Chemical engineer to corrosion technician
A chemical engineer already meets 42% of what the corrosion technician role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
60.1/ 100
1 How much of what a corrosion technician is expected to do is already part of a chemical engineer’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 corrosion technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A corrosion technician role treats 8 of its required skills as things a chemical engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- chemistry
- create solutions to problems
- engineering principles
- engineering processes
- ensure compliance with environmental legislation
- physics
What stands in the way is 11 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 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A corrosion technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a chemical engineer background worth leading with.
- already held analytical chemistry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held write technical reports communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held assess environmental impact assisting and caring
- already held design principles arts and humanities
- already held laboratory techniques natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held quality assurance methodologies business, administration and law
All 16 carried skills, including the 8 the corrosion technician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 23 missing skills fall into 10 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 execute analytical mathematical calculations required
- still to learn recognise signs of corrosion required
- optional, not held conduct soil sample tests optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- still to learn corrosion types required
- still to learn mathematics required
- optional, not held inorganic chemistry optional
- optional, not held soil science optional
- still to learn collaborate with engineers required
- still to learn write work-related reports required
- optional, not held create designs for pipeline engineering optional
- still to learn inspect pipelines required
- still to learn repair pipelines required
- optional, not held detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure optional
- still to learn types of pipelines required
- optional, not held chemical processes optional
- optional, not held production processes optional
- still to learn manage health and safety standards required
- optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a corrosion technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 inspect pipelines practise this
- 02 types of pipelines study this
- 03 collaborate with engineers 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 16 skills that carry over
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held create solutions to problems skill
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- already held physics knowledge
- already held quality assurance methodologies knowledge
- already held write technical reports skill
- already held analytical chemistry knowledge
- already held assess environmental impact skill
- already held design principles knowledge
- already held laboratory techniques knowledge
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held perform laboratory tests skill
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held types of metal knowledge
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn risk management required
- optional, not held soil structure optional
- optional, not held prepare chemical samples optional
- optional, not held use ICT systems optional
12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held chemical processes optional
- optional, not held conduct soil sample tests optional
- optional, not held create designs for pipeline engineering optional
- optional, not held detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure optional
- optional, not held soil structure optional
- optional, not held inorganic chemistry optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- optional, not held prepare chemical samples optional
- optional, not held production processes optional
- optional, not held soil science optional
- optional, not held use ICT systems optional
- optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
90 held skills the corrosion technician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adjust engineering designs skill
- not needed by the target role advise on pollution prevention skill
- not needed by the target role advise on waste management procedures skill
- not needed by the target role analyse production processes for improvement skill
- not needed by the target role analyse test data skill
- not needed by the target role apply health and safety standards skill
- not needed by the target role approve engineering design skill
- not needed by the target role assess hydrogen production technologies skill
- not needed by the target role assess the feasibility of implementing developments skill
- not needed by the target role basic chemicals knowledge
- not needed by the target role biological chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role chemical preservation knowledge
- not needed by the target role composite materials knowledge
- not needed by the target role computer engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct public presentations skill
- not needed by the target role contribute to registration of pharmaceutical products skill
- not needed by the target role define quality standards skill
- not needed by the target role design optical systems skill
- not needed by the target role design pharmaceutical manufacturing systems skill
- not needed by the target role design prototypes skill
- not needed by the target role develop chemical products skill
- not needed by the target role develop components separation processes skill
- not needed by the target role develop material testing procedures skill
- not needed by the target role develop pharmaceutical drugs skill
- not needed by the target role draft design specifications skill
- not needed by the target role drug administration regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical instrumentation engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role electricity knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
- not needed by the target role establish collaborative relations skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate pharmaceutical manufacturing process skill
- not needed by the target role examine engineering principles skill
- not needed by the target role examine samples in dermatology skill
- not needed by the target role execute feasibility study on hydrogen skill
- not needed by the target role explain the molecular basis of a disease to patients skill
- not needed by the target role forecast organisational risks skill
- not needed by the target role good manufacturing practices knowledge
- not needed by the target role green chemistry knowledge
50 further entries not listed here
9 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 types of pipelines required
- still to learn corrosion types required
- still to learn mathematics required
- still to learn risk management required
- optional, not held chemical processes optional
- optional, not held soil structure optional
- optional, not held inorganic chemistry optional
- optional, not held production processes optional
- optional, not held soil science optional
Other moves recorded from chemical engineer
- nanoengineer 80% covered · adjacent
- surface engineer 50% covered · moderate
- agricultural engineer 47% covered · moderate
- rolling stock engineer 46% covered · substantial
- environmental mining engineer 44% covered · substantial
- container equipment design engineer 43% covered · substantial
- product development engineering technician 43% covered · substantial
- packing machinery engineer 42% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can a chemical engineer become a corrosion technician?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A chemical engineer already covers 42% of what a corrosion technician is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 8 of which the corrosion technician role treats as required.
What skills does a chemical engineer need to become a corrosion technician?
11 required skills are missing, plus 12 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is inspect pipelines.
How hard is the move from chemical engineer to corrosion technician?
Its learning distance is 60.1 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.