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
Senior Internal Communications Specialist
3-5 years in a Senior Specialist role.Skills to master
- You'd need to have truly mastered multi-channel campaign management, taken on informal mentorship, and started advising business partners on specific projects. Proving you can influence without direct authority is key here.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led 3+ major, complex internal comms campaigns end-to-end.
- Consistently sought out by business partners for comms advice on specific initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor junior colleagues and provide constructive feedback.
- Developed and presented comms plans to mid-level management with confidence.
- 2
Comms Business Partner (non-lead)
2-4 years as a dedicated Comms Business Partner.Skills to master
- You'd already be embedded with a business unit, providing strategic counsel. The jump to 'Lead' involves taking on direct team management, a larger budget, and defining the overall strategy for that unit, rather than just executing it.
You're ready to move on when
- Established yourself as a trusted advisor to a business unit's leadership team.
- Successfully managed the comms for several significant changes or initiatives within that unit.
- Proactively identified comms needs and proposed solutions, rather than just responding to requests.
- Demonstrated strong stakeholder management across various functions.
- 3
External PR / Corporate Comms Manager
4-6 years in a similar external-facing role, with a strong internal focus.Skills to master
- If you're coming from external comms, you'd need to demonstrate a deep understanding of internal audience needs, employee engagement drivers, and a shift from public perception to internal trust-building. Your strategic thinking and writing skills would be transferable, but the audience is very different.
You're ready to move on when
- Managed significant corporate communications projects with an internal component.
- Proven ability to translate complex information into clear, audience-specific messages.
- Strong understanding of organisational dynamics and internal stakeholder management.
- A genuine passion for employee engagement and internal culture.