Environmental expert to natural resources consultant
An environmental expert already meets 39% of what the natural resources consultant role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
62.2/ 100
1 How much of what a natural resources consultant 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 natural resources consultant role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A natural resources consultant role treats 8 of its required skills as things an environmental expert already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise on environmental remediation
- assess environmental impact
- coastal management
- develop environmental policy
- ecosystem management
- environmental policy
What stands in the way is 8 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 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A natural resources consultant 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 coastal management natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held manage land resources permits information skills
- already held ecosystem management business, administration and law
- already held advise on environmental remediation communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held carry out environmental audits assisting and caring
- already held develop environmental policy management skills
All 12 carried skills, including the 8 the natural resources consultant role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 27 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 monitor nature conservation required
- still to learn analyse ecological data required
- still to learn conduct ecological research required
- still to learn conduct environmental site assessments required
- optional, not held analyse fish samples for diagnosis optional
- still to learn conserve natural resources required
- still to learn ensure compliance with environmental legislation required
- optional, not held manage environmental impact optional
- optional, not held manage habitats optional
- still to learn natural areas maintenance required
- optional, not held botany optional
- optional, not held hydrology optional
- optional, not held wildlife optional
- optional, not held animal species optional
- optional, not held biology optional
- optional, not held ecology optional
- still to learn advise on nature conservation required
- optional, not held educate people about nature optional
- optional, not held liaise with managers optional
- optional, not held promote sustainability optional
- optional, not held use consulting techniques optional
- optional, not held reforestation optional
- optional, not held fisheries management optional
- optional, not held manage forests optional
- optional, not held perform project management optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a natural resources consultant role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 advise on nature conservation practise this
- 02 conserve natural resources practise this
- 03 monitor nature conservation practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 12 skills that carry over
- already held advise on environmental remediation skill
- already held assess environmental impact skill
- already held coastal management knowledge
- already held develop environmental policy skill
- already held ecosystem management knowledge
- already held environmental policy knowledge
- already held habitat restoration knowledge
- already held manage land resources permits skill
- already held carry out environmental audits skill
- already held environmental engineering knowledge
- already held environmental legislation knowledge
- already held monitor manufacturing impact skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held corporate social responsibility optional
- optional, not held administer treatments to fish optional
19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held analyse fish samples for diagnosis optional
- optional, not held botany optional
- optional, not held corporate social responsibility optional
- optional, not held educate people about nature optional
- optional, not held hydrology optional
- optional, not held manage forests optional
- optional, not held reforestation optional
- optional, not held wildlife optional
- optional, not held administer treatments to fish optional
- optional, not held animal species optional
- optional, not held biology optional
- optional, not held ecology optional
- optional, not held fisheries management optional
- optional, not held liaise with managers optional
- optional, not held manage environmental impact optional
- optional, not held manage habitats optional
- optional, not held perform project management optional
- optional, not held promote sustainability optional
- optional, not held use consulting techniques optional
37 held skills the natural resources consultant role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on carbon emissions reduction skill
- not needed by the target role advise on chemical use reduction 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 apply scientific methods skill
- not needed by the target role assess environmental plans against financial costs skill
- not needed by the target role carry out training in environmental matters skill
- 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 remediation strategies skill
- 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 management standards 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 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 liaise with local authorities skill
- not needed by the target role marine energy knowledge
- not needed by the target role measure pollution skill
- not needed by the target role perform environmental investigations skill
- not needed by the target role perform scientific research skill
- not needed by the target role pollution legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role pollution prevention knowledge
- 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 on environmental issues 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 work with chemicals skill
- not needed by the target role write scientific publications skill
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 natural areas maintenance required
- optional, not held botany optional
- optional, not held corporate social responsibility optional
- optional, not held hydrology optional
- optional, not held reforestation optional
- optional, not held wildlife optional
- optional, not held animal species optional
- optional, not held biology optional
- optional, not held ecology optional
- optional, not held fisheries management optional
Common questions about this move
Can an environmental expert become a natural resources consultant?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An environmental expert already covers 39% of what a natural resources consultant is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 8 of which the natural resources consultant role treats as required.
What skills does an environmental expert need to become a natural resources consultant?
8 required skills are missing, plus 19 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is advise on nature conservation.
How hard is the move from environmental expert to natural resources consultant?
Its learning distance is 62.2 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.