Nature conservation officer to curator of horticulture
A nature conservation officer already meets 36% of what the curator of horticulture role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
62/ 100
1 How much of what a curator of horticulture is expected to do is already part of a nature conservation officer’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 curator of horticulture role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A curator of horticulture role treats 5 of its required skills as things a nature conservation officer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- biology
- botany
- ecology
- keep task records
- manage contracts
What stands in the way is 11 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 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A curator of horticulture role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a nature conservation officer background worth leading with.
- already held support volunteers communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held educate people about nature communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held educate public on fire safety communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held forest ecology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held botany natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held ecology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
All 10 carried skills, including the 5 the curator of horticulture role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 14 missing skills fall into 7 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 horticultural design required
- still to learn horticulture principles required
- optional, not held forest conservation optional
- still to learn conduct workplace audits required
- still to learn manage database required
- still to learn manage ground maintenance required
- still to learn manage budgets required
- still to learn collection management required
- still to learn collection management software required
- still to learn advise on acquisitions required
- optional, not held advise on tree issues optional
- optional, not held educate the public about wildlife optional
- still to learn advertising techniques required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a curator of horticulture role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 advise on acquisitions practise this
- 02 collection management study this
- 03 collection management software 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 10 skills that carry over
- already held biology knowledge
- already held botany knowledge
- already held ecology knowledge
- already held keep task records skill
- already held manage contracts skill
- already held educate people about nature skill
- already held educate public on fire safety skill
- already held forest ecology knowledge
- already held respond to enquiries skill
- already held support volunteers skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- still to learn identify plants characteristics required
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on tree issues optional
- optional, not held educate the public about wildlife optional
- optional, not held forest conservation optional
52 held skills the curator of horticulture role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on nature conservation skill
- not needed by the target role advise on soil and water protection skill
- not needed by the target role advise on sustainable management policies skill
- not needed by the target role analyse ecological data skill
- not needed by the target role analyse environmental data skill
- not needed by the target role animal biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role animal welfare legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role applied zoology knowledge
- not needed by the target role aquatic ecology knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess environmental impact skill
- not needed by the target role brief volunteers skill
- not needed by the target role business management principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct educational activities skill
- not needed by the target role conduct environmental surveys skill
- not needed by the target role conduct research on fauna skill
- not needed by the target role conduct research on flora skill
- not needed by the target role conserve natural resources skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate educational programmes skill
- not needed by the target role de-limb trees skill
- not needed by the target role ecological principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- not needed by the target role ensure the safety of endangered species and protected areas skill
- not needed by the target role environmental legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role estimate duration of work skill
- not needed by the target role fire prevention procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role fish biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role habitat restoration knowledge
- not needed by the target role implement biodiversity action plans skill
- not needed by the target role investigate pollution skill
- not needed by the target role manage conservation of natural and cultural heritage skill
- not needed by the target role manage land resources permits skill
- not needed by the target role manage staff skill
- not needed by the target role manage visitor flows in natural protected areas skill
- not needed by the target role manage volunteers skill
- not needed by the target role measure sustainability of tourism activities skill
- not needed by the target role molecular biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor nature conservation skill
- not needed by the target role monitor wildlife skill
- not needed by the target role natural areas maintenance knowledge
- not needed by the target role plan measures to safeguard cultural heritage skill
12 further entries not listed here
6 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 collection management required
- still to learn collection management software required
- still to learn horticultural design required
- still to learn horticulture principles required
- still to learn advertising techniques required
- optional, not held forest conservation optional
Other moves recorded from nature conservation officer
Common questions about this move
Can a nature conservation officer become a curator of horticulture?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A nature conservation officer already covers 36% of what a curator of horticulture is expected to do: 10 skills carry over, 5 of which the curator of horticulture role treats as required.
What skills does a nature conservation officer need to become a curator of horticulture?
11 required skills are missing, plus 3 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary. The single most important is advise on acquisitions.
How hard is the move from nature conservation officer to curator of horticulture?
Its learning distance is 62 out of 100, which is the substantial 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.