Table 1Transition record

public administration managertosecretary general

A public administration manager already meets 44% of what the secretary general role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.

From public administration manager

44%

Overlap1

To secretary general

12 Skills carried over

7 Required, not held

52.7 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 52.7

This move: 52.7 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the secretary general role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the public administration 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 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A secretary general role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a public administration manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held legislation procedure business, administration and law
already held good governance social sciences, journalism and information
already held public finance business, administration and law
already held project management principles business, administration and law
already held manage government policy implementation management skills
already held maintain relationships with government agencies communication, collaboration and creativity

All 12 carried skills, including the 6 the secretary general role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 16 missing skills fall into 4 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 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 required, 7 supplementary

required, not held coordinate government activities in foreign institutions required
required, not held represent national interests required
required, not held apply conflict management required
required, not held represent the organisation required

optional, not held advise on legislative acts optional
optional, not held apply diplomatic principles optional
optional, not held build community relations optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held establish collaborative relations optional
optional, not held implement strategic management optional
optional, not held prepare presentation material optional

02 business, administration and law 2 required

required, not held audit techniques required
required, not held bookkeeping regulations required

03 information skills 1 required

required, not held conduct financial audits required

04 management skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held develop international cooperation strategies optional
optional, not held manage administrative systems optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a secretary general 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 12 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held budgetary principles knowledge
already held good governance knowledge
already held maintain relationships with government agencies skill
already held manage staff skill
already held perform project management skill
already held project management principles knowledge
already held government policy implementation knowledge
already held legislation procedure knowledge
already held liaise with local authorities skill
already held manage budgets skill
already held manage government policy implementation skill
already held public finance knowledge

9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held develop international cooperation strategies optional
optional, not held manage administrative systems optional
optional, not held advise on legislative acts optional
optional, not held apply diplomatic principles optional
optional, not held build community relations optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held establish collaborative relations optional
optional, not held implement strategic management optional
optional, not held prepare presentation material optional

24 held skills the secretary general role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role accounting techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role apply strategic thinking skill
not needed by the target role conduct public presentations skill
not needed by the target role coordinate events skill
not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
not needed by the target role develop strategy to solve problems skill
not needed by the target role ensure cross-department cooperation skill
not needed by the target role ensure information transparency skill
not needed by the target role estimate duration of work skill
not needed by the target role fix meetings skill
not needed by the target role keep task records skill
not needed by the target role liaise with politicians skill
not needed by the target role manage accounts skill
not needed by the target role manage teamwork skill
not needed by the target role offer assistance to national citizens skill
not needed by the target role perform resource planning skill
not needed by the target role plan medium to long term objectives skill
not needed by the target role public administration knowledge
not needed by the target role public law knowledge
not needed by the target role recruit employees skill
not needed by the target role supervise staff skill
not needed by the target role write meeting reports skill
not needed by the target role write situation reports skill

2 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 audit techniques required
required, not held bookkeeping regulations required

Index

Other moves recorded from public administration manager

Full index of moves from public administration 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.