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
Manager, Learning Experience & Design (L5)
3-5 yearsSkills to master
- Mastering team leadership, managing a portfolio of complex learning projects, building strong stakeholder relationships, and demonstrating strategic impact at a departmental level. You'd have owned a significant budget and driven key initiatives.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led a team of 5+ designers/managers through multiple project cycles.
- Consistently delivered learning programmes that moved key departmental metrics.
- Recognised as a trusted advisor by senior managers outside of L&D.
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets over £500K effectively.
- 2
Head of L&D (smaller organisation)
4-6 yearsSkills to master
- Taking on full ownership of the L&D function in a smaller, growing company. This means building everything from scratch, managing all aspects of learning, and reporting directly to a C-level executive. It's about breadth of experience.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully built and scaled an L&D function from the ground up.
- Managed all aspects of learning strategy, operations, and technology.
- Directly reported to a C-level executive and influenced their talent agenda.
- Demonstrated ability to operate with limited resources and high autonomy.
- 3
Senior Consultant (Learning & Talent)
5-7 yearsSkills to master
- Working with multiple clients on diverse learning and talent challenges, developing a broad perspective on industry best practices, and honing your executive presence and influencing skills. You'd have advised C-suites on their learning strategies.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led large-scale learning transformation projects for external clients.
- Developed a reputation as a thought leader in a specific area of L&D.
- Consistently exceeded client expectations and built strong client relationships.
- Proven ability to diagnose complex organisational problems and propose strategic solutions.