Environmental engineer to environmental expert
An environmental engineer already meets 39% of what the environmental expert role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.
67.7/ 100
1 How much of what an environmental expert is expected to do is already part of an environmental 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 environmental expert role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An environmental expert role treats 12 of its required skills as things an environmental engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise on environmental remediation
- advise on pollution prevention
- analyse environmental data
- carry out environmental audits
- collect samples for analysis
- conduct environmental surveys
What stands in the way is 18 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 19 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An environmental expert role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an environmental engineer background worth leading with.
- already held coastal management natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held watershed development engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held conduct environmental surveys information skills
- already held develop environmental remediation strategies management skills
- already held ecosystem management business, administration and law
- already held environmental design engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 19 carried skills, including the 12 the environmental expert role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 30 missing skills fall into 9 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 provide training in sustainable tourism development and management required
- still to learn advise on carbon emissions reduction required
- still to learn advise on chemical use reduction required
- still to learn create solutions to problems required
- still to learn report on environmental issues required
- optional, not held carry out training in environmental matters optional
- optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
- optional, not held liaise with local authorities optional
- optional, not held write scientific publications optional
- still to learn investigate pollution required
- still to learn measure pollution required
- still to learn perform environmental investigations required
- still to learn report pollution incidents required
- optional, not held manage land resources permits optional
- optional, not held apply scientific methods optional
- optional, not held monitor manufacturing impact optional
- still to learn green building standards required
- still to learn alternative energy required
- still to learn environmental management standards required
- still to learn resource-efficient technologies required
- optional, not held marine energy optional
- still to learn alternative fuels required
- still to learn environmental threats required
- optional, not held habitat restoration optional
- still to learn develop environmental policy required
- optional, not held assess environmental plans against financial costs optional
- still to learn assess environmental impact required
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an environmental expert role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 alternative fuels study this
- 02 environmental threats study this
- 03 green building standards study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 19 skills that carry over
- already held advise on environmental remediation skill
- already held advise on pollution prevention skill
- already held analyse environmental data skill
- already held carry out environmental audits skill
- already held collect samples for analysis skill
- already held conduct environmental surveys skill
- already held develop environmental remediation strategies skill
- already held ecosystem management knowledge
- already held environmental legislation knowledge
- already held environmental policy knowledge
- already held pollution legislation knowledge
- already held pollution prevention knowledge
- already held coastal management knowledge
- already held environmental design knowledge
- already held environmental engineering knowledge
- already held inspect industrial equipment skill
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held promote environmental awareness skill
- already held watershed development knowledge
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn scientific research methodology required
- optional, not held work with chemicals optional
- optional, not held environmental economics optional
12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held environmental economics optional
- optional, not held habitat restoration optional
- optional, not held manage land resources permits optional
- optional, not held marine energy optional
- optional, not held apply scientific methods optional
- optional, not held assess environmental plans against financial costs optional
- optional, not held carry out training in environmental matters optional
- optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
- optional, not held liaise with local authorities optional
- optional, not held monitor manufacturing impact optional
- optional, not held work with chemicals optional
- optional, not held write scientific publications optional
64 held skills the environmental expert role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role Internet of Things knowledge
- not needed by the target role abide by regulations on banned materials skill
- not needed by the target role address public health issues skill
- not needed by the target role adjust engineering designs skill
- not needed by the target role advise on mining environmental issues skill
- not needed by the target role advise on waste management procedures skill
- not needed by the target role analyse big data skill
- not needed by the target role analyse energy consumption skill
- not needed by the target role analyse information processes skill
- not needed by the target role approve engineering design skill
- not needed by the target role assess the life cycle of resources skill
- not needed by the target role augmented reality knowledge
- not needed by the target role biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role business intelligence knowledge
- not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role circular economy knowledge
- not needed by the target role civil engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role cloud technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct field work skill
- not needed by the target role conduct quality control analysis skill
- not needed by the target role conduct quantitative research skill
- not needed by the target role consumer protection knowledge
- not needed by the target role cyber security knowledge
- not needed by the target role data storage knowledge
- not needed by the target role design strategies for nuclear emergencies skill
- not needed by the target role develop hazardous waste management strategies skill
- not needed by the target role develop non-hazardous waste management strategies skill
- not needed by the target role energy efficiency knowledge
- not needed by the target role engineering principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role engineering processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
- not needed by the target role ensure material compliance skill
- not needed by the target role ethics knowledge
- not needed by the target role hazardous waste storage knowledge
- not needed by the target role hazardous waste treatment knowledge
- not needed by the target role hazardous waste types knowledge
- not needed by the target role hydrology knowledge
- not needed by the target role implement traceability systems skill
- not needed by the target role inspect compliance with hazardous waste regulations skill
- not needed by the target role investigate contamination skill
24 further entries not listed here
10 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 alternative fuels required
- still to learn environmental threats required
- still to learn green building standards required
- still to learn alternative energy required
- still to learn environmental management standards required
- still to learn resource-efficient technologies required
- still to learn scientific research methodology required
- optional, not held environmental economics optional
- optional, not held habitat restoration optional
- optional, not held marine energy optional
Other moves recorded from environmental engineer
- waste treatment engineer 50% covered · substantial
- environmental mining engineer 48% covered · moderate
- geological engineer 47% covered · substantial
- hazardous waste inspector 46% covered · moderate
- wastewater engineer 42% covered · substantial
- environmental programme coordinator 41% covered · substantial
- manufacturing engineer 39% covered · substantial
- industrial waste inspector 39% covered · substantial
Common questions about this move
Can an environmental engineer become an environmental expert?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An environmental engineer already covers 39% of what an environmental expert is expected to do: 19 skills carry over, 12 of which the environmental expert role treats as required.
What skills does an environmental engineer need to become an environmental expert?
18 required skills are missing, plus 12 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is alternative fuels.
How hard is the move from environmental engineer to environmental expert?
Its learning distance is 67.7 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.