Corrosion technician to surface engineer
A corrosion technician already meets 36% of what the surface engineer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
62.2/ 100
1 How much of what a surface engineer is expected to do is already part of a corrosion technician’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 surface engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A surface engineer role treats 7 of its required skills as things a corrosion technician already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- corrosion types
- engineering principles
- engineering processes
- execute analytical mathematical calculations
- mathematics
- perform scientific research
What stands in the way is 8 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 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A surface engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a corrosion technician background worth leading with.
- already held corrosion types natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held recognise signs of corrosion information skills
- already held production processes engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held execute analytical mathematical calculations information skills
- already held types of metal engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held physics natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
All 11 carried skills, including the 7 the surface engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 27 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 industrial engineering required
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- still to learn surface engineering required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held material mechanics optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held semiconductors optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
- still to learn adjust engineering designs required
- still to learn approve engineering design required
- still to learn use technical drawing software required
- optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- optional, not held apply phosphate coating to metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held parkerise metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held use non-destructive testing equipment optional
- optional, not held galvanise metal workpiece optional
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a surface engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 adjust engineering designs practise this
- 02 approve engineering design practise this
- 03 industrial engineering 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 11 skills that carry over
- already held corrosion types knowledge
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
- already held mathematics knowledge
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held production processes knowledge
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held physics knowledge
- already held recognise signs of corrosion skill
- already held types of metal knowledge
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply phosphate coating to metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held parkerise metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held use non-destructive testing equipment optional
- optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held galvanise metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
- optional, not held material mechanics optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- optional, not held semiconductors optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
28 held skills the surface engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analytical chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess environmental impact skill
- not needed by the target role chemical processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role collaborate with engineers skill
- not needed by the target role conduct soil sample tests skill
- not needed by the target role create designs for pipeline engineering skill
- not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
- not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role detect flaws in pipeline infrastructure skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- not needed by the target role inorganic chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role inspect pipelines skill
- not needed by the target role keep records of work progress skill
- not needed by the target role laboratory techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage health and safety standards skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform laboratory tests skill
- not needed by the target role prepare chemical samples skill
- not needed by the target role quality assurance methodologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role repair pipelines skill
- not needed by the target role risk management knowledge
- not needed by the target role soil science knowledge
- not needed by the target role soil structure knowledge
- not needed by the target role types of pipelines knowledge
- not needed by the target role use ICT systems skill
- not needed by the target role use personal protection equipment skill
- not needed by the target role write technical reports skill
- not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill
16 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 industrial engineering required
- still to learn manufacturing processes required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- still to learn surface engineering required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
- optional, not held material mechanics optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held semiconductors optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
Common questions about this move
Can a corrosion technician become a surface engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A corrosion technician already covers 36% of what a surface engineer is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 7 of which the surface engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a corrosion technician need to become a surface engineer?
8 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 adjust engineering designs.
How hard is the move from corrosion technician to surface engineer?
Its learning distance is 62.2 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.