Drilling engineer to mining geotechnical engineer
A drilling engineer already meets 31% of what the mining geotechnical engineer role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.
63.6/ 100
1 How much of what a mining geotechnical engineer 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 mining geotechnical engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A mining geotechnical engineer 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
- geology
- prepare scientific reports
- supervise staff
What stands in the way is 7 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 4 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A mining geotechnical engineer 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
All 4 carried skills, including the 4 the mining geotechnical engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 13 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 design infrastructure for surface mines required
- still to learn advise on geology for mineral extraction required
- still to learn advise on construction materials required
- optional, not held advise on archaeological sites optional
- still to learn plan geotechnical investigations in the field required
- optional, not held interpret seismic data optional
- optional, not held test raw minerals optional
- still to learn manage geotechnical staff required
- optional, not held mine dump design optional
- still to learn impact of geological factors on mining operations required
- still to learn use mine planning software required
- optional, not held health and safety hazards underground optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a mining geotechnical engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 design infrastructure for surface mines practise this
- 02 manage geotechnical staff practise this
- 03 advise on geology for mineral extraction 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 4 skills that carry over
- already held address problems critically skill
- already held geology knowledge
- already held prepare scientific reports skill
- already held supervise staff skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held install rock movement monitoring devices optional
6 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held interpret seismic data optional
- optional, not held advise on archaeological sites optional
- optional, not held install rock movement monitoring devices optional
- optional, not held test raw minerals optional
- optional, not held health and safety hazards underground optional
- optional, not held mine dump design optional
20 held skills the mining geotechnical engineer 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 ensure compliance with environmental legislation 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
- 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 impact of geological factors on mining operations required
- optional, not held health and safety hazards underground optional
Common questions about this move
Can a drilling engineer become a mining geotechnical engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A drilling engineer already covers 31% of what a mining geotechnical engineer is expected to do: 4 skills carry over, 4 of which the mining geotechnical engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a drilling engineer need to become a mining geotechnical engineer?
7 required skills are missing, plus 6 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is design infrastructure for surface mines.
How hard is the move from drilling engineer to mining geotechnical engineer?
Its learning distance is 63.6 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.