Automotive test driver to non-destructive testing specialist
An automotive test driver already meets 22% of what the non-destructive testing specialist role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
67.8/ 100
1 How much of what a non-destructive testing specialist is expected to do is already part of an automotive test driver’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 non-destructive testing specialist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A non-destructive testing specialist role treats 3 of its required skills as things an automotive test driver already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- record test data
- use testing equipment
- wear appropriate protective gear
What stands in the way is 7 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 4 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A non-destructive testing specialist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an automotive test driver background worth leading with.
- already held use testing equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held liaise with engineers communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held record test data information skills
- already held wear appropriate protective gear assisting and caring
All 4 carried skills, including the 3 the non-destructive testing specialist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 20 missing skills fall into 7 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.
- still to learn examine civil structures required
- still to learn keep records of work progress required
- still to learn report test findings required
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
- optional, not held lead inspections optional
- still to learn use non-destructive testing equipment required
- optional, not held make radiographic images optional
- optional, not held perform liquid penetrant tests optional
- optional, not held use ultrasonic equipment optional
- optional, not held calibrate electronic instruments optional
- optional, not held identify defects in concrete optional
- still to learn create solutions to problems required
- optional, not held assist scientific research optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- still to learn non-destructive testing required
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- still to learn quality standards required
- optional, not held maintain test equipment optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a non-destructive testing specialist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 use non-destructive testing equipment practise this
- 02 create solutions to problems practise this
- 03 examine civil structures practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 4 skills that carry over
- already held record test data skill
- already held use testing equipment skill
- already held wear appropriate protective gear skill
- already held liaise with engineers skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held mathematics optional
13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held make radiographic images optional
- optional, not held perform liquid penetrant tests optional
- optional, not held use ultrasonic equipment optional
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held assist scientific research optional
- optional, not held calibrate electronic instruments optional
- optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held identify defects in concrete optional
- optional, not held lead inspections optional
- optional, not held maintain test equipment optional
- optional, not held mathematics optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
21 held skills the non-destructive testing specialist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adjust engineering designs skill
- not needed by the target role aerodynamics knowledge
- not needed by the target role car controls knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct performance measurement skill
- not needed by the target role conduct performance tests skill
- not needed by the target role control the performance of the vehicle skill
- not needed by the target role drive at high speeds skill
- not needed by the target role drive motor vehicle prototypes skill
- not needed by the target role drive vehicles skill
- not needed by the target role ergonomics knowledge
- not needed by the target role execute vehicle maintenance skill
- not needed by the target role health and safety measures in transportation knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain records related to vehicle operation skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role mechanics of motor vehicles knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform test run skill
- not needed by the target role present reports skill
- not needed by the target role test motor vehicles under demanding conditions skill
- not needed by the target role types of vehicles knowledge
- not needed by the target role vehicle type-approval knowledge
- not needed by the target role work ergonomically skill
4 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn non-destructive testing required
- still to learn quality standards required
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held mathematics optional
Common questions about this move
Can an automotive test driver become a non-destructive testing specialist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An automotive test driver already covers 22% of what a non-destructive testing specialist is expected to do: 4 skills carry over, 3 of which the non-destructive testing specialist role treats as required.
What skills does an automotive test driver need to become a non-destructive testing specialist?
7 required skills are missing, plus 13 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is use non-destructive testing equipment.
How hard is the move from automotive test driver to non-destructive testing specialist?
Its learning distance is 67.8 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
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.