RecordMove

Electronics engineer to instrumentation engineer

An electronics engineer already meets 48% of what the instrumentation engineer role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.

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

From electronics engineer

Partial match

To instrumentation engineer

28 You already bring

11 Still to learn

67 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance Substantial retraining

61.2/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what an instrumentation engineer is expected to do is already part of an electronics 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 14 of its required skills as things an electronics engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

abide by regulations on banned materials
adjust engineering designs
approve engineering design
design drawings
electricity
electricity principles

What stands in the way is 11 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 28 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 electronics engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held design microelectromechanical systems communication, collaboration and creativity
already held create software design communication, collaboration and creativity
already held abide by regulations on banned materials assisting and caring
already held environmental threats natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held electricity principles engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held product data management business, administration and law

All 28 carried skills, including the 14 the instrumentation engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 39 missing skills fall into 10 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 4 required, 7 supplementary

still to learn automation technology required
still to learn control systems required
still to learn instrumentation engineering required
still to learn instrumentation equipment required

optional, not held engineering control theory 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 marine engineering optional
optional, not held marine technology optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional

02 working with computers 3 required, 2 supplementary

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

optional, not held utilise decision support system optional
optional, not held utilise machine learning optional

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 2 supplementary

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

optional, not held inspect offshore constructions optional
optional, not held write work-related reports optional

04 information skills 1 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn analyse big data required

optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement optional
optional, not held carry out work-related measurements optional
optional, not held conduct quality control analysis optional
optional, not held record test data optional

05 constructing 1 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn test sensors required

optional, not held manage system testing optional

06 management skills 5 supplementary

optional, not held define quality standards optional
optional, not held develop test procedures optional
optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
optional, not held oversee pre-assembly operations optional
optional, not held supervise staff optional

4 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 28 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 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 environmental threats knowledge
already held execute feasibility study skill
already held mathematics knowledge
already held perform scientific research skill
already held physics knowledge
already held CAD software knowledge
already held assess financial viability skill
already held create software design skill
already held design microelectromechanical systems skill
already held design principles knowledge
already held design prototypes skill
already held manufacturing processes knowledge
already held mechanics knowledge
already held perform project management skill
already held perform test run skill
already held product data management knowledge
already held project management knowledge
already held use CAD software skill
already held use technical drawing software skill

The 4 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 information and communication technologies (icts) 3 supplementary

optional, not held cloud technologies optional
optional, not held data mining optional
optional, not held data storage 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 handling and moving 1 supplementary

optional, not held assemble instrumentation equipment optional

10 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary

optional, not held manage instrumentation systems optional

28 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held cloud technologies optional
optional, not held data mining optional
optional, not held data storage optional
optional, not held engineering control theory optional
optional, not held manage system testing 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 utilise decision support system optional
optional, not held utilise machine learning optional
optional, not held analyse production processes for improvement 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 develop test procedures optional
optional, not held ensure compliance with safety legislation optional
optional, not held ensure equipment availability optional
optional, not held inspect offshore constructions optional
optional, not held manage instrumentation systems 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 record test data optional
optional, not held supervise staff optional
optional, not held write work-related reports optional

30 held skills the instrumentation engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role assess supplier risks 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 consumer electronics knowledge
not needed by the target role create technical plans skill
not needed by the target role design circuit boards skill
not needed by the target role design electrical systems skill
not needed by the target role design electronic systems skill
not needed by the target role design integrated circuits skill
not needed by the target role design microelectronics skill
not needed by the target role design user interface skill
not needed by the target role develop electronic test procedures skill
not needed by the target role electrical testing methods knowledge
not needed by the target role electromagnetism knowledge
not needed by the target role electromagnets knowledge
not needed by the target role electronic test procedures knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure material compliance skill
not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
not needed by the target role industrial research and development knowledge
not needed by the target role manage budgets skill
not needed by the target role model based system engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role process customer requests based on the REACh Regulation 1907 2006 skill
not needed by the target role programmable logic controller knowledge
not needed by the target role regulations on substances knowledge
not needed by the target role risk management knowledge
not needed by the target role robotic components knowledge
not needed by the target role robotics knowledge
not needed by the target role safety engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role types of electronics knowledge
not needed by the target role write technical reports skill

14 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 automation technology required
still to learn control systems required
still to learn instrumentation engineering required
still to learn instrumentation equipment required
optional, not held cloud technologies optional
optional, not held data mining optional
optional, not held data storage optional
optional, not held engineering control theory 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 marine engineering optional
optional, not held marine technology optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional

Index

Other moves recorded from electronics engineer

Full index of moves from electronics engineer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an electronics engineer become an instrumentation engineer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An electronics engineer already covers 48% of what an instrumentation engineer is expected to do: 28 skills carry over, 14 of which the instrumentation engineer role treats as required.

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

11 required skills are missing, plus 28 optional ones. They fall into 10 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 electronics engineer to instrumentation engineer?

Its learning distance is 61.2 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.