Table 1Transition record

operations managertoproject manager

A operations manager already meets 61% of what the project manager role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.

From operations manager

61%

Overlap1

To project manager

36 Skills carried over

11 Required, not held

51.1 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 51.1

This move: 51.1 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the project manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the operations manager 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 36 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A project manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a operations manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held manage several projects management skills
already held manage project information information skills
already held manage standard enterprise resource planning system working with computers
already held manage project metrics information skills
already held insourcing strategy business, administration and law
already held outsourcing strategy business, administration and law

All 36 carried skills, including the 25 the project manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 32 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 management skills 3 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held customise project methodologies required
required, not held manage project changes required
required, not held organise project meetings required

optional, not held design wayside signalling interlockings optional
optional, not held develop business plans optional
optional, not held find a replacement for stage manager optional
optional, not held plan schedule optional

02 business, administration and law 2 required, 11 supplementary

required, not held project management methodology (PM²) required
required, not held project management principles required

optional, not held program management optional
optional, not held Agile project management optional
optional, not held Prince2 project management optional
optional, not held crowdsourcing strategy optional
optional, not held lean project management optional
optional, not held legal studies optional
optional, not held office administration optional
optional, not held total quality control optional
optional, not held business processes optional
optional, not held project configuration management optional
optional, not held risk identification optional

03 information skills 2 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held identify legal requirements required
required, not held perform PESTEL analysis required

optional, not held analyse business plans optional
optional, not held maintain a central project repository optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held apply conflict management required
required, not held draft project documentation required

optional, not held use communication techniques optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required

required, not held ensure compliance with legal requirements required

06 generic programmes and qualifications 1 required

required, not held communication principles required

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a project manager 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 36 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held build business relationships skill
already held control of expenses skill
already held create project specifications skill
already held ensure equipment availability skill
already held ensure equipment maintenance skill
already held establish daily priorities skill
already held estimate duration of work skill
already held follow company standards skill
already held internal risk management policy knowledge
already held liaise with managers skill
already held manage budgets skill
already held manage logistics skill
already held manage project information skill
already held manage project metrics skill
already held manage staff skill
already held manage supplies skill
already held negotiate with stakeholders skill
already held perform project management skill
already held perform resource planning skill
already held perform risk analysis skill
already held project management knowledge
already held provide cost benefit analysis reports skill
already held supervise daily information operations skill
already held train employees skill
already held write work-related reports skill
already held apply change management skill
already held corporate social responsibility knowledge
already held create a financial report skill
already held insourcing strategy knowledge
already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
already held manage several projects skill
already held manage standard enterprise resource planning system skill
already held outsourcing strategy knowledge
already held quality assurance methodologies knowledge
already held recruit employees skill
already held strive for company growth skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 2 supplementary

optional, not held mathematics optional
optional, not held statistics optional

08 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 supplementary

optional, not held quantity surveying optional

21 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held program management optional
optional, not held Agile project management optional
optional, not held Prince2 project management optional
optional, not held crowdsourcing strategy optional
optional, not held design wayside signalling interlockings optional
optional, not held develop business plans optional
optional, not held find a replacement for stage manager optional
optional, not held lean project management optional
optional, not held legal studies optional
optional, not held office administration optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held total quality control optional
optional, not held analyse business plans optional
optional, not held business processes optional
optional, not held maintain a central project repository optional
optional, not held mathematics optional
optional, not held plan schedule optional
optional, not held project configuration management optional
optional, not held risk identification optional
optional, not held statistics optional
optional, not held use communication techniques optional

55 held skills the project manager role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accounting knowledge
not needed by the target role adhere to organisational guidelines skill
not needed by the target role advise on efficiency improvements skill
not needed by the target role advise on utility consumption skill
not needed by the target role align efforts towards business development skill
not needed by the target role assess financial viability skill
not needed by the target role assess supplier risks skill
not needed by the target role budget for financial needs skill
not needed by the target role contract law knowledge
not needed by the target role control financial resources skill
not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
not needed by the target role database quality standards knowledge
not needed by the target role develop business case skill
not needed by the target role develop revenue generation strategies skill
not needed by the target role develop staff skill
not needed by the target role employment law knowledge
not needed by the target role energy conservation knowledge
not needed by the target role estimate profitability skill
not needed by the target role evaluate employees skill
not needed by the target role evaluate project plans skill
not needed by the target role facilities management in the organisation knowledge
not needed by the target role handle customer complaints skill
not needed by the target role impart business plans to collaborators skill
not needed by the target role implement corporate governance skill
not needed by the target role information confidentiality knowledge
not needed by the target role interpret financial statements skill
not needed by the target role liaise with government officials skill
not needed by the target role maintain customer service skill
not needed by the target role maintain relationship with customers skill
not needed by the target role make data-driven decisions skill
not needed by the target role make investment decisions skill
not needed by the target role make strategic business decisions skill
not needed by the target role manage facilities services skill
not needed by the target role manage maintenance operations skill
not needed by the target role manage major incidents skill
not needed by the target role manage profitability skill
not needed by the target role manufacturing processes knowledge
not needed by the target role meet deadlines skill
not needed by the target role negotiate terms with suppliers skill
not needed by the target role operations management knowledge

15 further entries not listed here

17 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 communication principles required
required, not held project management methodology (PM²) required
required, not held project management principles required
optional, not held program management optional
optional, not held Agile project management optional
optional, not held Prince2 project management optional
optional, not held crowdsourcing strategy optional
optional, not held lean project management optional
optional, not held legal studies optional
optional, not held office administration optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held total quality control optional
optional, not held business processes optional
optional, not held mathematics optional
optional, not held project configuration management optional
optional, not held risk identification optional
optional, not held statistics optional

Index

Other moves recorded from operations manager

Full index of moves from operations manager

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.