Army captain to lieutenant
An army captain already meets 65% of what the lieutenant role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.
34.4/ 100
1 How much of what a lieutenant is expected to do is already part of an army captain’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the lieutenant role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A lieutenant role treats 9 of its required skills as things an army captain already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise superiors on military operations
- lead military troops
- maintain operational communications
- military code
- military combat techniques
- military drill
What stands in the way is 4 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A lieutenant role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an army captain background worth leading with.
- already held advise superiors on military operations communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held train military troops communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held give battle commands communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held lead military troops management skills
- already held military drill services
- already held devise military tactics management skills
All 16 carried skills, including the 9 the lieutenant role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 10 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn manage administrative systems required
- still to learn ensure compliance with policies required
- still to learn surveillance methods required
- optional, not held camouflage optional
- still to learn instruct in military duties required
- optional, not held identify security threats optional
- optional, not held patrol areas optional
- optional, not held monitor equipment condition optional
- optional, not held undertake inspections optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a lieutenant role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 instruct in military duties practise this
- 02 manage administrative systems practise this
- 03 ensure compliance with policies practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 16 skills that carry over
- already held advise superiors on military operations skill
- already held lead military troops skill
- already held maintain operational communications skill
- already held military code knowledge
- already held military combat techniques knowledge
- already held military drill knowledge
- already held military weaponry knowledge
- already held train military troops skill
- already held write situation reports skill
- already held devise military tactics skill
- already held ensure compliance with types of weapons skill
- already held ensure information security skill
- already held geographic information systems knowledge
- already held give battle commands skill
- already held manage troop deployment skill
- already held perform military operations skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held operate radio equipment optional
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held camouflage optional
- optional, not held identify security threats optional
- optional, not held monitor equipment condition optional
- optional, not held operate radio equipment optional
- optional, not held patrol areas optional
- optional, not held undertake inspections optional
14 held skills the lieutenant role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse logistic needs skill
- not needed by the target role analyse potential threats against national security skill
- not needed by the target role assess danger in risk areas skill
- not needed by the target role assist in military logistics skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate humanitarian aid missions skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate patrols skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate rescue missions skill
- not needed by the target role defend human rights skill
- not needed by the target role ensure equipment availability skill
- not needed by the target role military logistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor military equipment use skill
- not needed by the target role supervise the maintenance of military equipment skill
- not needed by the target role test safety strategies skill
- not needed by the target role use geographic information systems skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn surveillance methods required
- optional, not held camouflage optional
Common questions about this move
Can an army captain become a lieutenant?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An army captain already covers 65% of what a lieutenant is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 9 of which the lieutenant role treats as required.
What skills does an army captain need to become a lieutenant?
4 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is instruct in military duties.
How hard is the move from army captain to lieutenant?
Its learning distance is 34.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.