Table 1Transition record

book editortocolumnist

A book editor already meets 29% of what the columnist role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

From book editor

29%

Overlap1

To columnist

11 Skills carried over

13 Required, not held

73.9 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 73.9

This move: 73.9 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the columnist role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the book editor profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A columnist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a book editor background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held check correctness of information information skills
already held writing techniques arts and humanities
already held desktop publishing information and communication technologies (icts)
already held apply desktop publishing techniques working with computers
already held spelling arts and humanities
already held proofread text communication, collaboration and creativity

All 11 carried skills, including the 7 the columnist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 34 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 communication, collaboration and creativity 5 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held build contacts to maintain news flow required
required, not held evaluate writings in response to feedback required
required, not held participate in editorial meetings required
required, not held use specific writing techniques required
required, not held present arguments persuasively required

optional, not held adapt to type of media optional
optional, not held create online news content optional
optional, not held ensure consistency of published articles optional
optional, not held interview people optional
optional, not held promote one's writings optional
optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held write captions optional
optional, not held write headlines optional
optional, not held provide written content optional

02 social sciences, journalism and information 3 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held digital journalism required
required, not held editorial standards required
required, not held rhetoric required

optional, not held economics optional
optional, not held interview techniques optional
optional, not held political parties optional
optional, not held political science optional

03 information skills 3 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held follow the news required
required, not held stay up to date with social media required
required, not held study topics required

optional, not held manage writing administration optional
optional, not held document interviews optional

04 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists required

optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional

05 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held write to a deadline required

optional, not held manage personal finances optional

06 business, administration and law 2 supplementary

optional, not held press law optional
optional, not held stock market optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a columnist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 11 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
already held consult information sources skill
already held copyright legislation knowledge
already held develop professional network skill
already held grammar knowledge
already held spelling knowledge
already held writing techniques knowledge
already held apply desktop publishing techniques skill
already held check correctness of information skill
already held desktop publishing knowledge
already held proofread text skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 arts and humanities 1 supplementary

optional, not held multimedia systems optional

08 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary

optional, not held ICT software specifications optional

21 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
optional, not held adapt to type of media optional
optional, not held create online news content optional
optional, not held ensure consistency of published articles optional
optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional
optional, not held interview people optional
optional, not held manage personal finances optional
optional, not held manage writing administration optional
optional, not held promote one's writings optional
optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held write captions optional
optional, not held write headlines optional
optional, not held document interviews optional
optional, not held economics optional
optional, not held interview techniques optional
optional, not held multimedia systems optional
optional, not held political parties optional
optional, not held political science optional
optional, not held press law optional
optional, not held provide written content optional
optional, not held stock market optional

21 held skills the columnist role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role analyse texts to be illustrated skill
not needed by the target role assess financial viability skill
not needed by the target role attend book fairs skill
not needed by the target role conserve new media skill
not needed by the target role establish collaborative relations skill
not needed by the target role implement marketing strategies skill
not needed by the target role interpret illustration needs skill
not needed by the target role literature knowledge
not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
not needed by the target role network within the writing industry skill
not needed by the target role perform market research skill
not needed by the target role provide support to authors skill
not needed by the target role publishing market knowledge
not needed by the target role read manuscripts skill
not needed by the target role rewrite manuscripts skill
not needed by the target role select illustration styles skill
not needed by the target role select manuscripts skill
not needed by the target role show diplomacy skill
not needed by the target role suggest revision of manuscripts skill
not needed by the target role use word processing software skill

11 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held digital journalism required
required, not held editorial standards required
required, not held rhetoric required
optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
optional, not held economics optional
optional, not held interview techniques optional
optional, not held multimedia systems optional
optional, not held political parties optional
optional, not held political science optional
optional, not held press law optional
optional, not held stock market optional

Index

Other moves recorded from book editor

Full index of moves from book editor

Note

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.