Environmental expert to air pollution analyst
An environmental expert already meets 43% of what the air pollution analyst role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
55.8/ 100
1 How much of what an air pollution analyst is expected to do is already part of an environmental expert’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 air pollution analyst role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An air pollution analyst role treats 8 of its required skills as things an environmental expert already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply scientific methods
- liaise with local authorities
- measure pollution
- perform environmental investigations
- pollution legislation
- pollution prevention
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 · What you already bring
Of the 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An air pollution analyst role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an environmental expert background worth leading with.
- already held measure pollution information skills
- already held perform environmental investigations information skills
- already held advise on carbon emissions reduction communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held advise on chemical use reduction communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held report on environmental issues communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held work with chemicals handling and moving
All 11 carried skills, including the 8 the air pollution analyst role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 17 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 urban pollution implications required
- still to learn electronics required
- still to learn emission standards required
- optional, not held impact of meteorological phenomena on mining operations optional
- still to learn troubleshoot required
- still to learn write production reports required
- optional, not held conduct inter-shift communication optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- still to learn test samples for pollutants required
- still to learn manage air quality required
- optional, not held collect geological data optional
- still to learn chemistry required
- optional, not held mathematics optional
- still to learn collect samples required
- optional, not held address public health issues optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an air pollution analyst role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 collect samples practise this
- 02 test samples for pollutants practise this
- 03 urban pollution implications 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 11 skills that carry over
- already held apply scientific methods skill
- already held liaise with local authorities skill
- already held measure pollution skill
- already held perform environmental investigations skill
- already held pollution legislation knowledge
- already held pollution prevention knowledge
- already held report on environmental issues skill
- already held work with chemicals skill
- already held advise on carbon emissions reduction skill
- already held advise on chemical use reduction skill
- already held assess environmental impact skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held health and safety regulations optional
- optional, not held use technical drawing software optional
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held collect geological data optional
- optional, not held conduct inter-shift communication optional
- optional, not held impact of meteorological phenomena on mining operations optional
- optional, not held address public health issues optional
- optional, not held health and safety regulations optional
- optional, not held mathematics optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
- optional, not held use technical drawing software optional
38 held skills the air pollution analyst role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on environmental remediation skill
- not needed by the target role advise on pollution prevention skill
- not needed by the target role alternative energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role alternative fuels knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse environmental data skill
- not needed by the target role assess environmental plans against financial costs skill
- not needed by the target role carry out environmental audits skill
- not needed by the target role carry out training in environmental matters skill
- not needed by the target role coastal management knowledge
- not needed by the target role collect samples for analysis skill
- not needed by the target role conduct environmental surveys skill
- not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
- not needed by the target role develop environmental policy skill
- not needed by the target role develop environmental remediation strategies skill
- not needed by the target role ecosystem management knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental design knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental economics knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental management standards knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental policy knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental threats knowledge
- not needed by the target role green building standards knowledge
- not needed by the target role habitat restoration knowledge
- not needed by the target role inspect industrial equipment skill
- not needed by the target role investigate pollution skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with engineers skill
- not needed by the target role manage land resources permits skill
- not needed by the target role marine energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor manufacturing impact skill
- not needed by the target role perform scientific research skill
- not needed by the target role promote environmental awareness skill
- not needed by the target role provide training in sustainable tourism development and management skill
- not needed by the target role report pollution incidents skill
- not needed by the target role resource-efficient technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
- not needed by the target role watershed development knowledge
- not needed by the target role write scientific publications skill
7 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 urban pollution implications required
- still to learn chemistry required
- still to learn electronics required
- still to learn emission standards required
- optional, not held impact of meteorological phenomena on mining operations optional
- optional, not held health and safety regulations optional
- optional, not held mathematics optional
Common questions about this move
Can an environmental expert become an air pollution analyst?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An environmental expert already covers 43% of what an air pollution analyst is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 8 of which the air pollution analyst role treats as required.
What skills does an environmental expert need to become an air pollution analyst?
9 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is collect samples.
How hard is the move from environmental expert to air pollution analyst?
Its learning distance is 55.8 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.