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

polygraph examinertopolice detective

A polygraph examiner already meets 23% of what the police detective role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From polygraph examiner
23%
Overlap1
To police detective
6 Skills carried over
10 Required, not held
71.9 Difficulty2
adjacent 0–30
moderate 30–55
substantial 55–75
career change 75–100
this move, 71.9

This move: 71.9 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the police detective role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the polygraph examiner 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 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A police detective role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a polygraph examiner background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held investigation research methods services
  • already held criminology social sciences, journalism and information
  • already held present evidence communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held analyse legal evidence information skills
  • already held criminal law business, administration and law
  • already held conduct research interview communication, collaboration and creativity

All 6 carried skills, including the 4 the police detective role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 27 missing skills fall into 6 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 handle case evidence required
  • required, not held hear witness accounts required
  • required, not held maintain operational communications required
  • optional, not held apply knowledge of human behaviour optional
  • optional, not held conduct public presentations optional
  • optional, not held write situation reports optional
02 information skills 3 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held lead police investigations required
  • required, not held develop investigation strategy required
  • required, not held examine crime scenes required
  • optional, not held investigate forgery cases optional
  • optional, not held perform drug investigations optional
03 assisting and caring 2 required, 9 supplementary
  • required, not held form operational strategies for law enforcement required
  • required, not held ensure law application required
  • optional, not held apply first response optional
  • optional, not held control crowd optional
  • optional, not held detain offenders optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
  • optional, not held ensure information security optional
  • optional, not held identify security threats optional
  • optional, not held practice vigilance optional
  • optional, not held restrain individuals optional
  • optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
04 business, administration and law 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held legal use-of-force required
  • optional, not held legal requirements related to ammunition optional
  • optional, not held legal research optional
05 services 1 required
  • required, not held law enforcement required
06 health and welfare 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held first response optional
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a police detective 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 6 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held analyse legal evidence skill
  • already held conduct research interview skill
  • already held criminology knowledge
  • already held investigation research methods knowledge
  • already held criminal law knowledge
  • already held present evidence skill
17 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held first response optional
  • optional, not held investigate forgery cases optional
  • optional, not held legal requirements related to ammunition optional
  • optional, not held perform drug investigations optional
  • optional, not held apply first response optional
  • optional, not held apply knowledge of human behaviour optional
  • optional, not held conduct public presentations optional
  • optional, not held control crowd optional
  • optional, not held detain offenders optional
  • optional, not held ensure compliance with types of weapons optional
  • optional, not held ensure information security optional
  • optional, not held identify security threats optional
  • optional, not held legal research optional
  • optional, not held practice vigilance optional
  • optional, not held restrain individuals optional
  • optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
  • optional, not held write situation reports optional
22 held skills the police detective role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role assess character skill
  • not needed by the target role assist police investigations skill
  • not needed by the target role comply with legal regulations skill
  • not needed by the target role create criminal profiles skill
  • not needed by the target role deal with aggressive behaviour skill
  • not needed by the target role document interviews skill
  • not needed by the target role forensic intelligence knowledge
  • not needed by the target role human physiology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role interrogate individuals skill
  • not needed by the target role interview techniques knowledge
  • not needed by the target role maintain professional administration skill
  • not needed by the target role manage tests skill
  • not needed by the target role observe confidentiality skill
  • not needed by the target role observe human behaviour skill
  • not needed by the target role profile people skill
  • not needed by the target role promote human rights skill
  • not needed by the target role provide testimony in court hearings skill
  • not needed by the target role psychology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role psychophysiology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role report analysis results skill
  • not needed by the target role use technology for forensics skill
  • not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill
5 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 law enforcement required
  • required, not held legal use-of-force required
  • optional, not held first response optional
  • optional, not held legal requirements related to ammunition optional
  • optional, not held legal research optional
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.