RecordMove

Electrical engineer to instrumentation engineer

An electrical engineer already meets 48% of what the instrumentation engineer role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional

From electrical engineer

Partial match

To instrumentation engineer

25 You already bring

9 Still to learn

67 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance Substantial retraining

60.9/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what an instrumentation engineer 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 instrumentation engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

An instrumentation engineer role treats 16 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
adjust engineering designs
approve engineering design
automation technology
design drawings
electricity

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

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 25 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An instrumentation engineer 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.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held engineering control theory engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held instrumentation equipment engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held manage system testing constructing
already held abide by regulations on banned materials assisting and caring
already held electricity principles engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held product data management business, administration and law

All 25 carried skills, including the 16 the instrumentation engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 42 missing skills fall into 13 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.

Skill to pick up Tier

01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 2 required, 7 supplementary

still to learn control systems required
still to learn instrumentation engineering required

optional, not held offshore constructions and facilities optional
optional, not held offshore renewable energy technologies optional
optional, not held power plant instrumentation optional
optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held marine engineering optional
optional, not held marine technology optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional

02 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn design control systems required
still to learn develop instrumentation systems required

optional, not held create software design optional
optional, not held design microelectromechanical systems optional
optional, not held inspect offshore constructions optional
optional, not held write work-related reports optional

03 information skills 2 required, 3 supplementary

still to learn analyse big data required
still to learn execute feasibility study required

optional, not held carry out work-related measurements optional
optional, not held conduct quality control analysis optional
optional, not held record test data optional

04 working with computers 2 required, 3 supplementary

still to learn use specific data analysis software required
still to learn use remote control equipment required

optional, not held utilise decision support system optional
optional, not held utilise machine learning optional
optional, not held use CAD software optional

05 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required

still to learn environmental threats required

06 management skills 5 supplementary

optional, not held define quality standards optional
optional, not held develop test procedures optional
optional, not held oversee pre-assembly operations optional
optional, not held perform project management optional
optional, not held supervise staff optional

7 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries an instrumentation engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 25 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held abide by regulations on banned materials skill
already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held approve engineering design skill
already held automation technology knowledge
already held design drawings knowledge
already held electricity knowledge
already held electricity principles knowledge
already held electronics knowledge
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held environmental legislation knowledge
already held instrumentation equipment knowledge
already held mathematics knowledge
already held perform data analysis skill
already held perform scientific research skill
already held physics knowledge
already held test sensors skill
already held analyse production processes for improvement skill
already held assess financial viability skill
already held design prototypes skill
already held engineering control theory knowledge
already held ensure equipment availability skill
already held manage system testing skill
already held mechanics knowledge
already held product data management knowledge
already held use technical drawing software skill

The 7 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 information and communication technologies (icts) 4 supplementary

optional, not held cloud technologies optional
optional, not held data mining optional
optional, not held data storage optional
optional, not held CAD software optional

08 assisting and caring 2 supplementary

optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with safety legislation optional

09 arts and humanities 1 supplementary

optional, not held design principles optional

10 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held project management optional

11 constructing 1 supplementary

optional, not held perform test run optional

12 handling and moving 1 supplementary

optional, not held assemble instrumentation equipment optional

13 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary

optional, not held manage instrumentation systems optional

33 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held cloud technologies optional
optional, not held create software design optional
optional, not held data mining optional
optional, not held data storage optional
optional, not held offshore constructions and facilities optional
optional, not held offshore renewable energy technologies optional
optional, not held power plant instrumentation optional
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held utilise decision support system optional
optional, not held utilise machine learning optional
optional, not held CAD software optional
optional, not held apply health and safety standards optional
optional, not held assemble instrumentation equipment optional
optional, not held carry out work-related measurements optional
optional, not held conduct quality control analysis optional
optional, not held define quality standards optional
optional, not held design microelectromechanical systems optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held develop test procedures optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with safety legislation optional
optional, not held inspect offshore constructions optional
optional, not held manage instrumentation systems optional
optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held marine engineering optional
optional, not held marine technology optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional
optional, not held oversee pre-assembly operations optional
optional, not held perform project management optional
optional, not held perform test run optional
optional, not held record test data optional
optional, not held supervise staff optional
optional, not held use CAD software optional
optional, not held write work-related reports optional

83 held skills the instrumentation engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

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 align software with system architectures skill
not needed by the target role analyse test data 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 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 electrical systems skill
not needed by the target role design electromagnets skill
not needed by the target role design electromechanical systems 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 engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical equipment components knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical equipment regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical instrumentation engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical machines knowledge

43 further entries not listed here

16 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier

still to learn environmental threats required
still to learn control systems required
still to learn instrumentation engineering required
optional, not held cloud technologies optional
optional, not held data mining optional
optional, not held data storage optional
optional, not held offshore constructions and facilities optional
optional, not held offshore renewable energy technologies optional
optional, not held power plant instrumentation optional
optional, not held project management optional
optional, not held CAD software optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held marine engineering optional
optional, not held marine technology optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional

Index

Other moves recorded from electrical engineer

Full index of moves from electrical engineer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an electrical engineer become an instrumentation engineer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An electrical engineer already covers 48% of what an instrumentation engineer is expected to do: 25 skills carry over, 16 of which the instrumentation engineer role treats as required.

What skills does an electrical engineer need to become an instrumentation engineer?

9 required skills are missing, plus 33 optional ones. They fall into 13 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is use specific data analysis software.

How hard is the move from electrical engineer to instrumentation engineer?

Its learning distance is 60.9 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

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.