Secretary general to secretary of state
A secretary general already meets 58% of what the secretary of state role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.
42.1/ 100
1 How much of what a secretary of state is expected to do is already part of a secretary general’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 secretary of state role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A secretary of state role treats 8 of its required skills as things a secretary general already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise on legislative acts
- audit techniques
- budgetary principles
- conduct financial audits
- good governance
- implement strategic management
What stands in the way is 6 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 17 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A secretary of state role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a secretary general background worth leading with.
- already held implement strategic management communication, collaboration and creativity
- 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 conduct financial audits information skills
- already held audit techniques business, administration and law
All 17 carried skills, including the 8 the secretary of state role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 12 missing skills fall into 5 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 present legislation proposition required
- still to learn advise legislators required
- still to learn perform political negotiation required
- optional, not held advise on public finance optional
- optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
- optional, not held present reports optional
- optional, not held write meeting reports optional
- still to learn public administration required
- optional, not held government representation optional
- still to learn analyse legislation required
- still to learn prepare legislation proposition required
- optional, not held constitutional law optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a secretary of state role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 prepare legislation proposition practise this
- 02 present legislation proposition practise this
- 03 public administration 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 17 skills that carry over
- already held advise on legislative acts skill
- already held audit techniques knowledge
- already held budgetary principles knowledge
- already held conduct financial audits skill
- already held good governance knowledge
- already held implement strategic management skill
- already held legislation procedure knowledge
- already held liaise with local authorities skill
- already held apply conflict management skill
- already held government policy implementation knowledge
- already held manage administrative systems skill
- already held manage budgets skill
- already held manage government policy implementation skill
- already held perform project management skill
- already held project management principles knowledge
- already held public finance knowledge
- already held represent the organisation skill
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on public finance optional
- optional, not held constitutional law optional
- optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
- optional, not held government representation optional
- optional, not held present reports optional
- optional, not held write meeting reports optional
11 held skills the secretary of state role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply diplomatic principles skill
- not needed by the target role bookkeeping regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role build community relations skill
- not needed by the target role build international relations skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate government activities in foreign institutions skill
- not needed by the target role develop international cooperation strategies skill
- not needed by the target role establish collaborative relations skill
- not needed by the target role maintain relationships with government agencies skill
- not needed by the target role manage staff skill
- not needed by the target role prepare presentation material skill
- not needed by the target role represent national interests skill
3 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 public administration required
- optional, not held constitutional law optional
- optional, not held government representation optional
Common questions about this move
Can a secretary general become a secretary of state?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A secretary general already covers 58% of what a secretary of state is expected to do: 17 skills carry over, 8 of which the secretary of state role treats as required.
What skills does a secretary general need to become a secretary of state?
6 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is prepare legislation proposition.
How hard is the move from secretary general to secretary of state?
Its learning distance is 42.1 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.