Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

commercial sales representativetotechnical sales representative

A commercial sales representative already meets 78% of what the technical sales representative role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.

From commercial sales representative
78%
Overlap1
To technical sales representative
40 Skills carried over
4 Required, not held
31 Difficulty2
Career overlap Very strong match

78%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

31/ 100

1 Share of the technical sales representative role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the commercial sales representative 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.

Why

Why this move works

A technical sales representative role treats 24 of its required skills as things a commercial sales representative already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • answer requests for quotation
  • apply technical communication skills
  • characteristics of products
  • characteristics of services
  • communicate with customers
  • contact customers

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

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 40 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A technical sales representative role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a commercial sales representative background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held credit card payments business, administration and law
  • already held demonstrate motivation for sales management skills
  • already held office equipment business, administration and law
  • already held types of aircraft engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held e-procurement business, administration and law
  • already held electronic and telecommunication equipment engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 40 carried skills, including the 24 the technical sales representative role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 16 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 management skills 2 required
  • required, not held supervise sales activities required
  • required, not held manage schedule of tasks required
02 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 3 supplementary
  • required, not held maintain relationship with customers required
  • optional, not held address problems critically optional
  • optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
  • optional, not held perform customers’ needs analysis optional
03 assisting and caring 1 required
  • required, not held provide customer follow-up services required
04 engineering, manufacturing and construction 5 supplementary
  • optional, not held hardware, plumbing and heating equipment products optional
  • optional, not held industrial tools optional
  • optional, not held machinery products optional
  • optional, not held mining, construction and civil engineering machinery products optional
  • optional, not held textile industry machinery products optional
05 agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held agricultural equipment optional
06 arts and humanities 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held multimedia systems optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a technical sales representative 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 40 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held answer requests for quotation skill
  • already held apply technical communication skills skill
  • already held characteristics of products knowledge
  • already held characteristics of services knowledge
  • already held communicate with customers skill
  • already held contact customers skill
  • already held demonstrate motivation for sales skill
  • already held demonstrate products' features skill
  • already held ensure client orientation skill
  • already held ensure compliance with legal requirements skill
  • already held guarantee customer satisfaction skill
  • already held have computer literacy skill
  • already held implement customer follow-up skill
  • already held implement marketing strategies skill
  • already held implement sales strategies skill
  • already held keep records of customer interaction skill
  • already held keep records on sales skill
  • already held produce sales reports skill
  • already held product comprehension knowledge
  • already held prospect new customers skill
  • already held record customers' personal data skill
  • already held respond to customers' inquiries skill
  • already held sales promotion techniques knowledge
  • already held use customer relationship management software skill
  • already held ICT software specifications knowledge
  • already held chemical products knowledge
  • already held consumer protection knowledge
  • already held credit card payments knowledge
  • already held e-commerce systems knowledge
  • already held e-procurement knowledge
  • already held electronic and telecommunication equipment knowledge
  • already held electronic communication knowledge
  • already held international commercial transactions rules knowledge
  • already held issue sales invoices skill
  • already held market pricing knowledge
  • already held office equipment knowledge
  • already held sales strategies knowledge
  • already held speak different languages skill
  • already held types of aircraft knowledge
  • already held types of maritime vessels knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 business, administration and law 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held sales activities optional
08 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held electronic business optional
12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held agricultural equipment optional
  • optional, not held electronic business optional
  • optional, not held hardware, plumbing and heating equipment products optional
  • optional, not held industrial tools optional
  • optional, not held machinery products optional
  • optional, not held mining, construction and civil engineering machinery products optional
  • optional, not held sales activities optional
  • optional, not held textile industry machinery products optional
  • optional, not held address problems critically optional
  • optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
  • optional, not held multimedia systems optional
  • optional, not held perform customers’ needs analysis optional
36 held skills the technical sales representative role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role advertising techniques knowledge
  • not needed by the target role advise on merchandise features skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse consumer buying trends skill
  • not needed by the target role apply social media marketing skill
  • not needed by the target role beverage products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role carry out sales analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role clothing and footwear products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
  • not needed by the target role customer relationship management knowledge
  • not needed by the target role dairy and edible oil products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role deliver a sales pitch skill
  • not needed by the target role develop media strategy skill
  • not needed by the target role develop promotional tools skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure compliance with purchasing and contracting regulations skill
  • not needed by the target role glassware products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role handle financial transactions skill
  • not needed by the target role hardware industry knowledge
  • not needed by the target role household products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain relationship with suppliers skill
  • not needed by the target role media formats knowledge
  • not needed by the target role media planning knowledge
  • not needed by the target role monitor after sales records skill
  • not needed by the target role monitor media industry research figures skill
  • not needed by the target role outdoor advertising knowledge
  • not needed by the target role perform media outlets research skill
  • not needed by the target role perfume and cosmetic products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role process payments skill
  • not needed by the target role production processes knowledge
  • not needed by the target role prospect new regional contracts skill
  • not needed by the target role provide advertisement samples skill
  • not needed by the target role show diplomacy skill
  • not needed by the target role solar products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role stay up to date with social media skill
  • not needed by the target role types of media knowledge
  • not needed by the target role work with advertising professionals skill
9 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
  • optional, not held agricultural equipment optional
  • optional, not held electronic business optional
  • optional, not held hardware, plumbing and heating equipment products optional
  • optional, not held industrial tools optional
  • optional, not held machinery products optional
  • optional, not held mining, construction and civil engineering machinery products optional
  • optional, not held sales activities optional
  • optional, not held textile industry machinery products optional
  • optional, not held multimedia systems optional
Index

Other moves recorded from commercial sales representative

Full index of moves from commercial sales representative

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.