RecordMove

Architect to civil engineering technician

An architect already meets 23% of what the civil engineering technician role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional

From architect

Distant match

To civil engineering technician

16 You already bring

16 Still to learn

63 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance A rebuild

78.5/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what a civil engineering technician is expected to do is already part of an architect’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the civil engineering technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A civil engineering technician role treats 4 of its required skills as things an architect already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

building codes
building information modelling
engineering principles
perform field research

What stands in the way is 16 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A civil engineering technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an architect background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held design buildings communication, collaboration and creativity
already held building information modelling engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held monitor parameters' compliance in construction projects information skills
already held zoning codes engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held perform field research information skills
already held advise on building matters communication, collaboration and creativity

All 16 carried skills, including the 4 the civil engineering technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 47 missing skills fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier

01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 5 required, 5 supplementary

still to learn engineering processes required
still to learn civil engineering required
still to learn construction industry required
still to learn construction methods required
still to learn technical drawings required

optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held renewable energy optional
optional, not held traffic engineering optional

02 assisting and caring 3 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn ensure compliance with safety legislation required
still to learn follow health and safety procedures in construction required
still to learn use safety equipment in construction required

optional, not held ensure gambling operational standards optional
optional, not held manage health and safety standards optional
optional, not held obtain relevant licenses optional
optional, not held work ergonomically optional

03 information skills 3 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn estimate duration of work required
still to learn inspect construction supplies required
still to learn keep records of work progress required

optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held assess financial viability optional
optional, not held calculate needs for construction supplies optional
optional, not held control of expenses optional

04 management skills 2 required, 3 supplementary

still to learn manage schedule of tasks required
still to learn prevent damage to utility infrastructure required

optional, not held define technical requirements optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held manage engineering project optional

05 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required

still to learn operate drones in civil engineering required
still to learn use measurement instruments required

06 working with computers 1 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn use technical drawing software required

optional, not held create CAD drawings optional

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a civil engineering technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 16 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held building codes knowledge
already held building information modelling knowledge
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held perform field research skill
already held advise on building matters skill
already held design buildings skill
already held energy efficiency knowledge
already held energy performance of buildings knowledge
already held ensure compliance with construction project deadline skill
already held mathematics knowledge
already held monitor parameters' compliance in construction projects skill
already held oversee construction project skill
already held project management knowledge
already held urban planning knowledge
already held use CAD software skill
already held zoning codes knowledge

The 5 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 communication, collaboration and creativity 8 supplementary

optional, not held liaise with architects optional
optional, not held work in a construction team optional
optional, not held address problems critically optional
optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
optional, not held advise on construction materials optional
optional, not held approve engineering design optional
optional, not held design scale models optional
optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional

08 arts and humanities 2 supplementary

optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held industrial design optional

09 business, administration and law 2 supplementary

optional, not held cost management optional
optional, not held urban planning law optional

10 constructing 1 supplementary

optional, not held set up temporary construction site infrastructure optional

11 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 supplementary

optional, not held CAD software optional

31 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held cost management optional
optional, not held liaise with architects optional
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held set up temporary construction site infrastructure optional
optional, not held work in a construction team optional
optional, not held CAD software optional
optional, not held address problems critically optional
optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
optional, not held advise on construction materials optional
optional, not held approve engineering design optional
optional, not held assess financial viability optional
optional, not held calculate needs for construction supplies optional
optional, not held control of expenses optional
optional, not held create CAD drawings optional
optional, not held define technical requirements optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held design scale models optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held ensure gambling operational standards optional
optional, not held industrial design optional
optional, not held manage budgets optional
optional, not held manage engineering project optional
optional, not held manage health and safety standards optional
optional, not held obtain relevant licenses optional
optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional
optional, not held renewable energy optional
optional, not held traffic engineering optional
optional, not held urban planning law optional
optional, not held work ergonomically optional

79 held skills the civil engineering technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role adapt existing designs to changed circumstances skill
not needed by the target role advise customers on building materials skill
not needed by the target role advise legislators skill
not needed by the target role airtight construction knowledge
not needed by the target role apply systemic design thinking skill
not needed by the target role architectural conservation knowledge
not needed by the target role architectural design knowledge
not needed by the target role architectural theory knowledge
not needed by the target role architecture regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role assess environmental impact skill
not needed by the target role assess heating and cooling systems skill
not needed by the target role building materials industry knowledge
not needed by the target role carry out tendering skill
not needed by the target role cartography knowledge
not needed by the target role communicate with construction crews skill
not needed by the target role communicate with local residents skill
not needed by the target role conduct field work skill
not needed by the target role consider building constraints in architectural designs skill
not needed by the target role construction legal systems knowledge
not needed by the target role create architectural sketches skill
not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
not needed by the target role design an artificial lighting system skill
not needed by the target role design building air tightness skill
not needed by the target role design building envelope systems skill
not needed by the target role design building retrofitting solutions skill
not needed by the target role design harmonious architecture skill
not needed by the target role design microclimates in buildings skill
not needed by the target role design open spaces skill
not needed by the target role design passive energy measures skill
not needed by the target role design spatial layout of outdoor areas skill
not needed by the target role design window and glazing systems skill
not needed by the target role develop a specific interior design skill
not needed by the target role develop architectural plans skill
not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
not needed by the target role draw blueprints skill
not needed by the target role ensure infrastructure accessibility skill
not needed by the target role envelope systems for buildings knowledge
not needed by the target role environmental design knowledge
not needed by the target role environmental indoor quality knowledge
not needed by the target role evaluate integrated design of buildings skill

39 further entries not listed here

15 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier

still to learn engineering processes required
still to learn civil engineering required
still to learn construction industry required
still to learn construction methods required
still to learn technical drawings required
optional, not held cost management optional
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held CAD software optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held industrial design optional
optional, not held renewable energy optional
optional, not held traffic engineering optional
optional, not held urban planning law optional

Index

Other moves recorded from architect

Full index of moves from architect

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an architect become a civil engineering technician?

Yes, and it is a career change move. An architect already covers 23% of what a civil engineering technician is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 4 of which the civil engineering technician role treats as required.

What skills does an architect need to become a civil engineering technician?

16 required skills are missing, plus 31 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is engineering processes.

How hard is the move from architect to civil engineering technician?

Its learning distance is 78.5 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.