Handyperson to chimney sweep
A handyperson already meets 28% of what the chimney sweep role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.
73.3/ 100
1 How much of what a chimney sweep is expected to do is already part of a handyperson’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 chimney sweep role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A chimney sweep role treats 5 of its required skills as things a handyperson already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- domestic heating systems
- fire safety regulations
- maintain customer service
- use personal protection equipment
- ventilation systems
What stands in the way is 13 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 9 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A chimney sweep role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a handyperson background worth leading with.
- already held ventilation systems engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held domestic heating systems engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held energy engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held work in outdoor conditions assisting and caring
- already held fire safety regulations services
- already held follow safety procedures when working at heights assisting and caring
All 9 carried skills, including the 5 the chimney sweep role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 23 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.
- still to learn dispose soot from the sweeping process required
- still to learn use chimney sweeping equipment required
- still to learn clean chimney required
- still to learn clean ventilation system required
- still to learn protect surrounding area during chimney sweeping process required
- still to learn enforce safety procedures when working at heights required
- still to learn work in inclement conditions required
- optional, not held provide customer follow-up services optional
- still to learn examine ventilation system required
- still to learn report chimney defects required
- optional, not held create chimney inspection reports optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
- still to learn carry out chimney pressure testing required
- still to learn check chimney's conditions required
- still to learn advise on hazards of heating systems required
- optional, not held maintain relationship with customers optional
- optional, not held advise on heating systems energy efficiency optional
- still to learn personal protective equipment required
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a chimney sweep role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 carry out chimney pressure testing practise this
- 02 check chimney's conditions practise this
- 03 dispose soot from the sweeping process 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 9 skills that carry over
- already held domestic heating systems knowledge
- already held fire safety regulations knowledge
- already held maintain customer service skill
- already held use personal protection equipment skill
- already held ventilation systems knowledge
- already held energy knowledge
- already held follow safety procedures when working at heights skill
- already held work ergonomically skill
- already held work in outdoor conditions skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held manage a small-to-medium business optional
- optional, not held comply with schedule optional
- optional, not held tend asbestos blower optional
- optional, not held drive vehicles optional
- optional, not held roofing techniques optional
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held create chimney inspection reports optional
- optional, not held maintain relationship with customers optional
- optional, not held manage a small-to-medium business optional
- optional, not held roofing techniques optional
- optional, not held tend asbestos blower optional
- optional, not held advise on heating systems energy efficiency optional
- optional, not held comply with schedule optional
- optional, not held drive vehicles optional
- optional, not held keep personal administration optional
- optional, not held provide customer follow-up services optional
40 held skills the chimney sweep role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assemble prefabricated furniture skill
- not needed by the target role building construction principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role calculate costs of repair operations skill
- not needed by the target role carpentry knowledge
- not needed by the target role clean building floors skill
- not needed by the target role clean confined spaces skill
- not needed by the target role construction product regulation knowledge
- not needed by the target role electrical wiring plans knowledge
- not needed by the target role electricity knowledge
- not needed by the target role energy conservation knowledge
- not needed by the target role explain features of electrical household appliances skill
- not needed by the target role identify condensation problems skill
- not needed by the target role install floor coverings skill
- not needed by the target role install insulation material skill
- not needed by the target role install ventilation equipment skill
- not needed by the target role install wall coverings skill
- not needed by the target role maintain lighting equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain records of maintenance interventions skill
- not needed by the target role maintain work area cleanliness skill
- not needed by the target role manage buildings' damp problems skill
- not needed by the target role manage fuelling system skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform ground maintenance activities skill
- not needed by the target role perform maintenance on fire alarm systems skill
- not needed by the target role perform pest control skill
- not needed by the target role perform weed control operations skill
- not needed by the target role place sanitary equipment skill
- not needed by the target role read technical datasheet skill
- not needed by the target role remove snow skill
- not needed by the target role repair electronic components skill
- not needed by the target role repair furniture parts skill
- not needed by the target role repair household appliances skill
- not needed by the target role repair plumbing systems skill
- not needed by the target role repair ventilation equipment skill
- not needed by the target role select hazard control skill
- not needed by the target role use measurement instruments skill
- not needed by the target role use power tools skill
- not needed by the target role use snow-removal equipment skill
- not needed by the target role use specialised tools in electric repairs skill
- not needed by the target role use traditional toolbox tools skill
2 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 personal protective equipment required
- optional, not held roofing techniques optional
Common questions about this move
Can a handyperson become a chimney sweep?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A handyperson already covers 28% of what a chimney sweep is expected to do: 9 skills carry over, 5 of which the chimney sweep role treats as required.
What skills does a handyperson need to become a chimney sweep?
13 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by handling and moving. The single most important is carry out chimney pressure testing.
How hard is the move from handyperson to chimney sweep?
Its learning distance is 73.3 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.