Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

government ministertosecretary general

A government minister already meets 35% of what the secretary general role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.

From government minister
35%
Overlap1
To secretary general
11 Skills carried over
9 Required, not held
59.5 Difficulty2
adjacent 0–30
moderate 30–55
substantial 55–75
career change 75–100
this move, 59.5

This move: 59.5 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the secretary general role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the government minister 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 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A secretary general role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a government minister background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held represent national interests communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held legislation procedure business, administration and law
  • already held good governance social sciences, journalism and information
  • already held build international relations communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held public finance business, administration and law
  • already held manage government policy implementation management skills

All 11 carried skills, including the 4 the secretary general role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 17 missing skills fall into 4 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, 5 supplementary
  • required, not held coordinate government activities in foreign institutions required
  • required, not held maintain relationships with government agencies required
  • required, not held represent the organisation required
  • optional, not held advise on legislative acts optional
  • optional, not held apply diplomatic principles optional
  • optional, not held build community relations optional
  • optional, not held implement strategic management optional
  • optional, not held prepare presentation material optional
02 business, administration and law 3 required
  • required, not held audit techniques required
  • required, not held bookkeeping regulations required
  • required, not held project management principles required
03 management skills 2 required, 3 supplementary
  • required, not held manage staff required
  • required, not held perform project management required
  • optional, not held develop international cooperation strategies optional
  • optional, not held manage administrative systems optional
  • optional, not held manage budgets optional
04 information skills 1 required
  • required, not held conduct financial audits required
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a secretary general 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 11 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held apply conflict management skill
  • already held budgetary principles knowledge
  • already held good governance knowledge
  • already held represent national interests skill
  • already held build international relations skill
  • already held establish collaborative relations skill
  • already held government policy implementation knowledge
  • already held legislation procedure knowledge
  • already held liaise with local authorities skill
  • already held manage government policy implementation skill
  • already held public finance knowledge
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held develop international cooperation strategies optional
  • optional, not held manage administrative systems optional
  • optional, not held advise on legislative acts optional
  • optional, not held apply diplomatic principles optional
  • optional, not held build community relations optional
  • optional, not held implement strategic management optional
  • optional, not held manage budgets optional
  • optional, not held prepare presentation material optional
21 held skills the secretary general role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role analyse legislation skill
  • not needed by the target role apply crisis management skill
  • not needed by the target role brainstorm ideas skill
  • not needed by the target role conduct public presentations skill
  • not needed by the target role constitutional law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role engage in debates skill
  • not needed by the target role government representation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role make legislative decisions skill
  • not needed by the target role monitor political conflicts skill
  • not needed by the target role perform government ceremonies skill
  • not needed by the target role perform political negotiation skill
  • not needed by the target role perform public relations skill
  • not needed by the target role political campaigning knowledge
  • not needed by the target role political parties knowledge
  • not needed by the target role political science knowledge
  • not needed by the target role prepare legislation proposition skill
  • not needed by the target role present legislation proposition skill
  • not needed by the target role present reports skill
  • not needed by the target role promote political campaign skill
  • not needed by the target role public law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role rhetoric knowledge
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 audit techniques required
  • required, not held bookkeeping regulations required
  • required, not held project management principles required
Index
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.