Table 1Transition record

foreign language correspondence clerktoadministrative assistant

A foreign language correspondence clerk already meets 44% of what the administrative assistant role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.

From foreign language correspondence clerk

44%

Overlap1

To administrative assistant

14 Skills carried over

9 Required, not held

57.9 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 57.9

This move: 57.9 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the administrative assistant role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the foreign language correspondence clerk 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 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A administrative assistant role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a foreign language correspondence clerk background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held draft corporate emails communication, collaboration and creativity
already held file documents information skills
already held disseminate internal communications communication, collaboration and creativity
already held handle mail management skills
already held deliver correspondence management skills
already held organise business documents management skills

All 14 carried skills, including the 11 the administrative assistant role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 27 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 information skills 4 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held perform business research required
required, not held fill out forms required
required, not held keep task records required
required, not held maintain statutory books required

optional, not held maintain inventory of office supplies optional
optional, not held monitor staff absences optional

02 management skills 3 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held disseminate messages to people required
required, not held organise facilities for office personnel required
required, not held plan schedule required

optional, not held issue sales invoices optional
optional, not held coordinate events optional
optional, not held fix meetings optional
optional, not held handle petty cash optional
optional, not held manage personnel agenda optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held disseminate general corporate information required

optional, not held create import-export commercial documentation optional
optional, not held maintain internal communication systems optional
optional, not held organise travel arrangements for staff optional
optional, not held prepare presentation material optional
optional, not held process commissioned instructions optional

04 working with computers 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held use microsoft office required

optional, not held use personal organization software optional

05 assisting and caring 2 supplementary

optional, not held respect data protection principles optional
optional, not held provide customer follow-up services optional

06 arts and humanities 1 supplementary

optional, not held transcription methods optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a administrative assistant 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 14 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held company policies knowledge
already held disseminate internal communications skill
already held draft corporate emails skill
already held ensure proper document management skill
already held file documents skill
already held handle mail skill
already held manage digital documents skill
already held organise business documents skill
already held perform office routine activities skill
already held use office systems skill
already held use spreadsheets software skill
already held deliver correspondence skill
already held liaise with managers skill
already held speak different languages skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held accounting techniques optional

08 generic programmes and qualifications 1 supplementary

optional, not held business communication optional

18 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held issue sales invoices optional
optional, not held respect data protection principles optional
optional, not held accounting techniques optional
optional, not held business communication optional
optional, not held coordinate events optional
optional, not held create import-export commercial documentation optional
optional, not held fix meetings optional
optional, not held handle petty cash optional
optional, not held maintain internal communication systems optional
optional, not held maintain inventory of office supplies optional
optional, not held manage personnel agenda optional
optional, not held monitor staff absences optional
optional, not held organise travel arrangements for staff optional
optional, not held prepare presentation material optional
optional, not held process commissioned instructions optional
optional, not held provide customer follow-up services optional
optional, not held transcription methods optional
optional, not held use personal organization software optional

12 held skills the administrative assistant role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role apply grammar and spelling rules skill
not needed by the target role communicate by telephone skill
not needed by the target role communicate commercial and technical issues in foreign languages skill
not needed by the target role grammar knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with typists skill
not needed by the target role master language rules skill
not needed by the target role spelling knowledge
not needed by the target role translate foreign language skill
not needed by the target role translate language concepts skill
not needed by the target role translate spoken language skill
not needed by the target role use an application-specific interface skill
not needed by the target role use word processing software skill

3 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 accounting techniques optional
optional, not held business communication optional
optional, not held transcription methods optional

Index

Other moves recorded from foreign language correspondence clerk

Full index of moves from foreign language correspondence clerk

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.