Table 1Transition record

political affairs officertopublic affairs consultant

A political affairs officer already meets 38% of what the public affairs consultant role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.

From political affairs officer

38%

Overlap1

To public affairs consultant

9 Skills carried over

6 Required, not held

57.7 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 57.7

This move: 57.7 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the public affairs consultant role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the political affairs officer 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 public affairs consultant role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a political affairs officer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held European political studies social sciences, journalism and information
already held monitor political conflicts information skills
already held diplomatic principles social sciences, journalism and information
already held perform political negotiation communication, collaboration and creativity
already held advise on conflict management communication, collaboration and creativity
already held assess risk factors information skills

All 9 carried skills, including the 6 the public affairs consultant role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 22 missing skills fall into 5 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, 9 supplementary

required, not held influence legislators required
required, not held apply diplomatic principles required
required, not held manage relationships with stakeholders required
required, not held protect client interests required

optional, not held advise on public image optional
optional, not held advise on public relations optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held establish collaborative relations optional
optional, not held facilitate official agreement optional
optional, not held liaise with politicians optional
optional, not held moderate in negotiations optional
optional, not held perform public relations optional
optional, not held present arguments persuasively optional

02 business, administration and law 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held legislation procedure required

optional, not held legal research optional
optional, not held legal terminology optional

03 management skills 1 required

required, not held manage government policy implementation required

04 social sciences, journalism and information 4 supplementary

optional, not held media and information literacy optional
optional, not held government representation optional
optional, not held political science optional
optional, not held rhetoric optional

05 information skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held conduct public surveys optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a public affairs consultant 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 advise on conflict management skill
already held advise on legislative acts skill
already held diplomatic principles knowledge
already held government policy implementation knowledge
already held maintain relationships with government agencies skill
already held perform political negotiation skill
already held European political studies knowledge
already held assess risk factors skill
already held monitor political conflicts skill

16 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held media and information literacy optional
optional, not held advise on public image optional
optional, not held advise on public relations optional
optional, not held build international relations optional
optional, not held conduct public surveys optional
optional, not held establish collaborative relations optional
optional, not held facilitate official agreement optional
optional, not held government representation optional
optional, not held legal research optional
optional, not held legal terminology optional
optional, not held liaise with politicians optional
optional, not held moderate in negotiations optional
optional, not held perform public relations optional
optional, not held political science optional
optional, not held present arguments persuasively optional
optional, not held rhetoric optional

22 held skills the public affairs consultant role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role European integration knowledge
not needed by the target role advise on foreign affairs policies skill
not needed by the target role advise on risk management skill
not needed by the target role analyse foreign affairs policies skill
not needed by the target role analyse potential threats against national security skill
not needed by the target role apply conflict management skill
not needed by the target role assess danger in risk areas skill
not needed by the target role develop international cooperation strategies skill
not needed by the target role ensure cross-department cooperation skill
not needed by the target role foreign affairs knowledge
not needed by the target role foreign affairs policy development knowledge
not needed by the target role good governance knowledge
not needed by the target role identify security threats skill
not needed by the target role international law knowledge
not needed by the target role maintain operational communications skill
not needed by the target role observe new developments in foreign countries skill
not needed by the target role political economy knowledge
not needed by the target role present reports skill
not needed by the target role represent union members skill
not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
not needed by the target role show intercultural awareness skill
not needed by the target role write situation reports skill

7 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 legislation procedure required
optional, not held media and information literacy optional
optional, not held government representation optional
optional, not held legal research optional
optional, not held legal terminology optional
optional, not held political science optional
optional, not held rhetoric optional

Index

Other moves recorded from political affairs officer

Full index of moves from political affairs officer

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.