The company secretary ensures that a company is abiding by the relevant rules and regulations which relate to the entity it's appointed to, considering risk, governance, listing requirements and advising the board of directors in these various areas. This makes it a necessary role in many different industries. Be it working in the private sector for large FTSE100 companies, in the public sector for government bodies or even in the not-for-profit sector, the qualification opens a lot of doors.
Becoming a fully-fledged company secretary is not the only option. The broad range of skills honed throughout the course means ICSA graduates often pursue careers within the financial sector and more specifically, company and fund administration - which is the field I work in.