Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Technical communicator to e-learning developer

A technical communicator already meets 39% of what the e-learning developer role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From technical communicator
39 % overlap
Distant match
To e-learning developer
23 You already bring
13 Still to learn
67 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

69.9/ 100

1 How much of what an e-learning developer is expected to do is already part of a technical communicator’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 e-learning developer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

An e-learning developer role treats 11 of its required skills as things a technical communicator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • compile content
  • conduct content quality assurance
  • content development processes
  • identify ICT user needs
  • integrate content into output media
  • manage content development projects

What stands in the way is 13 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 23 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An e-learning developer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a technical communicator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held apply ICT terminology communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held utilise content types working with computers
  • already held publishing strategy arts and humanities
  • already held compile content information skills
  • already held conduct content quality assurance working with computers
  • already held manage content development projects management skills

All 23 carried skills, including the 11 the e-learning developer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 44 missing skills fall into 7 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 information and communication technologies (icts) 3 required, 25 supplementary
  • still to learn e-learning software infrastructure required
  • still to learn standards for web-based e-learning required
  • still to learn authoring software required
  • optional, not held AJAX optional
  • optional, not held Absorb (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Adobe Illustrator optional
  • optional, not held Adobe Photoshop optional
  • optional, not held Brightspace (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Canvas (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Edmodo optional
  • optional, not held Engrade optional
  • optional, not held GIMP (graphics editor software) optional
  • optional, not held Grovo optional
  • optional, not held JavaScript optional
  • optional, not held LAMS optional
  • optional, not held Litmos optional
  • optional, not held Microsoft Visio optional
  • optional, not held Moodle optional
  • optional, not held PHP optional
  • optional, not held Sakai optional
  • optional, not held Schoology optional
  • optional, not held SketchBook Pro optional
  • optional, not held Synfig optional
  • optional, not held Taleo optional
  • optional, not held WizIQ optional
  • optional, not held graphics editor software optional
  • optional, not held web programming optional
  • optional, not held augmented reality optional
02 management skills 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn create SCORM packages required
  • still to learn develop e-learning plan required
  • still to learn identify training needs required
  • optional, not held develop learning curriculum optional
03 education 3 required
  • still to learn e-learning required
  • still to learn instructional design models required
  • still to learn learning technologies required
04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn design web-based courses required
  • still to learn develop digital educational materials required
  • optional, not held deliver online training optional
  • optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
05 working with computers 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn develop digital content required
  • optional, not held integrate system components optional
  • optional, not held optimise choice of ICT solution optional
06 business, administration and law 1 required
  • still to learn learning management systems required

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries an e-learning developer 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 23 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held compile content skill
  • already held conduct content quality assurance skill
  • already held content development processes knowledge
  • already held identify ICT user needs skill
  • already held integrate content into output media skill
  • already held manage content development projects skill
  • already held manage content metadata skill
  • already held provide multimedia content skill
  • already held provide written content skill
  • already held publishing strategy knowledge
  • already held structure information skill
  • already held CSS knowledge
  • already held ICT software specifications knowledge
  • already held JSSS knowledge
  • already held LESS knowledge
  • already held Sass knowledge
  • already held apply ICT terminology skill
  • already held create script for artistic production skill
  • already held identify technological needs skill
  • already held multimedia systems knowledge
  • already held style sheet languages knowledge
  • already held use markup languages skill
  • already held utilise content types skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 information skills 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held keep up-to-date with training subjects optional
31 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held AJAX optional
  • optional, not held Absorb (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Adobe Illustrator optional
  • optional, not held Adobe Photoshop optional
  • optional, not held Brightspace (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Canvas (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Edmodo optional
  • optional, not held Engrade optional
  • optional, not held GIMP (graphics editor software) optional
  • optional, not held Grovo optional
  • optional, not held JavaScript optional
  • optional, not held LAMS optional
  • optional, not held Litmos optional
  • optional, not held Microsoft Visio optional
  • optional, not held Moodle optional
  • optional, not held PHP optional
  • optional, not held Sakai optional
  • optional, not held Schoology optional
  • optional, not held SketchBook Pro optional
  • optional, not held Synfig optional
  • optional, not held Taleo optional
  • optional, not held WizIQ optional
  • optional, not held graphics editor software optional
  • optional, not held integrate system components optional
  • optional, not held keep up-to-date with training subjects optional
  • optional, not held optimise choice of ICT solution optional
  • optional, not held web programming optional
  • optional, not held augmented reality optional
  • optional, not held deliver online training optional
  • optional, not held develop inclusive communication material optional
  • optional, not held develop learning curriculum optional
23 held skills the e-learning developer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role ICT help platforms knowledge
  • not needed by the target role application usability knowledge
  • not needed by the target role apply tools for content development skill
  • not needed by the target role cognitive psychology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role design graphics skill
  • not needed by the target role develop ICT safety information skill
  • not needed by the target role develop documentation in accordance with legal requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role documentation types knowledge
  • not needed by the target role gather technical information skill
  • not needed by the target role integrate and re-elaborate digital content skill
  • not needed by the target role interpret technical texts skill
  • not needed by the target role knowledge base knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage digital documents skill
  • not needed by the target role manage information sources skill
  • not needed by the target role manage localisation skill
  • not needed by the target role product usage risks analysis knowledge
  • not needed by the target role provide online help skill
  • not needed by the target role provide technical documentation skill
  • not needed by the target role translate requirements into visual design skill
  • not needed by the target role use content management system software skill
  • not needed by the target role use presentation software skill
  • not needed by the target role use word processing software skill
  • not needed by the target role visual presentation techniques knowledge
32 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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn e-learning required
  • still to learn e-learning software infrastructure required
  • still to learn instructional design models required
  • still to learn learning technologies required
  • still to learn standards for web-based e-learning required
  • still to learn authoring software required
  • still to learn learning management systems required
  • optional, not held AJAX optional
  • optional, not held Absorb (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Adobe Illustrator optional
  • optional, not held Adobe Photoshop optional
  • optional, not held Brightspace (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Canvas (learning management systems) optional
  • optional, not held Edmodo optional
  • optional, not held Engrade optional
  • optional, not held GIMP (graphics editor software) optional
  • optional, not held Grovo optional
  • optional, not held JavaScript optional
  • optional, not held LAMS optional
  • optional, not held Litmos optional
  • optional, not held Microsoft Visio optional
  • optional, not held Moodle optional
  • optional, not held PHP optional
  • optional, not held Sakai optional
  • optional, not held Schoology optional
  • optional, not held SketchBook Pro optional
  • optional, not held Synfig optional
  • optional, not held Taleo optional
  • optional, not held WizIQ optional
  • optional, not held graphics editor software optional
  • optional, not held web programming optional
  • optional, not held augmented reality optional
Index

Other moves recorded from technical communicator

Full index of moves from technical communicator

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a technical communicator become an e-learning developer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A technical communicator already covers 39% of what an e-learning developer is expected to do: 23 skills carry over, 11 of which the e-learning developer role treats as required.

What skills does a technical communicator need to become an e-learning developer?

13 required skills are missing, plus 31 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information and communication technologies (icts). The single most important is create SCORM packages.

How hard is the move from technical communicator to e-learning developer?

Its learning distance is 69.9 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.