Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Computer-aided design operator to computer hardware engineering technician

A computer-aided design operator already meets 38% of what the computer hardware engineering technician role asks for. The move turns on 22 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From computer-aided design operator
38 % overlap
Distant match
To computer hardware engineering technician
45 You already bring
22 Still to learn
84 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

70.5/ 100

1 How much of what a computer hardware engineering technician is expected to do is already part of a computer-aided design operator’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 computer hardware engineering technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A computer hardware engineering technician role treats 2 of its required skills as things a computer-aided design operator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • adjust engineering designs
  • design drawings

What stands in the way is 22 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 45 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A computer hardware engineering technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a computer-aided design operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held CoffeeScript information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Erlang information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Smalltalk (computer programming) information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held Microsoft Visual C++ information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held ABAP information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held APL information and communication technologies (icts)

All 45 carried skills, including the 2 the computer hardware engineering technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 39 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 information skills 5 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn interpret circuit diagrams required
  • still to learn inspect quality of products required
  • still to learn read assembly drawings required
  • still to learn read engineering drawings required
  • still to learn record test data required
  • optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
  • optional, not held replace machines optional
02 engineering, manufacturing and construction 4 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn hardware architectures required
  • still to learn computer engineering required
  • still to learn computer technology required
  • still to learn electronics required
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
03 information and communication technologies (icts) 4 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn hardware materials required
  • still to learn hardware platforms required
  • still to learn hardware components required
  • still to learn hardware testing methods required
  • optional, not held firmware optional
04 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn assist scientific research required
  • still to learn liaise with engineers required
  • still to learn prepare production prototypes required
  • optional, not held integrate new products in manufacturing optional
  • optional, not held resolve equipment malfunctions optional
  • optional, not held write technical reports optional
05 working with computers 2 required, 8 supplementary
  • still to learn use ICT hardware required
  • still to learn assemble hardware components required
  • optional, not held align software with system architectures optional
  • optional, not held implement anti-virus software optional
  • optional, not held customise software for drive system optional
  • optional, not held install operating system optional
  • optional, not held install software optional
  • optional, not held program a CNC controller optional
  • optional, not held program firmware optional
  • optional, not held remove computer virus or malware from a computer optional
06 handling and moving 2 required
  • still to learn align components required
  • still to learn fasten components required

4 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a computer hardware engineering 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 45 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held adjust engineering designs skill
  • already held design drawings knowledge
  • already held ABAP knowledge
  • already held AJAX knowledge
  • already held APL knowledge
  • already held ASP.NET knowledge
  • already held Assembly (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held C# knowledge
  • already held C++ knowledge
  • already held CAD software knowledge
  • already held COBOL knowledge
  • already held CoffeeScript knowledge
  • already held Common Lisp knowledge
  • already held Erlang knowledge
  • already held Groovy knowledge
  • already held Haskell knowledge
  • already held Java (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held JavaScript knowledge
  • already held Lisp knowledge
  • already held MATLAB knowledge
  • already held ML (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Microsoft Visual C++ knowledge
  • already held Objective-C knowledge
  • already held OpenEdge Advanced Business Language knowledge
  • already held PHP knowledge
  • already held Pascal (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Perl knowledge
  • already held Prolog (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Python (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held R knowledge
  • already held Ruby (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held SAP R3 knowledge
  • already held SAS language knowledge
  • already held Scala knowledge
  • already held Scratch (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Smalltalk (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Swift (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held TypeScript knowledge
  • already held VBScript knowledge
  • already held Visual Basic knowledge
  • already held apply technical communication skills skill
  • already held computer programming knowledge
  • already held mathematics knowledge
  • already held use CAD software skill
  • already held use CAM software skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 constructing 1 required
  • still to learn test hardware required
08 management skills 1 required
  • still to learn meet deadlines required
09 business, administration and law 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
10 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held maintain computer hardware optional
17 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held align software with system architectures optional
  • optional, not held implement anti-virus software optional
  • optional, not held customise software for drive system optional
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held firmware optional
  • optional, not held install operating system optional
  • optional, not held install software optional
  • optional, not held integrate new products in manufacturing optional
  • optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
  • optional, not held maintain computer hardware optional
  • optional, not held program a CNC controller optional
  • optional, not held program firmware optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
  • optional, not held remove computer virus or malware from a computer optional
  • optional, not held replace machines optional
  • optional, not held resolve equipment malfunctions optional
  • optional, not held write technical reports optional
38 held skills the computer hardware engineering technician role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role CAE software knowledge
  • not needed by the target role adapt to new design materials skill
  • not needed by the target role apply organisational techniques skill
  • not needed by the target role attend design meetings skill
  • not needed by the target role attend to detail regarding jewellery creation skill
  • not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
  • not needed by the target role collaborate with engineers skill
  • not needed by the target role create CAD drawings skill
  • not needed by the target role create architectural sketches skill
  • not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
  • not needed by the target role customise drafts skill
  • not needed by the target role design automation components skill
  • not needed by the target role design circuits using CAD skill
  • not needed by the target role design engineering components skill
  • not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
  • not needed by the target role design process skill
  • not needed by the target role develop design concept skill
  • not needed by the target role develop design plans skill
  • not needed by the target role develop jewellery designs skill
  • not needed by the target role develop product design skill
  • not needed by the target role documentation types knowledge
  • not needed by the target role geometry knowledge
  • not needed by the target role graphic design knowledge
  • not needed by the target role imitation jewellery knowledge
  • not needed by the target role industrial design knowledge
  • not needed by the target role industrial software knowledge
  • not needed by the target role jewellery processes knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manufacturing of jewellery knowledge
  • not needed by the target role material mechanics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role metalworking knowledge
  • not needed by the target role trigonometry knowledge
  • not needed by the target role use CAE software skill
  • not needed by the target role use automatic programming skill
  • not needed by the target role use communication techniques skill
  • not needed by the target role use microsoft office skill
  • not needed by the target role use specialised design software skill
  • not needed by the target role use spreadsheets software skill
  • not needed by the target role woodworking processes knowledge
11 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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn hardware architectures required
  • still to learn hardware materials required
  • still to learn hardware platforms required
  • still to learn computer engineering required
  • still to learn computer technology required
  • still to learn electronics required
  • still to learn hardware components required
  • still to learn hardware testing methods required
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held firmware optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
Index

Other moves recorded from computer-aided design operator

Full index of moves from computer-aided design operator

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a computer-aided design operator become a computer hardware engineering technician?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A computer-aided design operator already covers 38% of what a computer hardware engineering technician is expected to do: 45 skills carry over, 2 of which the computer hardware engineering technician role treats as required.

What skills does a computer-aided design operator need to become a computer hardware engineering technician?

22 required skills are missing, plus 17 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is hardware architectures.

How hard is the move from computer-aided design operator to computer hardware engineering technician?

Its learning distance is 70.5 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.