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/Manager (with change exposure)
2-3 years in a PC/PM roleSkills to master
- Project planning, stakeholder communication, risk identification, basic process mapping, and a demonstrated interest in the human side of projects.
You're ready to move on when
- You've taken the initiative to draft comms for your projects, even if it wasn't your core role.
- You're the person who always thinks about 'how this will land' with the team.
- You've shown a knack for getting people on board with new ways of working, even without formal authority.
- 2
HR Specialist/Business Partner (with transformation experience)
3-4 years in HR, especially in a generalist or talent roleSkills to master
- Employee relations, talent management, organisational development principles, understanding of HR systems, and experience supporting organisational change.
You're ready to move on when
- You've been involved in rolling out new HR policies or systems and seen the impact on employees.
- You're comfortable having difficult conversations about change and supporting managers through it.
- You understand the people implications of large-scale business changes.
- 3
Junior Business Analyst/Process Improvement Specialist
2-4 years in an analytical or process roleSkills to master
- Process analysis, requirements gathering, data analysis, problem-solving, and a desire to move into the 'people' aspect of change.
You're ready to move on when
- You've identified where process changes impact people and have suggested ways to manage that.
- You're good at explaining complex technical or process changes in simple terms.
- You're keen to move beyond just the 'what' and into the 'how' of implementing change.


