Where a columnist can go next
5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role a columnist already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.
Columnists research and write opinion pieces about new events for newspapers, journals, magazines and other media. They have an area of interest and can be recognised by their writing style.
Also known as commentator, political columnist, gossip columnist, editorial opinion columnist, humor columnist, food columnist, advice columnist, senior columnist, magazine journalist.
Professionals 45 skills on file 5 career moves 5 above 60% overlap Closest: entertainment journalist, 80%
- 70% and above · short step
- 50 to 70% · real move
- Below 50% · substantial retraining
Table 2 · What the job itself asks for
A columnist needs 20 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.
- digital journalism social sciences, journalism and information
- stay up to date with social media information skills
- evaluate writings in response to feedback communication, collaboration and creativity
- build contacts to maintain news flow communication, collaboration and creativity
- follow ethical code of conduct of journalists assisting and caring
- participate in editorial meetings communication, collaboration and creativity
- editorial standards social sciences, journalism and information
- present arguments persuasively communication, collaboration and creativity
- use specific writing techniques communication, collaboration and creativity
- write to a deadline management skills
Table 3 · Jobs that lead here
The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what a columnist does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.
- photojournalist 76% covered · difficulty 28.6
- newspaper editor 68% covered · difficulty 38.4
- editor-in-chief 67% covered · difficulty 39.9
- blogger 61% covered · difficulty 45.4
- magazine editor 59% covered · difficulty 48.3
- broadcast news editor 53% covered · difficulty 53.5
- copy editor 39% covered · difficulty 66.1
- speechwriter 35% covered · difficulty 68.8
- book editor 29% covered · difficulty 73.9
- editorial assistant 28% covered · difficulty 73.8
Look up another occupation
Columnist is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.
How these figures were compiled
Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of a columnist’s work. It is directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. Every entry above opens the full comparison for that move: what carries over, what is missing, and where to start. The full method.