Table 1Transition record

chief operating officertodepartment manager

A chief operating officer already meets 34% of what the department manager role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From chief operating officer

34%

Overlap1

To department manager

26 Skills carried over

10 Required, not held

71.2 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 71.2

This move: 71.2 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the department manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the chief operating officer 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 26 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A department manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a chief operating officer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held ensure lawful business operations assisting and caring
already held interact with the board of directors communication, collaboration and creativity
already held collaborate in company's daily operations communication, collaboration and creativity
already held shape corporate culture management skills
already held shape organisational teams based on competencies management skills
already held conclude business agreements communication, collaboration and creativity

All 26 carried skills, including the 6 the department manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 54 missing skills fall into 6 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 management skills 5 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held create a financial plan required
required, not held exercise stewardship required
required, not held manage staff required
required, not held recruit employees required
required, not held strive for company growth required

optional, not held apply business acumen optional
optional, not held control financial resources optional
optional, not held create a work atmosphere of continuous improvement optional
optional, not held evaluate employees optional
optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional

02 business, administration and law 2 required, 16 supplementary

required, not held corporate social responsibility required
required, not held strategic planning required

optional, not held cost management optional
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held accounting optional
optional, not held banking activities optional
optional, not held business law optional
optional, not held business loans optional
optional, not held business management principles optional
optional, not held corporate law optional
optional, not held financial forecasting optional
optional, not held financial jurisdiction optional
optional, not held human resource management optional
optional, not held international trade optional
optional, not held market entry planning optional
optional, not held marketing principles optional
optional, not held subsidiary operations optional
optional, not held supply chain management optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 11 supplementary

required, not held liaise with managers required
required, not held report on overall management of a business required

optional, not held maintain relationship with customers optional
optional, not held prospect new regional contracts optional
optional, not held align efforts towards business development optional
optional, not held build business relationships optional
optional, not held establish communication with foreign cultures optional
optional, not held execute marketing plan optional
optional, not held impart business plans to collaborators optional
optional, not held liaise with local authorities optional
optional, not held manage contracts optional
optional, not held share good practices across subsidiaries optional
optional, not held speak different languages optional

04 assisting and caring 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held follow company standards required

optional, not held integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations optional
optional, not held oversee quality control optional

05 information skills 9 supplementary

optional, not held create a financial report optional
optional, not held analyse business processes optional
optional, not held analyse financial risk optional
optional, not held analyse market financial trends optional
optional, not held describe the financial situation of a region optional
optional, not held keep updated on the political landscape optional
optional, not held manage financial risk optional
optional, not held prepare financial statements optional
optional, not held synthesise financial information optional

06 working with computers 1 supplementary

optional, not held manage office facility systems optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a department manager 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 26 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held abide by business ethical code of conducts skill
already held assume responsibility for the management of a business skill
already held collaborate in company's daily operations skill
already held company policies knowledge
already held conclude business agreements skill
already held ensure lawful business operations skill
already held analyse business plans skill
already held business process modelling knowledge
already held develop company strategies skill
already held develop organisational policies skill
already held develop professional network skill
already held develop revenue generation strategies skill
already held evaluate performance of organisational collaborators skill
already held financial management knowledge
already held financial statements knowledge
already held follow the statutory obligations skill
already held integrate strategic foundation in daily performance skill
already held interact with the board of directors skill
already held make strategic business decisions skill
already held manage budgets skill
already held marketing management knowledge
already held negotiate with stakeholders skill
already held plan medium to long term objectives skill
already held shape corporate culture skill
already held shape organisational teams based on competencies skill
already held track key performance indicators skill

44 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held cost management optional
optional, not held create a financial report optional
optional, not held maintain relationship with customers optional
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held prospect new regional contracts optional
optional, not held accounting optional
optional, not held align efforts towards business development optional
optional, not held analyse business processes optional
optional, not held analyse financial risk optional
optional, not held analyse market financial trends optional
optional, not held apply business acumen optional
optional, not held banking activities optional
optional, not held build business relationships optional
optional, not held business law optional
optional, not held business loans optional
optional, not held business management principles optional
optional, not held control financial resources optional
optional, not held corporate law optional
optional, not held create a work atmosphere of continuous improvement optional
optional, not held describe the financial situation of a region optional
optional, not held establish communication with foreign cultures optional
optional, not held evaluate employees optional
optional, not held execute marketing plan optional
optional, not held financial forecasting optional
optional, not held financial jurisdiction optional
optional, not held human resource management optional
optional, not held impart business plans to collaborators optional
optional, not held integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations optional
optional, not held international trade optional
optional, not held keep updated on the political landscape optional
optional, not held liaise with local authorities optional
optional, not held manage contracts optional
optional, not held manage financial risk optional
optional, not held manage office facility systems optional
optional, not held market entry planning optional
optional, not held marketing principles optional
optional, not held oversee quality control optional
optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
optional, not held prepare financial statements optional
optional, not held share good practices across subsidiaries optional

4 further entries not listed here

18 held skills the department manager role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role analyse financial performance of a company skill
not needed by the target role apply export strategies skill
not needed by the target role apply import strategies skill
not needed by the target role build international relations skill
not needed by the target role define organisational standards skill
not needed by the target role define the corporate structure skill
not needed by the target role develop business plans skill
not needed by the target role establish collaborative relations skill
not needed by the target role implement operational business plans skill
not needed by the target role implement strategic planning skill
not needed by the target role imprint visionary aspirations into the business management skill
not needed by the target role integrate shareholders' interests in business plans skill
not needed by the target role interpret financial statements skill
not needed by the target role lead managers of company departments skill
not needed by the target role lean manufacturing knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with shareholders skill
not needed by the target role operations management knowledge
not needed by the target role set organisational policies skill

18 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 corporate social responsibility required
required, not held strategic planning required
optional, not held cost management optional
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held accounting optional
optional, not held banking activities optional
optional, not held business law optional
optional, not held business loans optional
optional, not held business management principles optional
optional, not held corporate law optional
optional, not held financial forecasting optional
optional, not held financial jurisdiction optional
optional, not held human resource management optional
optional, not held international trade optional
optional, not held market entry planning optional
optional, not held marketing principles optional
optional, not held subsidiary operations optional
optional, not held supply chain management optional

Index

Other moves recorded from chief operating officer

Full index of moves from chief operating officer

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.