – Interest, Aptitude and Personality. When it comes to choosing a particular career, the student should identify whether he/she is interested in Academically Oriented Course or People Oriented Course, or a Creative & Innovative course.
Academically Oriented Courses include –
Science (Engineering); CA / CWA / CS (Professional); and Law
People Oriented Courses include –
Management; Education; Mass Communication; Psychology; Travel & Tourism; Medicine; and so on.
Creative & Innovative Courses include –
Architecture; Interior Designing; Fine Arts; Animation; Mass Media; and so on.
(2) CS as Academically Oriented Career:
The Company Secretary (CS) is a professional course which is conducted by The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). To become a Company Secretary, the candidates need to pass the Foundation Programme, Executive Programme, and Professional Programme.
Those who are interested in pursuing a CS career should start at the early stage of their educational life. It is important for a 12th standard student of Commerce, Arts or Science to get registered with ICSI in the month of September of their academic year so that they become eligible for the June attempt of Foundation (first level) course. If they fail to get registered by September then believe me, they are losing 6 months of their professional life, which has an economic and opportunity cost.
Those who are not very confident about pursuing a CS course along with their graduation, they have the option of directly jumping to Executive Programmes (second level) after completion of graduation or post-graduation. The minimum eligibility requirement is just graduation, with no percentage barrier. The recent announcements by the ICSI has opened the gates for even those students who have cleared CPT (Common Proficiency Test) course and the CMA foundation course but decide to choose CS as a career, to get direct admission in Executive Programme.
(3) Skill Requirements and Opportunities:
To become a successful Company Secretary, it is important to have proficiency in law and management, good communication skills to deal with many types of people, and the capacity to fit in the corporate environment.
The role of a Company Secretary is that of an advisor for legal matters. So it is equally important for CS to monitor, understand and anticipate changes in corporate environment and then respond to make necessary adjustments for avoiding the ill effects of external changes and guide the management in making appropriate decisions for the overall benefits of the company.
A Company Secretary can find employment in government or law departments or he can become a Managing Director or Chairman of a Company and be a part of the Board of Directors of a Company. Banks like SBI, HSBC, Bureau of Public Enterprises, government financial institutions and stock exchanges, universities etc. are other avenues.
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