The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
Change Readiness Analyst / Specialist
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering the execution of change activities: drafting comms, deploying surveys, supporting workshops, basic data analysis. You'd be focusing on specific components of a change plan, not the whole thing.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering high-quality change artefacts on time.
- Proactively identifying and escalating potential resistance points.
- Demonstrating strong organisational skills across multiple tasks.
- Receiving positive feedback on your ability to support project teams.
- 2
Project Coordinator / Junior Project Manager (with Change Focus)
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Understanding project lifecycles, managing small project components, coordinating resources, and having a keen interest in the 'people side' of project delivery. You'd have picked up some informal change skills along the way.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managed small projects or significant workstreams.
- Demonstrated a natural aptitude for stakeholder engagement and communication.
- Actively sought out opportunities to contribute to change management activities on projects.
- Strong ability to manage dependencies and track progress.
- 3
HR Business Partner / Learning & Development Specialist
4-6 yearsSkills to master
- Deep understanding of organisational dynamics, employee experience, training design, and talent development. You'd bring a strong 'people-first' perspective and empathy to the change role.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully designed and delivered impactful training programmes or HR initiatives.
- Proven ability to coach and advise managers on people-related issues.
- Strong understanding of employee sentiment and organisational culture.
- Demonstrated ability to influence across different levels of the organisation.