Tourism policy director to embassy counsellor
A tourism policy director already meets 31% of what the embassy counsellor role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
68/ 100
1 How much of what an embassy counsellor is expected to do is already part of a tourism policy director’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 embassy counsellor role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An embassy counsellor role treats 6 of its required skills as things a tourism policy director already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise on foreign affairs policies
- analyse foreign affairs policies
- foreign affairs
- foreign affairs policy development
- government policy implementation
- show intercultural awareness
What stands in the way is 11 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 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An embassy counsellor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a tourism policy director background worth leading with.
- already held foreign affairs policy development social sciences, journalism and information
- already held develop international cooperation strategies management skills
- already held analyse foreign affairs policies information skills
- already held advise on foreign affairs policies communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held foreign affairs business, administration and law
- already held build international relations communication, collaboration and creativity
All 10 carried skills, including the 6 the embassy counsellor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 27 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.
- still to learn maintain relations with local representatives required
- still to learn represent national interests required
- still to learn build trust required
- still to learn develop professional network required
- optional, not held apply diplomatic principles optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held maintain operational communications optional
- optional, not held maintain relationships with government agencies optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- still to learn manage administrative systems required
- still to learn ensure compliance with policies required
- optional, not held develop defence policies optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- still to learn advise on risk management required
- still to learn observe new developments in foreign countries required
- optional, not held assess risk factors optional
- still to learn diplomatic principles required
- optional, not held European integration optional
- optional, not held good governance optional
- optional, not held political economy optional
- optional, not held economics optional
- optional, not held government representation optional
- still to learn foreign languages for international careers required
- still to learn respond to enquiries required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an embassy counsellor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 maintain relations with local representatives practise this
- 02 manage administrative systems practise this
- 03 represent national interests practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 10 skills that carry over
- already held advise on foreign affairs policies skill
- already held analyse foreign affairs policies skill
- already held foreign affairs knowledge
- already held foreign affairs policy development knowledge
- already held government policy implementation knowledge
- already held show intercultural awareness skill
- already held build international relations skill
- already held develop international cooperation strategies skill
- already held manage government policy implementation skill
- already held speak different languages skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held budgetary principles optional
- optional, not held international business optional
- optional, not held international law optional
16 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held European integration optional
- optional, not held budgetary principles optional
- optional, not held develop defence policies optional
- optional, not held good governance optional
- optional, not held political economy optional
- optional, not held apply diplomatic principles optional
- optional, not held assess risk factors optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held economics optional
- optional, not held government representation optional
- optional, not held international business optional
- optional, not held international law optional
- optional, not held maintain operational communications optional
- optional, not held maintain relationships with government agencies optional
- optional, not held manage staff optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
20 held skills the embassy counsellor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assess an area as a tourism destination skill
- not needed by the target role build a strategic marketing plan for destination management skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate public-private partnerships in tourism skill
- not needed by the target role deliver presentations on tourism skill
- not needed by the target role develop tourism policies skill
- not needed by the target role environmental impact of tourism knowledge
- not needed by the target role geographical areas relevant to tourism knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage distribution of destination promotional materials skill
- not needed by the target role manage production of destination promotional materials skill
- not needed by the target role marketing principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role measure sustainability of tourism activities skill
- not needed by the target role perform public relations skill
- not needed by the target role plan event marketing for promotional campaigns skill
- not needed by the target role plan measures to safeguard cultural heritage skill
- not needed by the target role plan measures to safeguard natural protected areas skill
- not needed by the target role present reports skill
- not needed by the target role report analysis results skill
- not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
- not needed by the target role tourism market knowledge
- not needed by the target role tourist resources of a destination for further development knowledge
10 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 diplomatic principles required
- still to learn foreign languages for international careers required
- optional, not held European integration optional
- optional, not held budgetary principles optional
- optional, not held good governance optional
- optional, not held political economy optional
- optional, not held economics optional
- optional, not held government representation optional
- optional, not held international business optional
- optional, not held international law optional
Common questions about this move
Can a tourism policy director become an embassy counsellor?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A tourism policy director already covers 31% of what an embassy counsellor is expected to do: 10 skills carry over, 6 of which the embassy counsellor role treats as required.
What skills does a tourism policy director need to become an embassy counsellor?
11 required skills are missing, plus 16 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is maintain relations with local representatives.
How hard is the move from tourism policy director to embassy counsellor?
Its learning distance is 68 out of 100, which is the substantial 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.