Drilling engineer to geochemist
A drilling engineer already meets 25% of what the geochemist role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
69.2/ 100
1 How much of what a geochemist is expected to do is already part of a drilling engineer’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 geochemist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A geochemist role treats 4 of its required skills as things a drilling engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- address problems critically
- ensure compliance with environmental legislation
- geology
- prepare scientific reports
What stands in the way is 12 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 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A geochemist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a drilling engineer background worth leading with.
- already held prepare scientific reports communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held geology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held supervise staff management skills
- already held address problems critically communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held ensure compliance with environmental legislation assisting and caring
- already held troubleshoot communication, collaboration and creativity
All 6 carried skills, including the 4 the geochemist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 missing skills fall into 7 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 examine geochemical samples required
- still to learn conduct environmental site assessments required
- still to learn create GIS reports required
- still to learn perform sample testing required
- optional, not held test samples for pollutants optional
- still to learn communicate on minerals issues required
- still to learn deal with pressure from unexpected circumstances required
- optional, not held liaise with industrial professionals optional
- still to learn manipulate metal required
- still to learn prepare samples for testing required
- optional, not held collect samples optional
- still to learn geographic information systems required
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- still to learn conduct laboratory chemical research on metals required
- optional, not held perform minor repairs to equipment optional
- still to learn types of metal required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a geochemist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 communicate on minerals issues practise this
- 02 conduct laboratory chemical research on metals practise this
- 03 deal with pressure from unexpected circumstances 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 6 skills that carry over
- already held address problems critically skill
- already held ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- already held geology knowledge
- already held prepare scientific reports skill
- already held supervise staff skill
- already held troubleshoot skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- still to learn create thematic maps required
5 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held collect samples optional
- optional, not held test samples for pollutants optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- optional, not held liaise with industrial professionals optional
- optional, not held perform minor repairs to equipment optional
18 held skills the geochemist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse drill engineering skill
- not needed by the target role connect equipment to wellheads skill
- not needed by the target role design drill programmes skill
- not needed by the target role design well paths skill
- not needed by the target role design well-head equipment skill
- not needed by the target role inspect water wells skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with specialist contractors for well operations skill
- not needed by the target role manage drilling contracts skill
- not needed by the target role manage drilling team skill
- not needed by the target role manage service contracts in the drilling industry skill
- not needed by the target role monitor well costs skill
- not needed by the target role monitor well operations skill
- not needed by the target role monitor well safety skill
- not needed by the target role plan oil wells skill
- not needed by the target role prepare well data sheets skill
- not needed by the target role present reports skill
- not needed by the target role restore natural environment after drilling proofs skill
- not needed by the target role suggest well maintenance skill
3 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 geographic information systems required
- still to learn types of metal required
- optional, not held chemistry optional
Common questions about this move
Can a drilling engineer become a geochemist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A drilling engineer already covers 25% of what a geochemist is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 4 of which the geochemist role treats as required.
What skills does a drilling engineer need to become a geochemist?
12 required skills are missing, plus 5 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is communicate on minerals issues.
How hard is the move from drilling engineer to geochemist?
Its learning distance is 69.2 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.