Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Web content manager to instructional designer

A web content manager already meets 44% of what the instructional designer role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From web content manager
44 % overlap
Partial match
To instructional designer
22 You already bring
18 Still to learn
59 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

67/ 100

1 How much of what an instructional designer is expected to do is already part of a web content manager’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 instructional designer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

An instructional designer role treats 18 of its required skills as things a web content manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • apply tools for content development
  • authoring software
  • cognitive psychology
  • compile content
  • conduct content quality assurance
  • content development processes

What stands in the way is 18 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 22 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An instructional designer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a web content manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held translate requirement concepts into content working with computers
  • already held apply tools for content development working with computers
  • already held publishing strategy arts and humanities
  • already held authoring software information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held compile content information skills
  • already held conduct content quality assurance working with computers

All 22 carried skills, including the 18 the instructional designer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 37 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 communication, collaboration and creativity 8 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn apply ICT terminology required
  • still to learn conduct educational activities required
  • still to learn create script for artistic production required
  • still to learn teach writing required
  • still to learn apply teaching strategies required
  • still to learn design web-based courses required
  • still to learn develop digital educational materials required
  • still to learn use different communication channels required
  • optional, not held build business relationships optional
  • optional, not held develop creative ideas optional
  • optional, not held give live presentation optional
02 information and communication technologies (icts) 2 required, 13 supplementary
  • still to learn standards for web-based e-learning required
  • still to learn task algorithmisation required
  • optional, not held Absorb (learning management systems) 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 Grovo optional
  • optional, not held LAMS optional
  • optional, not held Litmos optional
  • optional, not held Moodle optional
  • optional, not held Sakai optional
  • optional, not held Schoology optional
  • optional, not held Taleo optional
  • optional, not held WizIQ optional
03 information skills 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn identify ICT user needs required
  • still to learn structure information required
  • optional, not held keep up-to-date with training subjects optional
04 management skills 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn create SCORM packages required
  • still to learn identify training needs required
  • optional, not held perform project management optional
05 education 2 required
  • still to learn instructional design models required
  • still to learn instructional strategies required
06 working with computers 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn use scripting programming required
  • optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries an instructional designer 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 22 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held apply tools for content development skill
  • already held authoring software knowledge
  • already held cognitive psychology knowledge
  • already held compile content skill
  • already held conduct content quality assurance skill
  • already held content development processes knowledge
  • already held develop digital content skill
  • already held identify customer requirements skill
  • already held manage content development projects skill
  • already held manage content metadata skill
  • already held proofread text skill
  • already held provide multimedia content skill
  • already held provide written content skill
  • already held publishing strategy knowledge
  • already held translate requirement concepts into content skill
  • already held translate requirements into visual design skill
  • already held use markup languages skill
  • already held web programming knowledge
  • already held AJAX knowledge
  • already held JavaScript knowledge
  • already held augmented reality knowledge
  • already held interactive media knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 business, administration and law 1 required
  • still to learn learning management systems required
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held Absorb (learning management systems) 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 Grovo optional
  • optional, not held LAMS optional
  • optional, not held Litmos optional
  • optional, not held Moodle optional
  • optional, not held Sakai optional
  • optional, not held Schoology optional
  • optional, not held Taleo optional
  • optional, not held WizIQ optional
  • optional, not held keep up-to-date with training subjects optional
  • optional, not held build business relationships optional
  • optional, not held develop creative ideas optional
  • optional, not held give live presentation optional
  • optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional
  • optional, not held perform project management optional
32 held skills the instructional designer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role CSS knowledge
  • not needed by the target role JSSS knowledge
  • not needed by the target role LESS knowledge
  • not needed by the target role PHP knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Sass knowledge
  • not needed by the target role World Wide Web Consortium standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role comply with legal regulations skill
  • not needed by the target role conduct search engine optimisation skill
  • not needed by the target role content marketing strategy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role create content title skill
  • not needed by the target role design digital call to action skill
  • not needed by the target role digital content creation skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure compliance with company regulations skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure compliance with legal requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure proper document management skill
  • not needed by the target role identify legal requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role information structure knowledge
  • not needed by the target role integrate content into output media skill
  • not needed by the target role interpret technical texts skill
  • not needed by the target role keywords in digital content knowledge
  • not needed by the target role legal requirements of ICT products knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage online content skill
  • not needed by the target role perform copywriting skill
  • not needed by the target role perform online data analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role provide guidelines for content development skill
  • not needed by the target role style sheet languages knowledge
  • 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 spreadsheets software skill
  • not needed by the target role use word processing software skill
  • not needed by the target role utilise content types skill
  • not needed by the target role web based collaborative platforms knowledge
18 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 instructional design models required
  • still to learn instructional strategies required
  • still to learn standards for web-based e-learning required
  • still to learn learning management systems required
  • still to learn task algorithmisation required
  • optional, not held Absorb (learning management systems) 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 Grovo optional
  • optional, not held LAMS optional
  • optional, not held Litmos optional
  • optional, not held Moodle optional
  • optional, not held Sakai optional
  • optional, not held Schoology optional
  • optional, not held Taleo optional
  • optional, not held WizIQ optional
Index

Other moves recorded from web content manager

Full index of moves from web content manager

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a web content manager become an instructional designer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A web content manager already covers 44% of what an instructional designer is expected to do: 22 skills carry over, 18 of which the instructional designer role treats as required.

What skills does a web content manager need to become an instructional designer?

18 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is apply ICT terminology.

How hard is the move from web content manager to instructional designer?

Its learning distance is 67 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.