ICT research consultant to communication scientist
An ICT research consultant already meets 66% of what the communication scientist role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
46.3/ 100
1 How much of what a communication scientist is expected to do is already part of an ICT research consultant’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 communication scientist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A communication scientist role treats 32 of its required skills as things an ICT research consultant 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
- communicate with a non-scientific audience
- conduct qualitative research
- conduct quantitative research
- conduct research across disciplines
What stands in the way is 9 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 34 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A communication scientist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an ICT research consultant background worth leading with.
- already held conduct qualitative research information skills
- already held conduct quantitative research information skills
- already held manage findable accessible interoperable and reusable data information skills
- already held think abstractly communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held communicate with a non-scientific audience communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held integrate gender dimension in research information skills
All 34 carried skills, including the 32 the communication scientist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 31 missing skills fall into 9 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.
- still to learn analyse the comments of selected audiences required
- still to learn apply scientific methods required
- optional, not held study communications channels for different employers/contractors optional
- optional, not held develop scientific theories optional
- optional, not held monitor sociological trends optional
- optional, not held conduct public surveys optional
- optional, not held perform market research optional
- still to learn media studies required
- still to learn types of media required
- still to learn communication required
- still to learn scientific literature required
- still to learn communication studies required
- optional, not held anthropology optional
- optional, not held journalism optional
- optional, not held social network analysis optional
- optional, not held sociology optional
- still to learn use data processing techniques required
- optional, not held digital communication and collaboration optional
- optional, not held use presentation software optional
- still to learn develop communications strategies required
- optional, not held develop media strategy optional
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a communication scientist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 analyse the comments of selected audiences practise this
- 02 apply scientific methods practise this
- 03 communication study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 34 skills that carry over
- already held apply for research funding skill
- already held apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities skill
- already held communicate with a non-scientific audience skill
- already held conduct qualitative research skill
- already held conduct quantitative research 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 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 synthesise information skill
- already held think abstractly skill
- already held write scientific publications skill
- already held apply blended learning skill
- already held teach in academic or vocational contexts skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held advise on communication strategies optional
- optional, not held advise on public relations optional
- optional, not held apply teaching strategies optional
- optional, not held interview focus groups optional
- optional, not held perform public relations optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
- optional, not held advertising techniques optional
- optional, not held content marketing strategy optional
- optional, not held media law optional
- optional, not held perform customer management optional
22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held study communications channels for different employers/contractors optional
- optional, not held anthropology optional
- optional, not held develop scientific theories optional
- optional, not held digital communication and collaboration optional
- optional, not held monitor sociological trends optional
- optional, not held advertising techniques optional
- optional, not held advise on communication strategies optional
- optional, not held advise on public relations optional
- optional, not held apply teaching strategies optional
- optional, not held conduct public surveys optional
- optional, not held content marketing strategy optional
- optional, not held develop media strategy optional
- optional, not held interview focus groups optional
- optional, not held journalism optional
- optional, not held media law optional
- optional, not held perform customer management optional
- optional, not held perform market research optional
- optional, not held perform public relations optional
- optional, not held social network analysis optional
- optional, not held sociology optional
- optional, not held use presentation software optional
- optional, not held write research proposals optional
38 held skills the communication scientist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role ICT market knowledge
- not needed by the target role ICT system user requirements knowledge
- not needed by the target role LDAP knowledge
- not needed by the target role LINQ knowledge
- not needed by the target role MDX knowledge
- not needed by the target role N1QL knowledge
- not needed by the target role SPARQL knowledge
- not needed by the target role XQuery knowledge
- not needed by the target role apply reverse engineering skill
- not needed by the target role apply statistical analysis techniques skill
- not needed by the target role conduct literature research skill
- not needed by the target role conduct research interview skill
- not needed by the target role conduct scholarly research skill
- not needed by the target role consult with business clients skill
- not needed by the target role create prototype of user experience solutions skill
- not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
- not needed by the target role develop software prototype skill
- not needed by the target role digital data processing skill
- not needed by the target role emergent technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role execute ICT user research activities skill
- not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role information categorisation knowledge
- not needed by the target role information extraction knowledge
- not needed by the target role innovate in ICT skill
- not needed by the target role innovation processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role interact with users to gather requirements skill
- not needed by the target role monitor ICT research skill
- not needed by the target role optimise choice of ICT solution skill
- not needed by the target role perform data mining skill
- not needed by the target role plan research process skill
- not needed by the target role provide multimedia content skill
- not needed by the target role provide user documentation skill
- not needed by the target role provide written content skill
- not needed by the target role query languages knowledge
- not needed by the target role report analysis results skill
- not needed by the target role resource description framework query language knowledge
- not needed by the target role use methodologies for user-centered design skill
- not needed by the target role web analytics knowledge
12 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn communication required
- still to learn communication studies required
- still to learn media studies required
- still to learn scientific literature required
- still to learn types of media required
- optional, not held anthropology optional
- optional, not held advertising techniques optional
- optional, not held content marketing strategy optional
- optional, not held journalism optional
- optional, not held media law optional
- optional, not held social network analysis optional
- optional, not held sociology optional
Common questions about this move
Can an ICT research consultant become a communication scientist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An ICT research consultant already covers 66% of what a communication scientist is expected to do: 34 skills carry over, 32 of which the communication scientist role treats as required.
What skills does an ICT research consultant need to become a communication scientist?
9 required skills are missing, plus 22 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is analyse the comments of selected audiences.
How hard is the move from ICT research consultant to communication scientist?
Its learning distance is 46.3 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
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.