RecordMove

Geothermal engineer to geothermal technician

A geothermal engineer already meets 40% of what the geothermal technician role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

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

From geothermal engineer

Distant match

To geothermal technician

16 You already bring

14 Still to learn

45 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance Substantial retraining

65.2/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what a geothermal technician 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 geothermal technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A geothermal technician role treats 11 of its required skills as things a geothermal engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

apply health and safety standards
electric current
electric generators
electrical power safety regulations
electricity
geothermal energy

What stands in the way is 14 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 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A geothermal technician 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 geothermal power generation methods engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held geothermal power plant operations engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held geothermal energy engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held assess heating and cooling systems information skills
already held perform energy simulations information skills
already held define energy profiles information skills

All 16 carried skills, including the 11 the geothermal technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 29 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.

Skill to pick up Tier

01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 3 required, 8 supplementary

still to learn switching devices required
still to learn alternative energy required
still to learn electrical equipment regulations required

optional, not held combined heat and power generation optional
optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
optional, not held domestic cooling systems optional
optional, not held electric heating systems optional
optional, not held smart grids systems optional
optional, not held zero-energy building design optional
optional, not held electricity consumption optional
optional, not held energy conservation optional

02 constructing 3 required

still to learn prevent pipeline deterioration required
still to learn test electrical equipment required
still to learn test procedures in electricity transmission required

03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn respond to emergency calls for repairs required
still to learn troubleshoot required

optional, not held promote sustainable energy optional
optional, not held provide information on geothermal heat pumps optional
optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional
optional, not held promote sustainability optional

04 information skills 2 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn check compatibility of materials required
still to learn test pipeline infrastructure operations required

optional, not held maintain records of maintenance interventions optional

05 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required

still to learn conduct routine machinery checks required
still to learn maintain electrical equipment required

06 handling and moving 1 required

still to learn operate drilling equipment required

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a geothermal technician 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 16 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply health and safety standards skill
already held electric current knowledge
already held electric generators knowledge
already held electrical power safety regulations knowledge
already held electricity knowledge
already held geothermal energy knowledge
already held geothermal energy systems knowledge
already held geothermal power generation methods knowledge
already held geothermal power plant operations knowledge
already held thermodynamics knowledge
already held types of heat pumps knowledge
already held assess heating and cooling systems skill
already held coordinate electricity generation skill
already held define energy profiles skill
already held perform energy simulations skill
already held renewable energy knowledge

The 3 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 services 1 required

still to learn health and safety in the workplace required

08 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held ensure safety in electrical power operations optional

09 working with computers 1 supplementary

optional, not held operate climate control optional

15 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held combined heat and power generation optional
optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
optional, not held domestic cooling systems optional
optional, not held electric heating systems optional
optional, not held operate climate control optional
optional, not held promote sustainable energy optional
optional, not held provide information on geothermal heat pumps optional
optional, not held smart grids systems optional
optional, not held zero-energy building design optional
optional, not held electricity consumption optional
optional, not held energy conservation optional
optional, not held ensure safety in electrical power operations optional
optional, not held maintain records of maintenance interventions optional
optional, not held promote environmental awareness optional
optional, not held promote sustainability optional

33 held skills the geothermal technician 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 adjust engineering designs skill
not needed by the target role advise on building matters skill
not needed by the target role apply statistical analysis techniques skill
not needed by the target role approve engineering design skill
not needed by the target role assess environmental impact 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 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 environmental legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role geographic information systems knowledge
not needed by the target role geology 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 oversee construction project 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 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 technical drawings 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 switching devices required
still to learn alternative energy required
still to learn electrical equipment regulations required
still to learn health and safety in the workplace required
optional, not held combined heat and power generation optional
optional, not held district heating and cooling optional
optional, not held domestic cooling systems optional
optional, not held electric heating systems optional
optional, not held smart grids systems optional
optional, not held zero-energy building design optional
optional, not held electricity consumption optional
optional, not held energy conservation 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 geothermal technician?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A geothermal engineer already covers 40% of what a geothermal technician is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 11 of which the geothermal technician role treats as required.

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

14 required skills are missing, plus 15 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is check compatibility of materials.

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

Its learning distance is 65.2 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.