A CV for the UK usually has no photo, runs to 1–2 pages and is printed on A4 paper. The 10 designs below suit company secretaries and open in the free builder with our sample company secretary CV filled in, and the checklist further down shows what to change before you apply in the UK.
A UK CV is usually two sides of A4, opens with a short personal statement and lists experience in reverse chronological order. British employers do not expect a photo, date of birth or marital status, and most prefer that you leave them out. Use British spelling throughout, mention your right to work if it is not obvious, and send the file as a PDF or Word document unless the advert asks otherwise.
Each design below opens in the free builder with our sample company secretary resume, Arjun Bhatia, Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, already filled in. The list further down takes that sample section by section and shows what to change before you send it to an employer in the UK.
Why the sample works: Arjun’s rights issue bullet shows size, stakeholders and end-to-end ownership, the kind of corporate action a listed company’s board wants handled without surprises. Both resumes mention Secretarial Standards, audits or penalties, giving the hiring manager evidence of compliance quality, not just volume of work.
10 designs that suit company secretaries and the UK
About applicant tracking systems: Some older applicant tracking systems read two columns out of order, so pick a single-column design for large company portals and use a two-column one when a person reads your resume first.
No photo, except for acting, modelling or presenting roles. None of the designs below has a photo slot.
Length
Two sides of A4 is the norm; one page suits graduates and school leavers.
Paper size
A4 paper size with sensible margins, not US Letter. Pick A4 in the builder before you download.
Personal details
Name, phone, email, town or city and LinkedIn; no date of birth or marital status.
Dates
Month and year for each role, most recent first.
Spelling
British English: organise, colour, programme, licence (noun), CV rather than résumé.
Section names
Call it a CV. The usual order: Contact details, Personal statement, Key skills, Employment history, Education and qualifications, Training and certifications, Additional information, Interests.
File
PDF or Word document, named with your full name and “CV”.
The sample company secretary CV, adapted for the UK
Header
Put Arjun Bhatia as the heading (no “Curriculum Vitae” above it), with one mobile number, email, a UK town or city and a LinkedIn or portfolio link. Drop the photo, date of birth and marital status, and add a right-to-work line if sponsorship could be a question.
Personal statement
“Fellow member of ICSI with eleven years in corporate secretarial roles, the last six as Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of a listed mid-cap company. Manages board and committee processes, SEBI LODR and insider trading compliance, stock exchange disclosures and corporate actions.” In the UK this becomes a personal statement of three to five lines, tailored to each advert by echoing its job title and two or three of its requirements.
Key skills
SEBI LODR, Insider trading code, Board governance, Stock exchange disclosures, Mergers and amalgamations, NCLT filings, Rights issues, Team management.
Employment history
Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, Listed mid-cap engineering company: “Run the full board calendar, covering 30 board and committee meetings a year with papers circulated seven days ahead. Managed a ₹450 crore rights issue from board approval to listing, coordinating merchant bankers, registrar, exchanges and depositories.” Earlier: Deputy Manager, Secretarial, Large unlisted infrastructure group. Give job title, employer, town and month-and-year dates, then four to six achievement bullets; roles from more than ten to fifteen years ago shrink to one line.
Education and qualifications
Company Secretary, Institute of Company Secretaries of India. Experienced candidates put education below employment. Follow an overseas qualification with a short UK equivalent where you know it.
Training and certifications
Fellow Member, ICSI (FCS); Registered in Independent Directors Databank, IICA; ICSI Certificate Course on Corporate Governance.
Additional information
An “Additional information” section holds right to work, English, Hindi, Punjabi with an honest level, and a full UK driving licence if the role involves travel.
