Frequently Asked Questions

Star ratings help you prioritise skills on Proskiro. They combine four factors: whether ESCO marks a skill as essential or optional for the profession, how many books cover the topic, whether we have suitable book recommendations, and how many professions share the skill.

A higher rating is a guide to where you might start exploring. It is not a measure of your ability, and it does not show how frequently employers mention the skill in job adverts.

Our profession and skill information comes from ESCO, the European classification of occupations, skills and knowledge. ESCO identifies which skills and areas of knowledge are associated with each occupation, including whether they are usually essential or may be needed in particular circumstances.

Proskiro adds learning resources to help you explore those topics. Book recommendations are selected and matched by Proskiro; they are not part of ESCO’s data.

Essential skills and knowledge are usually needed to work in a profession, regardless of the employer or work setting. Optional skills and knowledge may be needed depending on the specific role, employer, country or type of work.

“Optional” does not mean unimportant. A skill marked optional in ESCO could still be required for the job you want, so check individual job descriptions as well as the profession profile.

Knowledge knowledge is what you need to understand, such as concepts, methods or principles. Skills skill are what you need to be able to do in practice.

On Proskiro, Knowledge entries are paired with books that can help you learn the subject. We plan to pair Skill entries with courses in the future, so you can develop those abilities through guided learning and practice.

Language language means which languages are needed for a job, like English, French, or Mandarin.

Language Skill language skill means using a language for a specific purpose, like technical writing in English or medical interpreting in Spanish. It's the practical application of a language in your work.

We're always adding new professions. Use the contact form below and select "Request a profession" to let us know which one you'd like to see.

If you're signed in, you can also request it from your profile page. Look for the profession search field under your current or target profession.

Proskiro currently uses ESCO v1.2.1. We carried out a full ESCO refresh in June 2026 and review new ESCO releases as they become available.

We also update our learning recommendations as we find suitable resources.

No. Proskiro shows the skills and knowledge associated with a profession, giving you a starting point for learning and planning. Knowing what a role involves is different from applying it well.

Practice, feedback and experience in real situations help you develop judgement and confidence. Use the profession profile as a guide to what you could learn next, alongside the requirements of the roles you’re interested in.

Proskiro groups learning into four levels to help you navigate a profession profile:

🌱 Foundations: Topics to explore when you’re getting started.

🔧 Practitioner: Topics that build on the foundations and support day-to-day work.

⭐ Specialist: More focused or advanced topics within the profession.

🚀 Expert: Additional, often specialised topics that unlock after you complete all essential skills.

These levels organise your progress on Proskiro. They are not qualifications or a measure of how many years of experience you have.