Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Economist to political scientist

An economist already meets 71% of what the political scientist role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From economist
71 % overlap
Strong match
To political scientist
45 You already bring
7 Still to learn
76 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

41.5/ 100

1 How much of what a political scientist is expected to do is already part of an economist’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 political scientist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A political scientist role treats 34 of its required skills as things an economist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • apply for research funding
  • apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities
  • apply scientific methods
  • apply statistical analysis techniques
  • communicate with a non-scientific audience
  • conduct research across disciplines

What stands in the way is 7 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 45 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A political scientist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an economist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held political economy social sciences, journalism and information
  • already held public administration social sciences, journalism and information
  • already held conduct public surveys information skills
  • already held assess risk factors information skills
  • already held perform public relations communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held develop scientific theories information skills

All 45 carried skills, including the 34 the political scientist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 31 missing skills fall into 6 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 social sciences, journalism and information 5 required, 8 supplementary
  • still to learn government policy required
  • still to learn government policy implementation required
  • still to learn political ideologies required
  • still to learn political science required
  • still to learn politics required
  • optional, not held European integration optional
  • optional, not held European political studies optional
  • optional, not held good governance optional
  • optional, not held African studies optional
  • optional, not held political campaigning optional
  • optional, not held political parties optional
  • optional, not held social network analysis optional
  • optional, not held sociology optional
02 information skills 1 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn report analysis results required
  • optional, not held analyse election procedures optional
  • optional, not held analyse foreign affairs policies optional
  • optional, not held observe new developments in foreign countries optional
03 generic programmes and qualifications 1 required
  • still to learn research design required
04 communication, collaboration and creativity 9 supplementary
  • optional, not held advise legislators optional
  • optional, not held advise on foreign affairs policies optional
  • optional, not held advise on legislative acts optional
  • optional, not held advise on public relations optional
  • optional, not held apply teaching strategies optional
  • optional, not held develop professional network optional
  • optional, not held maintain relationships with government agencies optional
  • optional, not held provide technical expertise optional
  • optional, not held teach political science optional
05 business, administration and law 3 supplementary
  • optional, not held election law optional
  • optional, not held foreign affairs optional
  • optional, not held international law optional
06 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held geography optional
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a political scientist 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 45 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held apply for research funding skill
  • already held apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities skill
  • already held apply scientific methods skill
  • already held apply statistical analysis techniques skill
  • already held communicate with a non-scientific audience skill
  • already held conduct research across disciplines skill
  • already held demonstrate disciplinary expertise skill
  • already held develop professional network with researchers and scientists skill
  • already held disseminate results to the scientific community skill
  • already held draft scientific or academic papers and technical documentation skill
  • already held evaluate research activities skill
  • already held increase the impact of science on policy and society skill
  • already held integrate gender dimension in research skill
  • already held interact professionally in research and professional environments skill
  • already held manage findable accessible interoperable and reusable data skill
  • already held manage intellectual property rights skill
  • already held manage open publications skill
  • already held manage personal professional development skill
  • already held manage research data skill
  • already held mentor individuals skill
  • already held operate open source software skill
  • already held perform project management skill
  • already held perform scientific research skill
  • already held political economy knowledge
  • already held promote open innovation in research skill
  • already held promote the participation of citizens in scientific and research activities skill
  • already held promote the transfer of knowledge skill
  • already held publish academic research skill
  • already held scientific research methodology knowledge
  • already held speak different languages skill
  • already held statistics knowledge
  • already held synthesise information skill
  • already held think abstractly skill
  • already held write scientific publications skill
  • already held apply blended learning skill
  • already held assess risk factors skill
  • already held conduct public surveys skill
  • already held conduct qualitative research skill
  • already held conduct quantitative research skill
  • already held develop scientific theories skill
  • already held economics knowledge
  • already held perform public relations skill
  • already held public administration knowledge
  • already held teach in academic or vocational contexts skill
  • already held write research proposals skill
24 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held European integration optional
  • optional, not held European political studies optional
  • optional, not held good governance optional
  • optional, not held African studies optional
  • optional, not held advise legislators optional
  • optional, not held advise on foreign affairs policies optional
  • optional, not held advise on legislative acts optional
  • optional, not held advise on public relations optional
  • optional, not held analyse election procedures optional
  • optional, not held analyse foreign affairs policies optional
  • optional, not held apply teaching strategies optional
  • optional, not held develop professional network optional
  • optional, not held election law optional
  • optional, not held foreign affairs optional
  • optional, not held geography optional
  • optional, not held international law optional
  • optional, not held maintain relationships with government agencies optional
  • optional, not held observe new developments in foreign countries optional
  • optional, not held political campaigning optional
  • optional, not held political parties optional
  • optional, not held provide technical expertise optional
  • optional, not held social network analysis optional
  • optional, not held sociology optional
  • optional, not held teach political science optional
38 held skills the political scientist role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role Monte Carlo simulation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
  • not needed by the target role advise on economic development skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse economic trends skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse financial performance of a company skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse market financial trends skill
  • not needed by the target role business analytics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role business management principles knowledge
  • not needed by the target role civil law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role commercial law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role content marketing strategy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role cryptocurrency knowledge
  • not needed by the target role develop economic policies skill
  • not needed by the target role development economics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role economic anthropology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role empirical analysis knowledge
  • not needed by the target role environmental economics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
  • not needed by the target role financial analysis knowledge
  • not needed by the target role financial forecasting knowledge
  • not needed by the target role financial markets knowledge
  • not needed by the target role forecast economic trends skill
  • not needed by the target role fundamental analysis knowledge
  • not needed by the target role game theory knowledge
  • not needed by the target role international business knowledge
  • not needed by the target role international import export regulations knowledge
  • not needed by the target role market analysis knowledge
  • not needed by the target role mathematical economics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role mathematical modelling knowledge
  • not needed by the target role mathematics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role project management knowledge
  • not needed by the target role provide cost benefit analysis reports skill
  • not needed by the target role public law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role quantitative analysis knowledge
  • not needed by the target role sales promotion techniques knowledge
  • not needed by the target role spatial planning knowledge
  • not needed by the target role tax legislation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role use business simulation tools 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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn government policy required
  • still to learn government policy implementation required
  • still to learn political ideologies required
  • still to learn political science required
  • still to learn politics required
  • still to learn research design required
  • optional, not held European integration optional
  • optional, not held European political studies optional
  • optional, not held good governance optional
  • optional, not held African studies optional
  • optional, not held election law optional
  • optional, not held foreign affairs optional
  • optional, not held geography optional
  • optional, not held international law optional
  • optional, not held political campaigning optional
  • optional, not held political parties optional
  • optional, not held social network analysis optional
  • optional, not held sociology optional
Index

Other moves recorded from economist

Full index of moves from economist

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an economist become a political scientist?

Yes, and it is a moderate move. An economist already covers 71% of what a political scientist is expected to do: 45 skills carry over, 34 of which the political scientist role treats as required.

What skills does an economist need to become a political scientist?

7 required skills are missing, plus 24 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by social sciences, journalism and information. The single most important is government policy.

How hard is the move from economist to political scientist?

Its learning distance is 41.5 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.