Chromatographer to chemistry technician
A chromatographer already meets 65% of what the chemistry technician role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.
46.2/ 100
1 How much of what a chemistry technician is expected to do is already part of a chromatographer’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 chemistry technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A chemistry technician role treats 21 of its required skills as things a chromatographer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply safety procedures in laboratory
- assist scientific research
- chemical processes
- chemical products
- contact scientists
- handle chemicals
What stands in the way is 6 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 34 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A chemistry technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a chromatographer background worth leading with.
- already held mass spectrometry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held regulate chemical reaction assisting and caring
- already held gel permeation chromatography natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held high-performance liquid chromatography natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held contact scientists communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held improve chemical processes communication, collaboration and creativity
All 34 carried skills, including the 21 the chemistry technician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 29 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 analyse chemical substances required
- still to learn process data required
- optional, not held analyse samples of food and beverages optional
- optional, not held conduct chemical testing on basic metals optional
- optional, not held analyse scientific data optional
- optional, not held conduct quality control analysis optional
- optional, not held perform risk analysis optional
- optional, not held test chemical auxiliaries optional
- still to learn green chemistry required
- optional, not held risks associated to physical, chemical, biological hazards in food and beverages optional
- optional, not held gas chromatography optional
- optional, not held nuclear energy optional
- still to learn write work-related reports required
- optional, not held advise on manufacturing problems optional
- optional, not held develop chemical products optional
- still to learn basic chemicals required
- optional, not held chemical preservation optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- still to learn maintain laboratory equipment required
- optional, not held conduct laboratory chemical research on metals optional
- optional, not held measure chemical substance viscosity optional
- optional, not held follow nuclear plant safety precautions optional
- optional, not held work safely with chemicals optional
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a chemistry technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 analyse chemical substances practise this
- 02 green chemistry study this
- 03 basic chemicals study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 34 skills that carry over
- already held apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
- already held assist scientific research skill
- already held chemical processes knowledge
- already held chemical products knowledge
- already held contact scientists skill
- already held handle chemicals skill
- already held health and safety regulations knowledge
- already held improve chemical processes skill
- already held laboratory techniques knowledge
- already held manage chemical processes inspection skill
- already held manage chemical testing procedures skill
- already held mix chemicals skill
- already held monitor chemical process condition skill
- already held perform chemical experiments skill
- already held perform laboratory tests skill
- already held prepare chemical samples skill
- already held regulate chemical reaction skill
- already held test chemical samples skill
- already held transfer chemicals skill
- already held use chemical analysis equipment skill
- already held work with chemicals skill
- already held apply liquid chromatography skill
- already held apply organisational techniques skill
- already held archive scientific documentation skill
- already held computational chemistry knowledge
- already held develop scientific research protocols skill
- already held document analysis results skill
- already held gel permeation chromatography knowledge
- already held high-performance liquid chromatography knowledge
- already held mass spectrometry knowledge
- already held operate scientific measuring equipment skill
- already held use chromatography software skill
- already held use microsoft office skill
- already held write scientific publications skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held collect samples optional
- optional, not held organize chemical reagents optional
- optional, not held radiological procedures optional
- optional, not held radiology optional
- optional, not held quality standards optional
- optional, not held maintain chemical mixers optional
23 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held analyse samples of food and beverages optional
- optional, not held collect samples optional
- optional, not held conduct chemical testing on basic metals optional
- optional, not held conduct laboratory chemical research on metals optional
- optional, not held follow nuclear plant safety precautions optional
- optional, not held maintain chemical mixers optional
- optional, not held measure chemical substance viscosity optional
- optional, not held organize chemical reagents optional
- optional, not held radiological procedures optional
- optional, not held radiology optional
- optional, not held risks associated to physical, chemical, biological hazards in food and beverages optional
- optional, not held work safely with chemicals optional
- optional, not held advise on manufacturing problems optional
- optional, not held analyse scientific data optional
- optional, not held chemical preservation optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- optional, not held conduct quality control analysis optional
- optional, not held develop chemical products optional
- optional, not held gas chromatography optional
- optional, not held nuclear energy optional
- optional, not held perform risk analysis optional
- optional, not held quality standards optional
- optional, not held test chemical auxiliaries optional
14 held skills the chemistry technician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply scientific methods skill
- not needed by the target role calibrate laboratory equipment skill
- not needed by the target role create project specifications skill
- not needed by the target role develop scientific theories skill
- not needed by the target role follow laboratory manuals skill
- not needed by the target role handling chemical products for soil and plants skill
- not needed by the target role keep up to date on product knowledge skill
- not needed by the target role keep up-to-date with regulations skill
- not needed by the target role laboratory-based sciences knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain chromotography machinery skill
- not needed by the target role oxidation knowledge
- not needed by the target role project management principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role solid phase microextraction knowledge
- not needed by the target role train employees skill
10 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 green chemistry required
- still to learn basic chemicals required
- optional, not held radiological procedures optional
- optional, not held radiology optional
- optional, not held risks associated to physical, chemical, biological hazards in food and beverages optional
- optional, not held chemical preservation optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- optional, not held gas chromatography optional
- optional, not held nuclear energy optional
- optional, not held quality standards optional
Common questions about this move
Can a chromatographer become a chemistry technician?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A chromatographer already covers 65% of what a chemistry technician is expected to do: 34 skills carry over, 21 of which the chemistry technician role treats as required.
What skills does a chromatographer need to become a chemistry technician?
6 required skills are missing, plus 23 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is analyse chemical substances.
How hard is the move from chromatographer to chemistry technician?
Its learning distance is 46.2 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.