Driller to drill operator
A driller already meets 25% of what the drill operator role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
67.8/ 100
1 How much of what a drill operator is expected to do is already part of a driller’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 drill operator role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A drill operator role treats 4 of its required skills as things a driller already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- inspect water wells
- mechanics
- operate drilling equipment
- work ergonomically
What stands in the way is 10 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 5 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A drill operator role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a driller background worth leading with.
- already held inspect water wells information skills
- already held operate drilling equipment handling and moving
- already held health and safety hazards underground services
- already held work ergonomically assisting and caring
- already held mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 5 carried skills, including the 4 the drill operator role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 18 missing skills fall into 8 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 liaise with managers required
- still to learn present reports required
- still to learn write work-related reports required
- optional, not held train employees optional
- still to learn evaluate employees work required
- still to learn plan shifts of employees required
- optional, not held recruit employees optional
- still to learn install oil rig required
- still to learn operate pumping equipment required
- optional, not held connect equipment to wellheads optional
- still to learn supervise worker safety required
- optional, not held follow safety procedures when working at heights optional
- still to learn keep task records required
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- still to learn mine safety legislation required
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a drill operator role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 install oil rig practise this
- 02 mine safety legislation study this
- 03 operate pumping equipment 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 5 skills that carry over
- already held inspect water wells skill
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held operate drilling equipment skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
- already held health and safety hazards underground knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held inspect pipelines optional
- optional, not held maintain circulation system optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held connect equipment to wellheads optional
- optional, not held inspect pipelines optional
- optional, not held maintain circulation system optional
- optional, not held monitor stock level optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- optional, not held follow safety procedures when working at heights optional
- optional, not held recruit employees optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
14 held skills the drill operator role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role check borehole depth skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate drilling skill
- not needed by the target role follow health and safety procedures in construction skill
- not needed by the target role impact of geological factors on mining operations knowledge
- not needed by the target role inspect drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role operate core drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role operate drilling jumbo skill
- not needed by the target role position drills skill
- not needed by the target role provide first aid skill
- not needed by the target role record drilling skill
- not needed by the target role set up drilling rigs skill
- not needed by the target role transport drilling rigs skill
- not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
2 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 mine safety legislation required
- optional, not held chemistry optional
Common questions about this move
Can a driller become a drill operator?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A driller already covers 25% of what a drill operator is expected to do: 5 skills carry over, 4 of which the drill operator role treats as required.
What skills does a driller need to become a drill operator?
10 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is install oil rig.
How hard is the move from driller to drill operator?
Its learning distance is 67.8 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.