Ground rigger to instrument technician
A ground rigger already meets 34% of what the instrument technician role asks for. The move turns on 17 required skills not yet in the profile.
71.1/ 100
1 How much of what an instrument technician is expected to do is already part of a ground rigger’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 instrument technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An instrument technician role treats 9 of its required skills as things a ground rigger already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- assemble performance equipment
- store performance equipment
- use communication equipment
- use personal protection equipment
- use technical documentation
- work ergonomically
What stands in the way is 17 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 13 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An instrument technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a ground rigger background worth leading with.
- already held assemble performance equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held store performance equipment handling and moving
- already held organise resources for artistic production management skills
- already held use communication equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held work safely with mobile electrical systems under supervision working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held work with respect for own safety assisting and caring
All 13 carried skills, including the 9 the instrument technician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 25 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.
- still to learn adapt to artists' creative demands required
- still to learn draw up instrument setup required
- still to learn safeguard artistic quality of performance required
- still to learn understand artistic concepts required
- still to learn translate artistic concepts to technical designs required
- optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
- optional, not held tune keyboard music instruments optional
- optional, not held tune stringed musical instruments optional
- still to learn tune instruments on stage required
- still to learn maintain sound equipment required
- still to learn perform soundchecks required
- still to learn prevent undesired changes to sound design required
- optional, not held tune up wireless audio systems optional
- optional, not held rewire electronic musical instruments optional
- still to learn maintain musical instruments required
- still to learn set up equipment in a timely manner required
- still to learn repair musical instruments required
- still to learn prepare instruments for performance required
- still to learn manage consumables stock required
- still to learn prepare personal work environment required
- still to learn work safely with chemicals required
- optional, not held prevent fire in a performance environment optional
- still to learn prevent technical problems of musical instruments required
- optional, not held prepare sound equipment on stage optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an instrument technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 prepare instruments for performance practise this
- 02 tune instruments on stage practise this
- 03 adapt to artists' creative demands 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 13 skills that carry over
- already held assemble performance equipment skill
- already held store performance equipment skill
- already held use communication equipment skill
- already held use personal protection equipment skill
- already held use technical documentation skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
- already held work safely with machines skill
- already held work safely with mobile electrical systems under supervision skill
- already held work with respect for own safety skill
- already held develop professional network skill
- already held keep personal administration skill
- already held manage personal professional development skill
- already held organise resources for artistic production skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held document your own practice optional
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held document your own practice optional
- optional, not held prepare sound equipment on stage optional
- optional, not held prevent fire in a performance environment optional
- optional, not held tune up wireless audio systems optional
- optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
- optional, not held rewire electronic musical instruments optional
- optional, not held tune keyboard music instruments optional
- optional, not held tune stringed musical instruments optional
17 held skills the instrument technician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assemble truss constructions skill
- not needed by the target role calculate rigging plots skill
- not needed by the target role design rigging plots skill
- not needed by the target role ensure safety of mobile electrical systems skill
- not needed by the target role evacuate people from heights skill
- not needed by the target role follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
- not needed by the target role hang chain hoists skill
- not needed by the target role maintain chain hoists skill
- not needed by the target role maintain rigging equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage technical resources stock skill
- not needed by the target role operate forklift skill
- not needed by the target role operate telehandler skill
- not needed by the target role perform first fire intervention skill
- not needed by the target role perform regular checks on rigging equipment skill
- not needed by the target role plot rigging movements skill
- not needed by the target role provide power distribution skill
- not needed by the target role use rope access techniques skill
Common questions about this move
Can a ground rigger become an instrument technician?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A ground rigger already covers 34% of what an instrument technician is expected to do: 13 skills carry over, 9 of which the instrument technician role treats as required.
What skills does a ground rigger need to become an instrument technician?
17 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is prepare instruments for performance.
How hard is the move from ground rigger to instrument technician?
Its learning distance is 71.1 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.