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
From Senior Change Analyst (Internal)
2-4 years as a Senior AnalystSkills to master
- Mastering end-to-end change workstream ownership, developing strong stakeholder influencing skills, and demonstrating informal leadership of junior colleagues.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivering complex change workstreams with minimal supervision.
- Proactively identifying and mitigating project risks.
- Receiving strong positive feedback from project managers and senior stakeholders.
- Successfully mentoring 1-2 junior team members.
- 2
From Project Manager (Internal or External)
3-5 years in a Project Management role with significant change componentsSkills to master
- Deepening understanding of human-centric change methodologies (beyond just project delivery), developing strong communication and empathy skills for diverse audiences, and shifting focus from task execution to behavioural adoption.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven track record of delivering projects that required significant behavioural shifts.
- Demonstrable experience in stakeholder management and communication planning.
- Interest in the 'people side' of change, not just the technical delivery.
- Strong organisational and planning capabilities.
- 3
From External Management Consultant (Change Focus)
5-8 years in a consulting firm, specialising in change management or HR transformationSkills to master
- Adapting to an internal corporate culture, building long-term relationships (rather than project-based), and navigating internal politics effectively. Understanding our specific business context and legacy systems.
You're ready to move on when
- Experience leading change engagements for large clients.
- Strong consulting toolkit and client management skills.
- Ability to quickly understand new organisational structures and dynamics.
- Desire to build and sustain change capability within one organisation.