Skills you need to be a sem specialist
8 skills a hiring manager would actually test for, each with the level this role expects and what it is used for. Not a syllabus — the shape of the job.
Build my path to this roleUpskili checks what you can already do, then sequences only what is missing. No account needed.
What the role requires
Ordered by how much the job depends on it. The bar is the proficiency expected of a competent sem specialist — not mastery, and not a passing acquaintance.
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Google Ads
Essential
Builds, manages, and optimizes paid search campaigns to hit ROAS targets.
Strong -
Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets
Essential
Analyzes performance data, builds pivot tables, and creates client reports.
Strong -
Google Analytics 4
Essential
Tracks conversions, user behavior, and campaign attribution.
Strong -
Keyword Research
Important
Discovers high-intent search terms and structures account ad groups.
Strong -
A/B Testing
Important
Tests ad copy and landing pages to improve click-through and conversion rates.
Strong -
Microsoft Advertising
Useful
Extends paid search reach to the Bing network.
Working -
Looker Studio
Useful
Builds automated dashboards for stakeholder reporting.
Working -
Bid Management
Important
Adjusts manual and automated bidding strategies to control costs.
Strong
An order worth learning it in
A list of ten skills is the same unhelpful answer a catalogue gives, just sorted. This is where to actually start.
Start here
Essential to the role, and reachable from a standing start. Everything below rests on these.
- Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets
- Google Analytics 4
- Keyword Research
- A/B Testing
- Bid Management
Then this
The rest of what the role is assessed on. Harder, and it builds on the foundation above.
- Google Ads
What sets you apart
Not what gets you hired, but what separates doing the job from being trusted with it.
- Microsoft Advertising
- Looker Studio
You almost certainly have some of this already.
That is the point of starting from the role rather than a course. Upskili checks what you can do, then builds a path across only the gap.
See my path to sem specialist