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 Knowledge Sharing Specialist
3-5 years in a senior specialist roleSkills to master
- Deep expertise in a specific KM domain (e.g., taxonomy, content lifecycle), strong project leadership for individual initiatives, and initial experience mentoring junior team members.
You're ready to move on when
- Consistently delivers high-quality KM projects independently.
- Proactively identifies and proposes solutions for complex KM challenges.
- Receives positive feedback on informal mentorship or guidance provided to peers.
- Demonstrates strong communication skills with cross-functional stakeholders.
- 2
Information Architect (from a UX/Product team)
8-10 years in Information Architecture or UX DesignSkills to master
- Transferable skills in designing intuitive information structures, user research, and content strategy. Will need to quickly learn KM-specific methodologies like content lifecycle management and CoP facilitation.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven ability to design complex information structures for large digital products or websites.
- Strong user empathy and experience conducting user research to inform design.
- Eagerness to apply IA principles to internal knowledge systems and organisational learning.
- Demonstrated ability to influence product and engineering teams on information design choices.
- 3
Technical Content Lead (from a Documentation team)
8-10 years leading technical documentation effortsSkills to master
- Expertise in content creation, content management systems, and ensuring accuracy of technical information. Will need to expand focus to broader knowledge sharing, community building, and strategic information architecture.
You're ready to move on when
- Managed content strategy and lifecycle for significant documentation sets.
- Led or mentored a team of technical writers.
- Demonstrated ability to work with SMEs to extract and clarify complex information.
- Interest in expanding scope beyond documentation to enterprise-wide knowledge.