RecordMove

Homologation engineer to automotive test driver

A homologation engineer already meets 28% of what the automotive test driver role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

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

From homologation engineer

Distant match

To automotive test driver

6 You already bring

8 Still to learn

25 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance Substantial retraining

64.1/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 How much of what an automotive test driver is expected to do is already part of a homologation 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 automotive test driver role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

An automotive test driver role treats 4 of its required skills as things a homologation engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

car controls
liaise with engineers
mechanics of motor vehicles
record test data

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

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An automotive test driver role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a homologation engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held vehicle type-approval services
already held car controls services
already held mechanics of motor vehicles engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held conduct performance tests constructing
already held liaise with engineers communication, collaboration and creativity
already held record test data information skills

All 6 carried skills, including the 4 the automotive test driver role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 19 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 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required, 3 supplementary

still to learn control the performance of the vehicle required
still to learn drive vehicles required

optional, not held drive motor vehicle prototypes optional
optional, not held drive at high speeds optional
optional, not held use testing equipment optional

02 engineering, manufacturing and construction 2 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn mechanics required
still to learn types of vehicles required

optional, not held aerodynamics optional

03 assisting and caring 2 required

still to learn wear appropriate protective gear required
still to learn work ergonomically required

04 services 1 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn health and safety measures in transportation required

optional, not held ergonomics optional

05 constructing 1 required

still to learn perform test run required

06 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary

optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
optional, not held present reports optional

3 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries an automotive test driver 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 6 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held car controls knowledge
already held liaise with engineers skill
already held mechanics of motor vehicles knowledge
already held record test data skill
already held conduct performance tests skill
already held vehicle type-approval knowledge

The 3 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 information skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held maintain records related to vehicle operation optional
optional, not held test motor vehicles under demanding conditions optional

08 handling and moving 1 supplementary

optional, not held execute vehicle maintenance optional

09 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held conduct performance measurement optional

11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held maintain records related to vehicle operation optional
optional, not held drive motor vehicle prototypes optional
optional, not held test motor vehicles under demanding conditions optional
optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
optional, not held aerodynamics optional
optional, not held conduct performance measurement optional
optional, not held drive at high speeds optional
optional, not held ergonomics optional
optional, not held execute vehicle maintenance optional
optional, not held present reports optional
optional, not held use testing equipment optional

37 held skills the automotive test driver role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role European vehicle type-approval legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role advise on homologation procedure skill
not needed by the target role attend to detail in preparation for audits skill
not needed by the target role automotive diagnostic equipment knowledge
not needed by the target role automotive engineering skill
not needed by the target role communicate regulations skill
not needed by the target role consumer protection knowledge
not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
not needed by the target role emission standards knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation in food production skill
not needed by the target role ensure compliance with maintenance legislation skill
not needed by the target role ensure conformity to specifications skill
not needed by the target role ensure products meet regulatory requirements skill
not needed by the target role green automotive technologies knowledge
not needed by the target role identify legal requirements skill
not needed by the target role interpret technical requirements skill
not needed by the target role keep up-to-date with regulations skill
not needed by the target role legal research knowledge
not needed by the target role manage health and safety standards skill
not needed by the target role manage maintenance operations skill
not needed by the target role manage product testing skill
not needed by the target role mechanical requirements for vehicles in urban areas knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor manufacturing quality standards skill
not needed by the target role new vehicles on the market knowledge
not needed by the target role pollution legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role prepare compliance documents skill
not needed by the target role project management knowledge
not needed by the target role provide homologation management services skill
not needed by the target role quality assurance procedures knowledge
not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
not needed by the target role recommend product improvements skill
not needed by the target role report test findings skill
not needed by the target role supervise motor vehicles manufacture skill
not needed by the target role types of vehicle engines knowledge
not needed by the target role vehicle electrical systems knowledge
not needed by the target role vehicle manufacturing process knowledge
not needed by the target role write technical reports skill

5 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 health and safety measures in transportation required
still to learn mechanics required
still to learn types of vehicles required
optional, not held aerodynamics optional
optional, not held ergonomics optional

Index

Other moves recorded from homologation engineer

Full index of moves from homologation engineer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a homologation engineer become an automotive test driver?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A homologation engineer already covers 28% of what an automotive test driver is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 4 of which the automotive test driver role treats as required.

What skills does a homologation engineer need to become an automotive test driver?

8 required skills are missing, plus 11 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by working with machinery and specialised equipment. The single most important is control the performance of the vehicle.

How hard is the move from homologation engineer to automotive test driver?

Its learning distance is 64.1 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.