Civil engineer to substation engineer
A civil engineer already meets 45% of what the substation engineer role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
60.8/ 100
1 How much of what a substation engineer is expected to do is already part of a civil 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 substation engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A substation engineer role treats 14 of its required skills as things a civil engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adjust engineering designs
- approve engineering design
- create CAD drawings
- electrical engineering
- electricity consumption
- engineering principles
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 15 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A substation engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a civil engineer background worth leading with.
- already held create CAD drawings working with computers
- already held manage engineering project management skills
- already held electricity consumption engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held electric generators engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held ensure compliance with safety legislation assisting and caring
- already held approve engineering design communication, collaboration and creativity
All 15 carried skills, including the 14 the substation engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 30 missing skills fall into 9 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 electric current required
- still to learn electrical discharge required
- still to learn electrical power safety regulations required
- still to learn electricity principles required
- still to learn mechanics required
- optional, not held transmission towers optional
- still to learn inspect facility sites required
- still to learn make electrical calculations required
- still to learn perform scientific research required
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule optional
- still to learn operate electronic measuring instruments required
- optional, not held manage electricity transmission system optional
- optional, not held respond to electrical power contingencies optional
- optional, not held adjust voltage optional
- optional, not held install circuit breakers optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
- still to learn ensure safety in electrical power operations required
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
- still to learn design electric power systems required
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
- optional, not held monitor electric generators optional
- optional, not held inspect overhead power lines optional
- optional, not held inspect underground power cables optional
- optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a substation engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 design electric power systems practise this
- 02 inspect facility sites practise this
- 03 make electrical calculations 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 15 skills that carry over
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held create CAD drawings skill
- already held electrical engineering knowledge
- already held electricity consumption knowledge
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- already held ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
- already held manage engineering project skill
- already held mechanical engineering knowledge
- already held perform project management skill
- already held technical drawings knowledge
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held electric generators knowledge
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held develop electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held develop strategies for electricity contingencies optional
- optional, not held supervise electricity distribution operations optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
- optional, not held CAD software optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held develop electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held develop strategies for electricity contingencies optional
- optional, not held manage electricity transmission system optional
- optional, not held monitor electric generators optional
- optional, not held respond to electrical power contingencies optional
- optional, not held supervise electricity distribution operations optional
- optional, not held CAD software optional
- optional, not held adjust voltage optional
- optional, not held assess financial viability optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
- optional, not held ensure compliance with electricity distribution schedule optional
- optional, not held inspect overhead power lines optional
- optional, not held inspect underground power cables optional
- optional, not held install circuit breakers optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
- optional, not held manage workflow processes optional
- optional, not held test procedures in electricity transmission optional
- optional, not held transmission towers optional
- optional, not held wear appropriate protective gear optional
81 held skills the substation engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise architects skill
- not needed by the target role advise on building matters skill
- not needed by the target role assess environmental impact skill
- not needed by the target role assess project resource needs skill
- not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
- not needed by the target role bridge engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role business management principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role cartography knowledge
- not needed by the target role check quality of raw materials skill
- not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role civil engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role collect geological data skill
- not needed by the target role conduct field work skill
- not needed by the target role conduct quality control analysis skill
- not needed by the target role construction methods knowledge
- not needed by the target role construction products knowledge
- not needed by the target role cost management knowledge
- not needed by the target role create cadastral maps skill
- not needed by the target role demonstrate disciplinary expertise skill
- not needed by the target role design building envelope systems skill
- not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role design wind turbines skill
- not needed by the target role draft design specifications skill
- not needed by the target role draw blueprints skill
- not needed by the target role energy efficiency knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy performance of buildings knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental policy knowledge
- not needed by the target role examine engineering principles skill
- not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
- not needed by the target role execute feasibility study skill
- not needed by the target role geochemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role geodesy knowledge
- not needed by the target role geology knowledge
- not needed by the target role geomatics knowledge
- not needed by the target role geophysics knowledge
- not needed by the target role identify energy needs skill
- not needed by the target role inspect construction supplies skill
- not needed by the target role inspect industrial equipment skill
- not needed by the target role integrated design knowledge
41 further entries not listed here
8 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 electric current required
- still to learn electrical discharge required
- still to learn electrical power safety regulations required
- still to learn electricity principles required
- still to learn mechanics required
- optional, not held CAD software optional
- optional, not held electricity market optional
- optional, not held transmission towers optional
Other moves recorded from civil engineer
- transport engineer 66% covered · moderate
- land surveyor 56% covered · moderate
- geological engineer 54% covered · moderate
- environmental mining engineer 52% covered · moderate
- equipment engineer 47% covered · moderate
- land planner 47% covered · substantial
- surveying technician 47% covered · substantial
- logistics engineer 46% covered · moderate
Common questions about this move
Can a civil engineer become a substation engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A civil engineer already covers 45% of what a substation engineer is expected to do: 15 skills carry over, 14 of which the substation engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a civil engineer need to become a substation engineer?
11 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is design electric power systems.
How hard is the move from civil engineer to substation engineer?
Its learning distance is 60.8 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.