Table 1Transition record

translatortocopy editor

A translator already meets 35% of what the copy editor role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From translator

35%

Overlap1

To copy editor

9 Skills carried over

8 Required, not held

61.2 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 61.2

This move: 61.2 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the copy editor role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the translator 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 9 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A copy editor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a translator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held use dictionaries information skills
already held literature arts and humanities
already held office software information and communication technologies (icts)
already held spelling arts and humanities
already held proofread text communication, collaboration and creativity
already held consult information sources information skills

All 9 carried skills, including the 5 the copy editor role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 19 missing skills fall into 8 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 4 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held suggest revision of manuscripts required
required, not held consult with editor required
required, not held follow a brief required
required, not held track changes in text editing required

optional, not held adapt to artists' creative demands optional
optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held rewrite manuscripts optional
optional, not held write headlines optional

02 arts and humanities 2 required

required, not held typography required
required, not held writing techniques required

03 social sciences, journalism and information 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held digital journalism required

optional, not held editorial standards optional

04 business, administration and law 1 required

required, not held copyright legislation required

05 assisting and caring 2 supplementary

optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists optional
optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional

06 information skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held read manuscripts optional
optional, not held review unpublished articles optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a copy editor 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 9 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
already held follow work schedule skill
already held grammar knowledge
already held spelling knowledge
already held use dictionaries skill
already held consult information sources skill
already held literature knowledge
already held office software knowledge
already held proofread text skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary

optional, not held desktop publishing optional

08 working with computers 1 supplementary

optional, not held apply desktop publishing techniques optional

11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held adapt to artists' creative demands optional
optional, not held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists optional
optional, not held follow newspaper house style optional
optional, not held read manuscripts optional
optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held rewrite manuscripts optional
optional, not held write headlines optional
optional, not held apply desktop publishing techniques optional
optional, not held desktop publishing optional
optional, not held editorial standards optional

51 held skills the copy editor role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role adapt text culturally skill
not needed by the target role analyse text before translation skill
not needed by the target role coach employees skill
not needed by the target role comprehend the material to be translated skill
not needed by the target role conduct scholarly research skill
not needed by the target role court interpreting knowledge
not needed by the target role create subtitles skill
not needed by the target role decode handwritten texts skill
not needed by the target role develop a translation strategy skill
not needed by the target role develop technical glossaries skill
not needed by the target role develop terminology databases skill
not needed by the target role follow an ethical code of conduct for translation activities skill
not needed by the target role follow translation quality standards skill
not needed by the target role identify new words skill
not needed by the target role improve translated texts skill
not needed by the target role information confidentiality knowledge
not needed by the target role keep up with language evolution skill
not needed by the target role linguistics knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain updated professional knowledge skill
not needed by the target role make abstracts skill
not needed by the target role make surtitles skill
not needed by the target role master language rules skill
not needed by the target role observe confidentiality skill
not needed by the target role perform project management skill
not needed by the target role perform sworn translations skill
not needed by the target role postediting knowledge
not needed by the target role preserve original text skill
not needed by the target role provide written content skill
not needed by the target role review translation works skill
not needed by the target role revise translation works skill
not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
not needed by the target role semantics knowledge
not needed by the target role speak different languages skill
not needed by the target role technical terminology knowledge
not needed by the target role transcreation knowledge
not needed by the target role translate different types of texts skill
not needed by the target role translate language concepts skill
not needed by the target role translate spoken language skill
not needed by the target role translate tags skill
not needed by the target role translate texts skill

11 further entries not listed here

6 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 digital journalism required
required, not held copyright legislation required
required, not held typography required
required, not held writing techniques required
optional, not held desktop publishing optional
optional, not held editorial standards optional

Index

Other moves recorded from translator

Full index of moves from translator

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.