Derrickhand to roughneck
A derrickhand already meets 32% of what the roughneck role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
60.3/ 100
1 How much of what a roughneck is expected to do is already part of a derrickhand’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 roughneck role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A roughneck role treats 3 of its required skills as things a derrickhand already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- guide drill pipes
- mechanics
- react to events in time-critical environments
What stands in the way is 9 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 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A roughneck role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a derrickhand background worth leading with.
- already held monitor drilling fluid constructing
- already held guide drill pipes constructing
- already held connect equipment to wellheads working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held react to events in time-critical environments communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held chemistry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 7 carried skills, including the 3 the roughneck role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 10 missing skills fall into 6 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 cooperate with colleagues required
- still to learn create solutions to problems required
- optional, not held troubleshoot optional
- still to learn connect oil well heads required
- still to learn maintain drilling equipment required
- still to learn assemble metal parts required
- still to learn collect samples required
- still to learn ensure health and safety in manufacturing required
- still to learn make time-critical decisions required
- still to learn maintain oil field machinery required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a roughneck role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 assemble metal parts practise this
- 02 collect samples practise this
- 03 connect oil well heads 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 7 skills that carry over
- already held guide drill pipes skill
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held react to events in time-critical environments skill
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held connect equipment to wellheads skill
- already held monitor drilling fluid skill
- already held train employees skill
1 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held troubleshoot optional
11 held skills the roughneck role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role add chemicals to drilling fluid skill
- not needed by the target role control flow of oils skill
- not needed by the target role follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
- not needed by the target role inspect pipelines skill
- not needed by the target role inspect quality of products skill
- not needed by the target role maintain circulation system skill
- not needed by the target role maintain mechanical equipment skill
- not needed by the target role mechanical tools knowledge
- not needed by the target role rigging terminology knowledge
- not needed by the target role use rigging equipment skill
- not needed by the target role work in drilling teams skill
Common questions about this move
Can a derrickhand become a roughneck?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A derrickhand already covers 32% of what a roughneck is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 3 of which the roughneck role treats as required.
What skills does a derrickhand need to become a roughneck?
9 required skills are missing, plus 1 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is assemble metal parts.
How hard is the move from derrickhand to roughneck?
Its learning distance is 60.3 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.