RecordMove

Electrical mechanic to security alarm technician

An electrical mechanic already meets 41% of what the security alarm technician 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 mechanic

Partial match

To security alarm technician

13 You already bring

9 Still to learn

41 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance Substantial retraining

63/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what a security alarm technician is expected to do is already part of an electrical mechanic’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 security alarm technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A security alarm technician role treats 10 of its required skills as things an electrical mechanic already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

electrical wiring plans
electricity
electronics
inspect electrical supplies
install electrical and electronic equipment
replace defect components

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 13 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A security alarm technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an electrical mechanic background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held install circuit breakers working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held inspect electrical supplies constructing
already held test electronic units constructing
already held install electrical and electronic equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held replace defect components working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held electrical wiring plans engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 13 carried skills, including the 10 the security alarm technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 28 missing skills fall into 11 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 information skills 2 required, 2 supplementary

still to learn check compatibility of materials required
still to learn inspect construction supplies required

optional, not held keep personal administration optional
optional, not held keep records of work progress optional

02 constructing 2 required

still to learn perform test run required
still to learn test sensors required

03 working with computers 1 required, 8 supplementary

still to learn program home alarm systems required

optional, not held implement ICT security policies optional
optional, not held implement a firewall optional
optional, not held implement anti-virus software optional
optional, not held perform software unit testing optional
optional, not held manage closed-circuit television system optional
optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional
optional, not held program firmware optional
optional, not held remove computer virus or malware from a computer optional

04 assisting and caring 1 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn follow health and safety procedures in construction required

optional, not held use safety equipment in construction optional

05 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required

still to learn security panels required

06 services 1 required

still to learn types of alarm systems required

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a security alarm technician 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 13 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held electrical wiring plans knowledge
already held electricity knowledge
already held electronics knowledge
already held inspect electrical supplies skill
already held install electrical and electronic equipment skill
already held replace defect components skill
already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
already held test electronic units skill
already held use measurement instruments skill
already held work ergonomically skill
already held automation technology knowledge
already held electromechanics knowledge
already held install circuit breakers skill

The 5 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required

still to learn wire security sensors required

08 engineering, manufacturing and construction 4 supplementary

optional, not held glass breakage sensors optional
optional, not held infrared sensors optional
optional, not held reed sensors optional
optional, not held smoke sensors optional

09 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary

optional, not held demonstrate products' features optional
optional, not held advise customers on new equipment optional

10 handling and moving 1 supplementary

optional, not held cut wall chases optional

11 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held plan maintenance activities optional

19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held glass breakage sensors optional
optional, not held infrared sensors optional
optional, not held reed sensors optional
optional, not held demonstrate products' features optional
optional, not held implement ICT security policies optional
optional, not held implement a firewall optional
optional, not held implement anti-virus software optional
optional, not held perform software unit testing optional
optional, not held smoke sensors optional
optional, not held advise customers on new equipment optional
optional, not held cut wall chases optional
optional, not held keep personal administration optional
optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
optional, not held manage closed-circuit television system optional
optional, not held perform ICT troubleshooting optional
optional, not held plan maintenance activities optional
optional, not held program firmware optional
optional, not held remove computer virus or malware from a computer optional
optional, not held use safety equipment in construction optional

36 held skills the security alarm technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role answer requests for quotation skill
not needed by the target role apply coating to electrical equipment skill
not needed by the target role apply safety management skill
not needed by the target role assemble electromechanical systems skill
not needed by the target role assemble electronic units skill
not needed by the target role assemble mechatronic units skill
not needed by the target role battery components knowledge
not needed by the target role calibrate electromechanical system skill
not needed by the target role comply with electrical safety regulations skill
not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical safety regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical testing methods knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical wire accessories knowledge
not needed by the target role energy storage systems knowledge
not needed by the target role fit mechanised equipment skill
not needed by the target role install automotive electrical equipment skill
not needed by the target role install electric switches skill
not needed by the target role install electricity sockets skill
not needed by the target role maintain electrical engines skill
not needed by the target role maintain electrical equipment skill
not needed by the target role maintain electromechanical equipment skill
not needed by the target role make electrical calculations skill
not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
not needed by the target role operate soldering equipment skill
not needed by the target role order electrical supplies skill
not needed by the target role provide power connection from bus bars skill
not needed by the target role repair battery components skill
not needed by the target role repair wiring skill
not needed by the target role soldering techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role solve technical problems skill
not needed by the target role splice cable skill
not needed by the target role test electromechanical systems skill
not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
not needed by the target role use precision tools skill
not needed by the target role wear appropriate protective gear skill
not needed by the target role write inspection reports skill

6 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 types of alarm systems required
still to learn security panels required
optional, not held glass breakage sensors optional
optional, not held infrared sensors optional
optional, not held reed sensors optional
optional, not held smoke sensors optional

Index

Other moves recorded from electrical mechanic

Full index of moves from electrical mechanic

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an electrical mechanic become a security alarm technician?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An electrical mechanic already covers 41% of what a security alarm technician is expected to do: 13 skills carry over, 10 of which the security alarm technician role treats as required.

What skills does an electrical mechanic need to become a security alarm technician?

9 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is program home alarm systems.

How hard is the move from electrical mechanic to security alarm technician?

Its learning distance is 63 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.