News anchor to presenter
A news anchor already meets 61% of what the presenter role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
44.4/ 100
1 How much of what a presenter is expected to do is already part of a news anchor’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 presenter role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A presenter role treats 12 of its required skills as things a news anchor already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- audiovisual equipment
- breathing techniques
- consult information sources
- develop professional network
- follow the news
- grammar
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 · What you already bring
Of the 24 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A presenter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a news anchor background worth leading with.
- already held moderate a debate communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held adopt a relaxed posture communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held read pre-drafted texts communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held memorise lines communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held work with a voice coach communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held perform improvisation communication, collaboration and creativity
All 24 carried skills, including the 12 the presenter role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 16 missing skills fall into 4 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 adapt to type of media required
- still to learn follow time cues required
- still to learn follow directions of the artistic director required
- still to learn rehearse role required
- optional, not held compose playlist optional
- optional, not held consult with production director optional
- optional, not held develop program ideas optional
- optional, not held practice humour optional
- optional, not held prepare broadcasts optional
- optional, not held select music optional
- optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
- still to learn gather information on theme of the show required
- still to learn meet expectations of target audience required
- optional, not held perform market research optional
- still to learn copyright legislation required
- optional, not held use audio reproduction software optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a presenter role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 gather information on theme of the show practise this
- 02 adapt to type of media practise this
- 03 follow time cues practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 24 skills that carry over
- already held audiovisual equipment knowledge
- already held breathing techniques knowledge
- already held consult information sources skill
- already held develop professional network skill
- already held follow the news skill
- already held grammar knowledge
- already held memorise lines skill
- already held perform improvisation skill
- already held pronunciation techniques knowledge
- already held read pre-drafted texts skill
- already held spelling knowledge
- already held vocal techniques knowledge
- already held adopt a relaxed posture skill
- already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- already held check correctness of information skill
- already held interview people skill
- already held interview techniques knowledge
- already held lighting techniques knowledge
- already held moderate a debate skill
- already held photography knowledge
- already held present during live broadcasts skill
- already held press law knowledge
- already held proofread text skill
- already held work with a voice coach skill
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held compose playlist optional
- optional, not held consult with production director optional
- optional, not held develop program ideas optional
- optional, not held practice humour optional
- optional, not held prepare broadcasts optional
- optional, not held select music optional
- optional, not held use audio reproduction software optional
- optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
- optional, not held perform market research optional
13 held skills the presenter role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt to changing situations skill
- not needed by the target role check stories skill
- not needed by the target role edit digital moving images skill
- not needed by the target role editorial standards knowledge
- not needed by the target role news analytics knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate audio equipment skill
- not needed by the target role participate in editorial meetings skill
- not needed by the target role perform video editing skill
- not needed by the target role rewrite articles skill
- not needed by the target role set up sound equipment skill
- not needed by the target role show diplomacy skill
- not needed by the target role work closely with news teams skill
- not needed by the target role write to a deadline skill
1 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 copyright legislation required
Common questions about this move
Can a news anchor become a presenter?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A news anchor already covers 61% of what a presenter is expected to do: 24 skills carry over, 12 of which the presenter role treats as required.
What skills does a news anchor need to become a presenter?
7 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 4 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is gather information on theme of the show.
How hard is the move from news anchor to presenter?
Its learning distance is 44.4 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.