Brigadier to colonel
A brigadier already meets 68% of what the colonel role asks for. The move turns on 2 required skills not yet in the profile.
31.3/ 100
1 How much of what a colonel is expected to do is already part of a brigadier’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 colonel role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A colonel role treats 8 of its required skills as things a brigadier already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise superiors on military operations
- defend human rights
- devise military tactics
- ensure compliance with policies
- ensure information security
- maintain operational communications
What stands in the way is 2 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 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A colonel role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a brigadier background worth leading with.
- already held analyse potential threats against national security information skills
- already held advise superiors on military operations communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held defend human rights communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held monitor military equipment use information skills
- already held devise military tactics management skills
- already held manage troop deployment management skills
All 17 carried skills, including the 8 the colonel role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 11 missing skills fall into 8 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 geographic information systems required
- still to learn use geographic information systems required
- optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
- optional, not held identify security threats optional
- optional, not held manage security clearance optional
- optional, not held lead military troops optional
- optional, not held investigation research methods optional
- optional, not held military drill optional
- optional, not held train military troops optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 2 entries a colonel 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 · The rest of the record
All 17 skills that carry over
- already held advise superiors on military operations skill
- already held defend human rights skill
- already held devise military tactics skill
- already held ensure compliance with policies skill
- already held ensure information security skill
- already held maintain operational communications skill
- already held military code knowledge
- already held military weaponry knowledge
- already held analyse potential threats against national security skill
- already held ensure equipment availability skill
- already held manage administrative systems skill
- already held manage staff skill
- already held manage troop deployment skill
- already held military combat techniques knowledge
- already held monitor military equipment use skill
- already held perform resource planning skill
- already held write situation reports skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held camouflage optional
- optional, not held identify terrorism threats optional
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held camouflage optional
- optional, not held manage security clearance optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
- optional, not held identify security threats optional
- optional, not held identify terrorism threats optional
- optional, not held investigation research methods optional
- optional, not held lead military troops optional
- optional, not held military drill optional
- optional, not held train military troops optional
10 held skills the colonel role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on risk management skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate humanitarian aid missions skill
- not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
- not needed by the target role instruct in military duties skill
- not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
- not needed by the target role manage inspections of equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage military logistics skill
- not needed by the target role manage system security skill
- not needed by the target role military logistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role set organisational policies skill
4 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 geographic information systems required
- optional, not held camouflage optional
- optional, not held investigation research methods optional
- optional, not held military drill optional
Common questions about this move
Can a brigadier become a colonel?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A brigadier already covers 68% of what a colonel is expected to do: 17 skills carry over, 8 of which the colonel role treats as required.
What skills does a brigadier need to become a colonel?
2 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by natural sciences, mathematics and statistics. The single most important is geographic information systems.
How hard is the move from brigadier to colonel?
Its learning distance is 31.3 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.