Table 1Transition record

component engineertodesign engineer

A component engineer already meets 58% of what the design engineer role asks for. The move turns on 3 required skills not yet in the profile.

From component engineer

58%

Overlap1

To design engineer

21 Skills carried over

3 Required, not held

45.9 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 45.9

This move: 45.9 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the design engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the component engineer 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.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A design engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a component engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held interpret technical requirements information skills
already held product data management business, administration and law
already held manage engineering project management skills
already held execute feasibility study information skills
already held draft design specifications communication, collaboration and creativity
already held define technical requirements management skills

All 21 carried skills, including the 14 the design engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 28 missing skills fall into 9 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 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 8 supplementary

required, not held present artistic design proposals required

optional, not held design power plant systems optional
optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
optional, not held create a product's virtual model optional
optional, not held design prototypes optional
optional, not held determine suitability of materials optional
optional, not held draw design sketches optional
optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
optional, not held prepare production prototypes optional

02 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held circular economy required

optional, not held thermohydraulics optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held model based system engineering optional

03 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held CAD software required

optional, not held CAE software optional

04 information skills 5 supplementary

optional, not held adapt to new design materials optional
optional, not held keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes optional
optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
optional, not held analyse stress resistance of products optional
optional, not held conduct research on trends in design optional

05 management skills 3 supplementary

optional, not held create technical plans optional
optional, not held develop test procedures optional
optional, not held supervise work on design planning optional

06 constructing 2 supplementary

optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
optional, not held perform test run optional

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a design engineer 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 21 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held assess financial viability skill
already held define technical requirements skill
already held design principles knowledge
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held engineering processes knowledge
already held execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
already held execute feasibility study skill
already held interpret technical requirements skill
already held manage engineering project skill
already held mathematics knowledge
already held perform scientific research skill
already held project management knowledge
already held technical drawings knowledge
already held use technical drawing software skill
already held analyse test data skill
already held draft design specifications skill
already held manufacturing processes knowledge
already held product data management knowledge
already held record test data skill
already held use CAD software skill
already held use testing equipment skill

The 3 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held design management optional

08 handling and moving 1 supplementary

optional, not held build a product's physical model optional

09 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary

optional, not held nuclear physics optional

25 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held adapt to new design materials optional
optional, not held design management optional
optional, not held design power plant systems optional
optional, not held keep up with digital transformation of industrial processes optional
optional, not held nuclear physics optional
optional, not held thermohydraulics optional
optional, not held CAE software optional
optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
optional, not held analyse stress resistance of products optional
optional, not held build a product's physical model optional
optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
optional, not held conduct research on trends in design optional
optional, not held create a product's virtual model optional
optional, not held create technical plans optional
optional, not held design prototypes optional
optional, not held determine suitability of materials optional
optional, not held develop test procedures optional
optional, not held draw design sketches optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
optional, not held model based system engineering optional
optional, not held perform test run optional
optional, not held prepare production prototypes optional
optional, not held supervise work on design planning optional

22 held skills the design engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise on machinery malfunctions skill
not needed by the target role analyse production processes for improvement skill
not needed by the target role apply advanced manufacturing skill
not needed by the target role battery design knowledge
not needed by the target role battery management systems knowledge
not needed by the target role computer science knowledge
not needed by the target role computer simulation knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct quality control analysis skill
not needed by the target role design electromechanical systems skill
not needed by the target role electrical engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role electromechanics knowledge
not needed by the target role electronics knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure equipment availability skill
not needed by the target role install machinery skill
not needed by the target role interpret circuit diagrams skill
not needed by the target role maintain equipment skill
not needed by the target role manage product testing skill
not needed by the target role mechanical engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role production processes knowledge
not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
not needed by the target role robotic components knowledge
not needed by the target role state estimation knowledge

8 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 CAD software required
required, not held circular economy required
optional, not held design management optional
optional, not held nuclear physics optional
optional, not held thermohydraulics optional
optional, not held CAE software optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held model based system engineering optional

Index

Other moves recorded from component engineer

Full index of moves from component engineer

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.