Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Business analyst to chief operating officer

A business analyst already meets 23% of what the chief operating officer role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From business analyst
23 % overlap
Distant match
To chief operating officer
8 You already bring
15 Still to learn
44 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance A rebuild

76.4/ 100

1 How much of what a chief operating officer is expected to do is already part of a business analyst’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 chief operating officer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A chief operating officer role treats 6 of its required skills as things a business analyst already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • analyse business plans
  • business process modelling
  • financial statements
  • interpret financial statements
  • make strategic business decisions
  • shape organisational teams based on competencies

What stands in the way is 15 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A chief operating officer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a business analyst background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held shape organisational teams based on competencies management skills
  • already held define organisational standards management skills
  • already held business process modelling business, administration and law
  • already held make strategic business decisions management skills
  • already held analyse business plans information skills
  • already held interpret financial statements information skills

All 8 carried skills, including the 6 the chief operating officer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 36 missing skills fall into 5 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 5 required, 7 supplementary
  • still to learn collaborate in company's daily operations required
  • still to learn conclude business agreements required
  • still to learn develop professional network required
  • still to learn establish collaborative relations required
  • still to learn negotiate with stakeholders required
  • optional, not held apply import strategies optional
  • optional, not held implement operational business plans optional
  • optional, not held apply export strategies optional
  • optional, not held build international relations optional
  • optional, not held implement strategic planning optional
  • optional, not held interact with the board of directors optional
  • optional, not held liaise with shareholders optional
02 management skills 4 required, 11 supplementary
  • still to learn evaluate performance of organisational collaborators required
  • still to learn integrate strategic foundation in daily performance required
  • still to learn lead managers of company departments required
  • still to learn plan medium to long term objectives required
  • optional, not held develop business plans optional
  • optional, not held develop revenue generation strategies optional
  • optional, not held assume responsibility for the management of a business optional
  • optional, not held define the corporate structure optional
  • optional, not held develop company strategies optional
  • optional, not held develop organisational policies optional
  • optional, not held imprint visionary aspirations into the business management optional
  • optional, not held integrate shareholders' interests in business plans optional
  • optional, not held manage budgets optional
  • optional, not held set organisational policies optional
  • optional, not held shape corporate culture optional
03 business, administration and law 3 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn company policies required
  • still to learn operations management required
  • still to learn marketing management required
  • optional, not held financial management optional
  • optional, not held lean manufacturing optional
04 assisting and caring 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn abide by business ethical code of conducts required
  • still to learn ensure lawful business operations required
  • optional, not held follow the statutory obligations optional
05 information skills 1 required
  • still to learn track key performance indicators required
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a chief operating officer 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 8 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held analyse business plans skill
  • already held business process modelling knowledge
  • already held financial statements knowledge
  • already held interpret financial statements skill
  • already held make strategic business decisions skill
  • already held shape organisational teams based on competencies skill
  • already held analyse financial performance of a company skill
  • already held define organisational standards skill
21 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held apply import strategies optional
  • optional, not held develop business plans optional
  • optional, not held develop revenue generation strategies optional
  • optional, not held implement operational business plans optional
  • optional, not held apply export strategies optional
  • optional, not held assume responsibility for the management of a business optional
  • optional, not held build international relations optional
  • optional, not held define the corporate structure optional
  • optional, not held develop company strategies optional
  • optional, not held develop organisational policies optional
  • optional, not held financial management optional
  • optional, not held follow the statutory obligations optional
  • optional, not held implement strategic planning optional
  • optional, not held imprint visionary aspirations into the business management optional
  • optional, not held integrate shareholders' interests in business plans optional
  • optional, not held interact with the board of directors optional
  • optional, not held lean manufacturing optional
  • optional, not held liaise with shareholders optional
  • optional, not held manage budgets optional
  • optional, not held set organisational policies optional
  • optional, not held shape corporate culture optional
45 held skills the chief operating officer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role advise client on technical possibilities skill
  • not needed by the target role advise on communication strategies skill
  • not needed by the target role advise on efficiency improvements skill
  • not needed by the target role advise on financial matters skill
  • not needed by the target role advise on organisational culture skill
  • not needed by the target role advise on personnel management skill
  • not needed by the target role advise on risk management skill
  • not needed by the target role align efforts towards business development skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse external factors of companies skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse internal factors of companies skill
  • not needed by the target role apply change management skill
  • not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
  • not needed by the target role business analysis knowledge
  • not needed by the target role business analytics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role business communication knowledge
  • not needed by the target role business intelligence knowledge
  • not needed by the target role business law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role business strategy concepts knowledge
  • not needed by the target role conduct qualitative research skill
  • not needed by the target role conduct quantitative research skill
  • not needed by the target role corporate law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role data visualisation software knowledge
  • not needed by the target role digital data processing skill
  • not needed by the target role identify undetected organisational needs skill
  • not needed by the target role interview people skill
  • not needed by the target role investment banking knowledge
  • not needed by the target role keep updated on the political landscape skill
  • not needed by the target role liaise with managers skill
  • not needed by the target role management consulting knowledge
  • not needed by the target role management systems standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role market entry strategies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role market research knowledge
  • not needed by the target role marketing analytics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role organisational learning knowledge
  • not needed by the target role organisational policies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role perform business analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role propose ICT solutions to business problems skill
  • not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role report analysis results skill
  • not needed by the target role risk management knowledge

5 further entries not listed here

5 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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn company policies required
  • still to learn operations management required
  • still to learn marketing management required
  • optional, not held financial management optional
  • optional, not held lean manufacturing optional
Index

Other moves recorded from business analyst

Full index of moves from business analyst

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a business analyst become a chief operating officer?

Yes, and it is a career change move. A business analyst already covers 23% of what a chief operating officer is expected to do: 8 skills carry over, 6 of which the chief operating officer role treats as required.

What skills does a business analyst need to become a chief operating officer?

15 required skills are missing, plus 21 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is abide by business ethical code of conducts.

How hard is the move from business analyst to chief operating officer?

Its learning distance is 76.4 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.