Table 1Transition record

secretary of statetosecretary general

A secretary of state already meets 61% of what the secretary general role asks for. The move turns on 5 required skills not yet in the profile.

From secretary of state

61%

Overlap1

To secretary general

17 Skills carried over

5 Required, not held

38.4 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 38.4

This move: 38.4 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the secretary general role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the secretary of state 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 17 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 secretary of state background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

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 general role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 11 missing skills fall into 3 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 3 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held coordinate government activities in foreign institutions required
required, not held represent national interests required
required, not held maintain relationships with government agencies required

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 prepare presentation material optional

02 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held manage staff required

optional, not held develop international cooperation strategies optional

03 business, administration and law 1 required

required, not held bookkeeping regulations required

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 17 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply conflict management skill
already held audit techniques knowledge
already held budgetary principles knowledge
already held conduct financial audits skill
already held good governance knowledge
already held perform project management skill
already held project management principles knowledge
already held represent the organisation skill
already held advise on legislative acts skill
already held government policy implementation knowledge
already held implement strategic management skill
already held legislation procedure knowledge
already held liaise with local authorities skill
already held manage administrative systems skill
already held manage budgets skill
already held manage government policy implementation skill
already held public finance knowledge

6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held develop international cooperation strategies 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 prepare presentation material optional

12 held skills the secretary general role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise legislators skill
not needed by the target role advise on public finance skill
not needed by the target role analyse legislation skill
not needed by the target role constitutional law knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure cross-department cooperation skill
not needed by the target role government representation knowledge
not needed by the target role perform political negotiation skill
not needed by the target role prepare legislation proposition skill
not needed by the target role present legislation proposition skill
not needed by the target role present reports skill
not needed by the target role public administration knowledge
not needed by the target role write meeting reports 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.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held bookkeeping regulations required

Index

Other moves recorded from secretary of state

Full index of moves from secretary of state

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.