Hydrogeologist to environmental geologist
A hydrogeologist already meets 24% of what the environmental geologist role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.
68.1/ 100
1 How much of what an environmental geologist is expected to do is already part of a hydrogeologist’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 environmental geologist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An environmental geologist role treats 2 of its required skills as things a hydrogeologist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- address problems critically
- study groundwater
What stands in the way is 10 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 6 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An environmental geologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a hydrogeologist background worth leading with.
- already held study groundwater information skills
- already held negotiate land access communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held hydrology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held geography natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held chemistry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held address problems critically communication, collaboration and creativity
All 6 carried skills, including the 2 the environmental geologist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 13 missing skills fall into 8 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 advise on mining environmental issues required
- still to learn communicate on the environmental impact of mining required
- optional, not held communicate on minerals issues optional
- still to learn conduct erosion control required
- still to learn manage environmental impact required
- still to learn examine geochemical samples required
- still to learn conduct environmental site assessments required
- still to learn conduct sediment control required
- still to learn develop site remediation strategies required
- still to learn environmental legislation required
- still to learn use technical drawing software required
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an environmental geologist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 advise on mining environmental issues practise this
- 02 communicate on the environmental impact of mining practise this
- 03 conduct erosion control 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 6 skills that carry over
- already held address problems critically skill
- already held study groundwater skill
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held geography knowledge
- already held hydrology knowledge
- already held negotiate land access skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held archaeology optional
- optional, not held biology optional
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held archaeology optional
- optional, not held communicate on minerals issues optional
- optional, not held biology optional
17 held skills the environmental geologist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assess groundwater environmental impact skill
- not needed by the target role assess impact of industrial activities skill
- not needed by the target role coastal management knowledge
- not needed by the target role create GIS reports skill
- not needed by the target role create thematic maps skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- not needed by the target role geographic information systems knowledge
- not needed by the target role geology knowledge
- not needed by the target role identify GIS issues skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with industrial professionals skill
- not needed by the target role manage land resources permits skill
- not needed by the target role model groundwater skill
- not needed by the target role perform water analysis skill
- not needed by the target role perform water testing procedures skill
- not needed by the target role prepare scientific reports skill
- not needed by the target role treat contaminated water skill
- not needed by the target role watershed development knowledge
3 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 environmental legislation required
- optional, not held archaeology optional
- optional, not held biology optional
Common questions about this move
Can a hydrogeologist become an environmental geologist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A hydrogeologist already covers 24% of what an environmental geologist is expected to do: 6 skills carry over, 2 of which the environmental geologist role treats as required.
What skills does a hydrogeologist need to become an environmental geologist?
10 required skills are missing, plus 3 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is advise on mining environmental issues.
How hard is the move from hydrogeologist to environmental geologist?
Its learning distance is 68.1 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.