Career Overlap Occupation record
RecordJob

Where an illustrator can go next

5 destinations recorded, ranked by how much of the target role an illustrator already meets. The closer to the top of Table 1, the less there is to learn.

Illustrators provide a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. Illustrators can work for books, magazines, journals, comic books and other publications.

Also known as book illustrator, cartoon drawer, inker, comic drawer, drawer, tattoo drawer, children's book illustrator, penciler, comic strip designer, medical illustrator, storyboard artist, pyrographic artist.

Professionals 37 skills on file 5 career moves 1 above 60% overlap Closest: cartoonist, 68%

Fig. 2 · Career map 5 nearest · ESCO v1.2.1
cartoonist 68% covered drawing artist 56% covered street artist 37% covered desktop publisher 37% covered storyboard artist 35% covered illustrator You are here
  • 70% and above · short step
  • 50 to 70% · real move
  • Below 50% · substantial retraining
The 5 nearest destinations from illustrator, each one a link to that move’s record. Distance from the centre is how much retraining the move takes; the figure on each is how much of that role an illustrator already covers. All 5 are listed in the tables below.
Table 1

Table 1 · Within reach

Table 2

Table 2 · A bigger jump

Possible, but expect real retraining rather than a sideways step.

Table 3

Table 3 · What the job itself asks for

An illustrator needs 17 required skills and areas of knowledge. These 10 are the ones fewest other jobs share, so they say the most about the work.

Required skill Area
  • analyse texts to be illustrated information skills
  • perform ideation activities communication, collaboration and creativity
  • interpret illustration needs communication, collaboration and creativity
  • select illustration styles communication, collaboration and creativity
  • consult with business clients communication, collaboration and creativity
  • consult with editor communication, collaboration and creativity
  • ensure visual quality of the set communication, collaboration and creativity
  • follow a brief communication, collaboration and creativity
  • gather reference materials for artwork information skills
  • finish project within budget management skills
Table 4

Table 4 · Jobs that lead here

The reverse view: occupations whose skills already cover much of what an illustrator does. The figure is how much of this job each one brings.

Index

Look up another occupation

Illustrator is filed under Professionals, ISCO major group 2. The full index lists all ten groups.

Note

How these figures were compiled

Overlap is how much of the target role is already part of an illustrator’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.