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 yearsSkills to master
- Organisation, stakeholder communication, project documentation, understanding project lifecycles, managing deadlines.
You're ready to move on when
- You're already drafting project updates and managing small communication plans.
- You're the go-to person for keeping project documents organised and up-to-date.
- You've shown initiative in identifying and solving minor project roadblocks.
- 2
Internal Communications Assistant / Specialist
2-4 yearsSkills to master
- Crafting messages for different audiences, channel management, content creation, understanding internal dynamics, stakeholder engagement.
You're ready to move on when
- You're regularly writing and distributing company-wide communications.
- You've had to adapt messages for different departments or seniority levels.
- You're comfortable interviewing colleagues to gather information for stories or updates.
- 3
HR Administrator / HR Coordinator
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Employee relations, understanding organisational structure, policy communication, training coordination, data privacy.
You're ready to move on when
- You've been involved in communicating new HR policies or system changes to employees.
- You've helped organise and track attendance for training programmes.
- You have a good grasp of employee sentiment and common concerns.


