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
Project Coordinator / Project Support Officer
2-3 years in this role, gaining exposure to project lifecycles and stakeholder dynamics.Skills to master
- Organisational skills, understanding project methodologies, basic stakeholder communication, managing timelines and deliverables.
You're ready to move on when
- You've taken initiative to support change-related tasks on projects, even if it wasn't your primary role.
- You've shown a keen interest in the 'people side' of projects and how changes impact colleagues.
- You're comfortable communicating with different levels of the organisation.
- 2
HR Specialist / HR Business Partner
2-4 years in an HR role, understanding employee relations and organisational development.Skills to master
- Employee engagement, understanding company culture, conflict resolution, communication, basic training delivery.
You're ready to move on when
- You've been involved in implementing new HR policies or systems and seen the challenges of adoption.
- You have a strong empathetic understanding of employee concerns during periods of change.
- You're skilled at translating strategic initiatives into practical implications for employees.
- 3
Business Analyst
2-4 years, focusing on process mapping, requirements gathering, and system implementation.Skills to master
- Process analysis, requirements definition, stakeholder interviewing, understanding system functionality, problem-solving.
You're ready to move on when
- You've gone beyond just documenting 'as-is' and 'to-be' processes to consider the human impact of the 'to-be'.
- You're good at explaining complex technical changes in simple terms to business users.
- You've been involved in user acceptance testing (UAT) and seen firsthand how users adapt (or don't) to new systems.