Table 1Transition record

biotechnical techniciantobotanical technician

A biotechnical technician already meets 32% of what the botanical technician role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From biotechnical technician

32%

Overlap1

To botanical technician

9 Skills carried over

10 Required, not held

70.7 Difficulty2

Career overlap Distant match

32%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

70.7/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the botanical technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the biotechnical technician profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A botanical technician role treats 9 of its required skills as things a biotechnical technician already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

analyse experimental laboratory data
apply scientific methods
biology
collect biological data
laboratory techniques
maintain laboratory equipment

What stands in the way is 10 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 9 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A botanical technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a biotechnical technician background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held plant species natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held collect biological data information skills
already held analyse experimental laboratory data information skills
already held maintain laboratory equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held laboratory techniques natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held biology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics

All 9 carried skills, including the 9 the botanical technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 36 missing skills fall into 13 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 3 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held botany required
required, not held laboratory equipment required
required, not held characteristics of plants required

optional, not held variety of botanicals optional
optional, not held aquatic species optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held ecology optional

02 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required

required, not held use laboratory equipment required
required, not held calibrate laboratory equipment required

03 information skills 1 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held assist in the production of laboratory documentation required

optional, not held analyse cell cultures optional
optional, not held analyse environmental data optional
optional, not held conduct ecological surveys optional
optional, not held keep task records optional

04 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held apply safety procedures in laboratory required

optional, not held ensure compliance with environmental legislation optional

05 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held write technical reports required

optional, not held write research proposals optional

06 management skills 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held manage inventory required

optional, not held create soil and plant improvement programmes optional

7 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a botanical 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 9 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held analyse experimental laboratory data skill
already held apply scientific methods skill
already held biology knowledge
already held collect biological data skill
already held laboratory techniques knowledge
already held maintain laboratory equipment skill
already held perform laboratory tests skill
already held perform scientific research skill
already held plant species knowledge

The 7 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 education 1 required

required, not held scientific research methodology required

08 agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary 5 supplementary

optional, not held aeroponics optional
optional, not held horticulture principles optional
optional, not held hydroponics optional
optional, not held plant care products optional
optional, not held reforestation optional

09 handling and moving 5 supplementary

optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held maintain plant health optional
optional, not held nurse plants optional
optional, not held handling chemical products for soil and plants optional
optional, not held preserve samples optional

10 working with computers 2 supplementary

optional, not held maintain freelance database optional
optional, not held prepare visual data optional

11 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held environmental legislation optional

12 health and welfare 1 supplementary

optional, not held biosecurity optional

13 services 1 supplementary

optional, not held hazardous waste storage optional

26 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held aeroponics optional
optional, not held analyse cell cultures optional
optional, not held analyse environmental data optional
optional, not held conduct ecological surveys optional
optional, not held create soil and plant improvement programmes optional
optional, not held horticulture principles optional
optional, not held hydroponics optional
optional, not held label samples optional
optional, not held maintain plant health optional
optional, not held nurse plants optional
optional, not held plant care products optional
optional, not held reforestation optional
optional, not held variety of botanicals optional
optional, not held aquatic species optional
optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held ecology optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with environmental legislation optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held handling chemical products for soil and plants optional
optional, not held hazardous waste storage optional
optional, not held keep task records optional
optional, not held maintain freelance database optional
optional, not held prepare visual data optional
optional, not held preserve samples optional
optional, not held write research proposals optional

34 held skills the botanical technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise on crop diseases skill
not needed by the target role advise on pest infestation prevention skill
not needed by the target role analyse scientific data skill
not needed by the target role analyse test data skill
not needed by the target role animal species knowledge
not needed by the target role chemical processes knowledge
not needed by the target role collect reproductive cells skill
not needed by the target role contact scientists skill
not needed by the target role crop production principles knowledge
not needed by the target role cryopreservation knowledge
not needed by the target role develop vaccines skill
not needed by the target role environmental engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role food science knowledge
not needed by the target role gather experimental data skill
not needed by the target role genomics knowledge
not needed by the target role life sciences knowledge
not needed by the target role measure pollution skill
not needed by the target role medical devices knowledge
not needed by the target role medical laboratory technology knowledge
not needed by the target role medical studies knowledge
not needed by the target role medicines knowledge
not needed by the target role multidisciplinary research knowledge
not needed by the target role perform stem cell transplantation skill
not needed by the target role pest control in plants knowledge
not needed by the target role pests and diseases knowledge
not needed by the target role pollution prevention knowledge
not needed by the target role research improvement of crop yields skill
not needed by the target role run laboratory simulations skill
not needed by the target role solid phase microextraction knowledge
not needed by the target role stem cells knowledge
not needed by the target role sustainable agricultural production principles knowledge
not needed by the target role undertake research in medical genetics skill
not needed by the target role use technology for forensics skill
not needed by the target role work with chemicals skill

16 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 acquire Tier

required, not held botany required
required, not held laboratory equipment required
required, not held characteristics of plants required
required, not held scientific research methodology required
optional, not held aeroponics optional
optional, not held horticulture principles optional
optional, not held hydroponics optional
optional, not held plant care products optional
optional, not held reforestation optional
optional, not held variety of botanicals optional
optional, not held aquatic species optional
optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held chemistry optional
optional, not held ecology optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held hazardous waste storage optional

Index

Other moves recorded from biotechnical technician

Full index of moves from biotechnical technician

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.