Table 1Transition record

desktop publishertocopy editor

A desktop publisher already meets 52% of what the copy editor role asks for. The move turns on 5 required skills not yet in the profile.

From desktop publisher

52%

Overlap1

To copy editor

12 Skills carried over

5 Required, not held

47.7 Difficulty2

Career overlap Partial match

52%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

47.7/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the copy editor role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the desktop publisher 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 copy editor role treats 8 of its required skills as things a desktop publisher already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

apply grammar and spelling rules
consult with editor
copyright legislation
follow a brief
follow work schedule
grammar

What stands in the way is 5 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 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A copy editor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a desktop publisher background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held typography arts and humanities
already held consult with editor communication, collaboration and creativity
already held follow a brief communication, collaboration and creativity
already held desktop publishing information and communication technologies (icts)
already held apply desktop publishing techniques working with computers
already held spelling arts and humanities

All 12 carried skills, including the 8 the copy editor role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 16 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 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held suggest revision of manuscripts required
required, not held track changes in text editing required

optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held rewrite manuscripts optional
optional, not held write headlines optional

02 information skills 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held use dictionaries required

optional, not held read manuscripts optional
optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
optional, not held consult information sources optional

03 arts and humanities 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held writing techniques required

optional, not held literature optional

04 social sciences, journalism and information 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held digital journalism required

optional, not held editorial standards optional

05 assisting and caring 2 supplementary

optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists optional
optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional

06 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary

optional, not held office software optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a copy editor 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 12 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
already held consult with editor skill
already held copyright legislation knowledge
already held follow a brief skill
already held follow work schedule skill
already held grammar knowledge
already held spelling knowledge
already held typography knowledge
already held adapt to artists' creative demands skill
already held apply desktop publishing techniques skill
already held desktop publishing knowledge
already held proofread text skill

11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists optional
optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional
optional, not held read manuscripts optional
optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held rewrite manuscripts optional
optional, not held write headlines optional
optional, not held consult information sources optional
optional, not held editorial standards optional
optional, not held literature optional
optional, not held office software optional

32 held skills the copy editor role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role ICT software specifications knowledge
not needed by the target role adapt to type of media skill
not needed by the target role adobe creative suite knowledge
not needed by the target role align content with form skill
not needed by the target role assist customers skill
not needed by the target role computer graphics knowledge
not needed by the target role develop creative ideas skill
not needed by the target role develop digital content skill
not needed by the target role digital content creation skill
not needed by the target role digital media knowledge
not needed by the target role digitise documents skill
not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
not needed by the target role edit photographs skill
not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
not needed by the target role graphic design knowledge
not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
not needed by the target role interactive media knowledge
not needed by the target role multimedia systems knowledge
not needed by the target role perform backups skill
not needed by the target role perform image editing skill
not needed by the target role post-processing of photographs knowledge
not needed by the target role prepress processes knowledge
not needed by the target role printing techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role problem-solving with digital tools skill
not needed by the target role reprography knowledge
not needed by the target role scan photos skill
not needed by the target role search databases skill
not needed by the target role translate requirements into visual design skill
not needed by the target role use presentation software skill
not needed by the target role use spreadsheets software skill
not needed by the target role use word processing software skill
not needed by the target role work closely with news teams skill

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 acquire Tier

required, not held digital journalism required
required, not held writing techniques required
optional, not held editorial standards optional
optional, not held literature optional
optional, not held office software optional

Index

Other moves recorded from desktop publisher

Full index of moves from desktop publisher

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.