Sergeant to army major
A sergeant already meets 79% of what the army major role asks for. Every required skill of the target role is already in the profile.
20.8/ 100
1 How much of what an army major is expected to do is already part of a sergeant’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 army major role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An army major role treats 10 of its required skills as things a sergeant already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise superiors on military operations
- give battle commands
- maintain operational communications
- manage troop deployment
- military code
- military combat techniques
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An army major role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a sergeant background worth leading with.
- already held advise superiors on military operations communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held monitor military equipment use information skills
- already held train military troops communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held give battle commands communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held coordinate patrols management skills
- already held manage troop deployment management skills
All 18 carried skills, including the 10 the army major role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 10 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.
- optional, not held assist in military logistics optional
- optional, not held coordinate humanitarian aid missions optional
- optional, not held write situation reports optional
- optional, not held manage administrative systems optional
- optional, not held devise military tactics optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held ensure information security optional
- optional, not held perform military operations optional
- optional, not held military logistics optional
- optional, not held test safety strategies optional
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 18 skills that carry over
- already held advise superiors on military operations skill
- already held give battle commands skill
- already held maintain operational communications skill
- already held manage troop deployment skill
- already held military code knowledge
- already held military combat techniques knowledge
- already held military drill knowledge
- already held military weaponry knowledge
- already held monitor military equipment use skill
- already held train military troops skill
- already held coordinate patrols skill
- already held coordinate rescue missions skill
- already held ensure compliance with types of weapons skill
- already held ensure equipment availability skill
- already held geographic information systems knowledge
- already held lead military troops skill
- already held surveillance methods knowledge
- already held use geographic information systems skill
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held assist in military logistics optional
- optional, not held manage administrative systems optional
- optional, not held coordinate humanitarian aid missions optional
- optional, not held devise military tactics optional
- optional, not held ensure information security optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held military logistics optional
- optional, not held perform military operations optional
- optional, not held test safety strategies optional
- optional, not held write situation reports optional
12 held skills the army major role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role camouflage knowledge
- not needed by the target role defend human rights skill
- not needed by the target role handle surveillance equipment skill
- not needed by the target role identify security threats skill
- not needed by the target role instruct in military duties skill
- not needed by the target role operate armoured fighting vehicles skill
- not needed by the target role operate radio equipment skill
- not needed by the target role patrol areas skill
- not needed by the target role perform search and rescue missions skill
- not needed by the target role provide humanitarian aid skill
- not needed by the target role supervise the maintenance of military equipment skill
- not needed by the target role use different communication channels 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.
- optional, not held military logistics optional
Common questions about this move
Can a sergeant become an army major?
Yes, and it is an adjacent move. A sergeant already covers 79% of what an army major is expected to do: 18 skills carry over, 10 of which the army major role treats as required.
What skills does a sergeant need to become an army major?
None of the army major role's required skills are missing from a sergeant profile. 10 optional skills are not yet covered.
How hard is the move from sergeant to army major?
Its learning distance is 20.8 out of 100, which is the adjacent 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.