Table 1Transition record

journalisttoeditorial assistant

A journalist already meets 55% of what the editorial assistant role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.

From journalist

55%

Overlap1

To editorial assistant

14 Skills carried over

6 Required, not held

44.5 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 44.5

This move: 44.5 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the editorial assistant role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the journalist 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 editorial assistant role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a journalist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held follow newspaper house style assisting and caring
already held digital journalism social sciences, journalism and information
already held participate in editorial meetings communication, collaboration and creativity
already held editorial standards social sciences, journalism and information
already held press law business, administration and law
already held use specific writing techniques communication, collaboration and creativity

All 14 carried skills, including the 9 the editorial assistant role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 14 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 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held manage information sources required
required, not held structure information required

optional, not held evaluate interview reports optional

02 working with computers 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held use spreadsheets software required

optional, not held digital content creation optional
optional, not held search databases optional

03 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held database management systems required

optional, not held authoring software optional

04 arts and humanities 1 required

required, not held linguistics required

05 business, administration and law 1 required

required, not held media law required

06 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary

optional, not held edit scripts optional
optional, not held select scripts optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a editorial 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 adapt to type of media skill
already held check correctness of information skill
already held consult information sources skill
already held desktop publishing knowledge
already held digital journalism knowledge
already held editorial standards knowledge
already held follow newspaper house style skill
already held press law knowledge
already held use word processing software skill
already held audio editing software knowledge
already held interview people skill
already held participate in editorial meetings skill
already held use specific writing techniques skill
already held writing techniques knowledge

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held answer incoming calls optional

08 social sciences, journalism and information 1 supplementary

optional, not held search engines optional

8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held digital content creation optional
optional, not held edit scripts optional
optional, not held search engines optional
optional, not held select scripts optional
optional, not held answer incoming calls optional
optional, not held authoring software optional
optional, not held evaluate interview reports optional
optional, not held search databases optional

105 held skills the editorial assistant 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 changing situations skill
not needed by the target role address problems critically skill
not needed by the target role analyse market financial trends skill
not needed by the target role analyse trends in the food and beverage industries skill
not needed by the target role apply desktop publishing techniques skill
not needed by the target role apply grammar and spelling rules skill
not needed by the target role art history knowledge
not needed by the target role ask questions at events skill
not needed by the target role attend book fairs skill
not needed by the target role attend performances skill
not needed by the target role attend trade fairs skill
not needed by the target role build contacts to maintain news flow skill
not needed by the target role communicate by telephone skill
not needed by the target role copyright legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role corporate law knowledge
not needed by the target role court procedures knowledge
not needed by the target role create online news content skill
not needed by the target role criminal law knowledge
not needed by the target role critically reflect on artistic production processes skill
not needed by the target role cultural projects knowledge
not needed by the target role develop film skill
not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
not needed by the target role direct photographic workers skill
not needed by the target role do historical research skill
not needed by the target role document interviews skill
not needed by the target role economics knowledge
not needed by the target role edit digital moving images 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 edit recorded sound skill
not needed by the target role election law knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure consistency of published articles skill
not needed by the target role evaluate writings in response to feedback skill
not needed by the target role film studies knowledge
not needed by the target role financial jurisdiction knowledge
not needed by the target role follow directions of on-site director skill
not needed by the target role follow ethical code of conduct of journalists skill
not needed by the target role follow the news skill
not needed by the target role food hygiene rules knowledge

65 further entries not listed here

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 database management systems required
required, not held linguistics required
required, not held media law required
optional, not held search engines optional
optional, not held authoring software optional

Index

Other moves recorded from journalist

Full index of moves from journalist

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.