Table 1Transition record

translatortoproofreader

A translator already meets 46% of what the proofreader role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.

From translator

46%

Overlap1

To proofreader

8 Skills carried over

6 Required, not held

51.6 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 51.6

This move: 51.6 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the proofreader 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 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A proofreader 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 master language rules communication, collaboration and creativity
already held use dictionaries information skills
already held spelling arts and humanities
already held proofread text communication, collaboration and creativity
already held consult information sources information skills
already held grammar arts and humanities

All 8 carried skills, including the 7 the proofreader role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 14 missing skills fall into 7 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, 3 supplementary

required, not held rewrite manuscripts required
required, not held suggest revision of manuscripts required
required, not held track changes in text editing required

optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held consult with editor optional
optional, not held read books optional

02 business, administration and law 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held copyright legislation required

optional, not held proofing methods optional

03 assisting and caring 1 required

required, not held follow newspaper house style required

04 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required

required, not held reproduce documents required

05 information skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
optional, not held lay out digital written content optional

06 arts and humanities 1 supplementary

optional, not held typography optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a proofreader 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 8 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 master language rules skill
already held proofread text skill
already held spelling knowledge
already held use dictionaries skill
already held consult information sources skill

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with computers 1 supplementary

optional, not held apply desktop publishing techniques optional

8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held proofing methods optional
optional, not held review unpublished articles optional
optional, not held rewrite articles optional
optional, not held apply desktop publishing techniques optional
optional, not held consult with editor optional
optional, not held lay out digital written content optional
optional, not held read books optional
optional, not held typography optional

52 held skills the proofreader 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 literature 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 observe confidentiality skill
not needed by the target role office software knowledge
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

12 further entries not listed here

3 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 copyright legislation required
optional, not held proofing methods optional
optional, not held typography 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.