Electrical engineer to electrical drafter
An electrical engineer already meets 44% of what the electrical drafter role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
59.4/ 100
1 How much of what an electrical drafter is expected to do is already part of an electrical 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 electrical drafter role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An electrical drafter role treats 12 of its required skills as things an electrical engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- abide by regulations on banned materials
- design drawings
- design electrical systems
- design prototypes
- electrical engineering
- electrical equipment components
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 15 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An electrical drafter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an electrical engineer background worth leading with.
- already held electrical equipment components engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held design electrical systems communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held design electromechanical systems communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held abide by regulations on banned materials assisting and caring
- already held electrical wiring diagrams engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held electricity principles engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 15 carried skills, including the 12 the electrical drafter role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 25 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 model electrical system required
- still to learn customise drafts required
- still to learn draw blueprints required
- still to learn liaise with engineers required
- optional, not held apply technical communication skills optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held create a product's virtual model optional
- optional, not held develop assembly instructions optional
- optional, not held prepare assembly drawings optional
- optional, not held review drafts optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- optional, not held use manual draughting techniques optional
- still to learn ensure material compliance required
- still to learn interpret electrical diagrams required
- optional, not held draft bill of materials optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
- still to learn CAD software required
- optional, not held CAE software optional
- still to learn create technical plans required
- optional, not held plan manufacturing processes optional
- still to learn manual draughting techniques required
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an electrical drafter role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 ensure material compliance practise this
- 02 model electrical system practise this
- 03 process customer requests based on the REACh Regulation 1907 2006 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 15 skills that carry over
- already held abide by regulations on banned materials skill
- already held design drawings knowledge
- already held design electrical systems skill
- already held design prototypes skill
- already held electrical engineering knowledge
- already held electrical equipment components knowledge
- already held electrical equipment regulations knowledge
- already held electrical wiring diagrams knowledge
- already held electricity knowledge
- already held electricity principles knowledge
- already held mathematics knowledge
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held design electromechanical systems skill
- already held electromechanics knowledge
- already held engineering principles knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn process customer requests based on the REACh Regulation 1907 2006 required
- still to learn use CAD software required
13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held CAE software optional
- optional, not held apply technical communication skills optional
- optional, not held communicate with customers optional
- optional, not held create a product's virtual model optional
- optional, not held develop assembly instructions optional
- optional, not held draft bill of materials optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
- optional, not held plan manufacturing processes optional
- optional, not held prepare assembly drawings optional
- optional, not held review drafts optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- optional, not held use manual draughting techniques optional
93 held skills the electrical drafter role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role Assembly (computer programming) knowledge
- not needed by the target role CAM software knowledge
- not needed by the target role Objective-C knowledge
- not needed by the target role PHP knowledge
- not needed by the target role R knowledge
- not needed by the target role VBScript knowledge
- not needed by the target role Visual Basic knowledge
- not needed by the target role adjust engineering designs skill
- not needed by the target role align software with system architectures skill
- not needed by the target role analyse production processes for improvement skill
- not needed by the target role analyse test data skill
- not needed by the target role approve engineering design skill
- not needed by the target role artificial lighting systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role assemble electromechanical systems skill
- not needed by the target role assemble hardware components skill
- not needed by the target role assess financial viability skill
- not needed by the target role automation technology knowledge
- not needed by the target role automotive engineering skill
- not needed by the target role battery design knowledge
- not needed by the target role battery management systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role biotechnology knowledge
- not needed by the target role combined heat and power generation knowledge
- not needed by the target role computer technology knowledge
- not needed by the target role create electrical wiring diagram skill
- not needed by the target role define technical requirements skill
- not needed by the target role design a mini wind power system skill
- not needed by the target role design an electric heating system skill
- not needed by the target role design circuit boards skill
- not needed by the target role design electric power systems skill
- not needed by the target role design electromagnets skill
- not needed by the target role design sensors skill
- not needed by the target role design smart grids skill
- not needed by the target role design user interface skill
- not needed by the target role domestic cooling systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role electric drives knowledge
- not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
- not needed by the target role electric heating systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role electric motors knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical instrumentation engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical machines knowledge
53 further entries not listed here
5 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 CAD software required
- still to learn manual draughting techniques required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held CAE software optional
- optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
Other moves recorded from electrical engineer
- electronics engineer 52% covered · substantial
- instrumentation engineer 48% covered · substantial
- power electronics engineer 46% covered · substantial
- microelectronics maintenance technician 44% covered · substantial
- electromagnetic engineer 42% covered · substantial
- electromechanical engineer 42% covered · substantial
- electromechanical drafter 41% covered · substantial
- component engineer 40% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can an electrical engineer become an electrical drafter?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An electrical engineer already covers 44% of what an electrical drafter is expected to do: 15 skills carry over, 12 of which the electrical drafter role treats as required.
What skills does an electrical engineer need to become an electrical drafter?
12 required skills are missing, plus 13 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is ensure material compliance.
How hard is the move from electrical engineer to electrical drafter?
Its learning distance is 59.4 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.