RecordMove

Geothermal engineer to geological engineer

A geothermal engineer already meets 29% of what the geological engineer role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.

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

From geothermal engineer

Distant match

To geological engineer

9 You already bring

12 Still to learn

45 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance Substantial retraining

72.6/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what a geological engineer is expected to do is already part of a geothermal 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 geological engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A geological engineer role treats 8 of its required skills as things a geothermal engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

adjust engineering designs
advise on building matters
approve engineering design
assess environmental impact
environmental legislation
geographic information systems

What stands in the way is 12 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 9 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A geological engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a geothermal engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held advise on building matters communication, collaboration and creativity
already held oversee construction project management skills
already held assess environmental impact assisting and caring
already held geographic information systems natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held geology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held environmental legislation business, administration and law

All 9 carried skills, including the 8 the geological engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 36 missing skills fall into 7 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 5 required, 2 supplementary

still to learn engineering processes required
still to learn environmental design required
still to learn mining, construction and civil engineering machinery products required
still to learn civil engineering required
still to learn engineering principles required

optional, not held impact of geological factors on mining operations optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional

02 information skills 4 required, 7 supplementary

still to learn monitor geotechnical structures required
still to learn execute feasibility study required
still to learn perform sample testing required
still to learn perform scientific research required

optional, not held collect geological data optional
optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held examine geochemical samples optional
optional, not held interpret geophysical data optional
optional, not held assess financial viability optional
optional, not held conduct field work optional
optional, not held study aerial photos optional

03 working with computers 1 required, 5 supplementary

still to learn use technical drawing software required

optional, not held develop geological databases optional
optional, not held perform computer analyses of geotechnical structures optional
optional, not held use geographic information systems optional
optional, not held apply digital mapping optional
optional, not held use CAD software optional

04 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn geological time scale required

optional, not held geochemistry optional
optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held geophysics optional
optional, not held soil science optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required

still to learn ensure compliance with safety legislation required

06 communication, collaboration and creativity 5 supplementary

optional, not held advise on geology for mineral extraction optional
optional, not held prepare geological map sections optional
optional, not held provide information on geological characteristics optional
optional, not held advise on construction materials optional
optional, not held advise on waste management procedures optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a geological 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 9 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held advise on building matters skill
already held approve engineering design skill
already held assess environmental impact skill
already held environmental legislation knowledge
already held geographic information systems knowledge
already held geology knowledge
already held technical drawings knowledge
already held oversee construction project skill

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 handling and moving 1 supplementary

optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional

24 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held advise on geology for mineral extraction optional
optional, not held collect geological data optional
optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held develop geological databases optional
optional, not held examine geochemical samples optional
optional, not held impact of geological factors on mining operations optional
optional, not held interpret geophysical data optional
optional, not held perform computer analyses of geotechnical structures optional
optional, not held prepare geological map sections optional
optional, not held provide information on geological characteristics optional
optional, not held use geographic information systems optional
optional, not held advise on construction materials optional
optional, not held advise on waste management procedures optional
optional, not held apply digital mapping optional
optional, not held assess financial viability optional
optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
optional, not held conduct field work optional
optional, not held geochemistry optional
optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held geophysics optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional
optional, not held soil science optional
optional, not held study aerial photos optional
optional, not held use CAD software optional

40 held skills the geological engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role CAD software knowledge
not needed by the target role CAM software knowledge
not needed by the target role apply health and safety standards skill
not needed by the target role apply statistical analysis techniques skill
not needed by the target role assess heating and cooling systems skill
not needed by the target role coordinate electricity generation skill
not needed by the target role define energy profiles skill
not needed by the target role design a combined heat and power system skill
not needed by the target role design an electric heating system skill
not needed by the target role design district heating and cooling energy systems skill
not needed by the target role design geothermal energy systems skill
not needed by the target role design heat pump installations skill
not needed by the target role design heating and cooling emission systems skill
not needed by the target role design thermal equipment skill
not needed by the target role design thermal requirements skill
not needed by the target role develop strategies for electricity contingencies skill
not needed by the target role electric current knowledge
not needed by the target role electric generators knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical power safety regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role electricity knowledge
not needed by the target role energy efficiency knowledge
not needed by the target role energy transformation knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
not needed by the target role geothermal energy knowledge
not needed by the target role geothermal energy systems knowledge
not needed by the target role geothermal power generation methods knowledge
not needed by the target role geothermal power plant operations knowledge
not needed by the target role inspect facility sites skill
not needed by the target role operate scientific measuring equipment skill
not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on combined heat and power skill
not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on electric heating skill
not needed by the target role perform a feasibility study on heat pumps skill
not needed by the target role perform energy simulations skill
not needed by the target role perform feasibility study on geothermal energy skill
not needed by the target role perform laboratory tests skill
not needed by the target role perform smart grid feasibility study skill
not needed by the target role renewable energy knowledge
not needed by the target role thermodynamics knowledge
not needed by the target role types of heat pumps knowledge
not needed by the target role use testing equipment skill

12 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 engineering processes required
still to learn environmental design required
still to learn mining, construction and civil engineering machinery products required
still to learn civil engineering required
still to learn engineering principles required
still to learn geological time scale required
optional, not held impact of geological factors on mining operations optional
optional, not held geochemistry optional
optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held geophysics optional
optional, not held nuclear energy optional
optional, not held soil science optional

Index

Other moves recorded from geothermal engineer

Full index of moves from geothermal engineer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a geothermal engineer become a geological engineer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A geothermal engineer already covers 29% of what a geological engineer is expected to do: 9 skills carry over, 8 of which the geological engineer role treats as required.

What skills does a geothermal engineer need to become a geological engineer?

12 required skills are missing, plus 24 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is engineering processes.

How hard is the move from geothermal engineer to geological engineer?

Its learning distance is 72.6 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.