Material testing technician to non-destructive testing specialist
A material testing technician already meets 52% of what the non-destructive testing specialist role asks for. The move turns on 4 required skills not yet in the profile.
44/ 100
1 How much of what a non-destructive testing specialist is expected to do is already part of a material testing technician’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 non-destructive testing specialist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A non-destructive testing specialist role treats 6 of its required skills as things a material testing technician already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- quality standards
- record test data
- report test findings
- use non-destructive testing equipment
- use testing equipment
- wear appropriate protective gear
What stands in the way is 4 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 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A non-destructive testing specialist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a material testing technician background worth leading with.
- already held develop material testing procedures information skills
- already held use non-destructive testing equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held assist scientific research communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held report test findings information skills
- already held maintain test equipment constructing
- already held analyse test data information skills
All 11 carried skills, including the 6 the non-destructive testing specialist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 13 missing skills fall into 5 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 examine civil structures required
- still to learn keep records of work progress required
- optional, not held lead inspections optional
- still to learn create solutions to problems required
- optional, not held train employees optional
- still to learn non-destructive testing required
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held make radiographic images optional
- optional, not held perform liquid penetrant tests optional
- optional, not held use ultrasonic equipment optional
- optional, not held calibrate electronic instruments optional
- optional, not held identify defects in concrete optional
- optional, not held mathematics optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a non-destructive testing specialist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 create solutions to problems practise this
- 02 examine civil structures practise this
- 03 keep records of work progress 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 11 skills that carry over
- already held quality standards knowledge
- already held record test data skill
- already held report test findings skill
- already held use non-destructive testing equipment skill
- already held use testing equipment skill
- already held wear appropriate protective gear skill
- already held analyse test data skill
- already held assist scientific research skill
- already held develop material testing procedures skill
- already held liaise with engineers skill
- already held maintain test equipment skill
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held make radiographic images optional
- optional, not held perform liquid penetrant tests optional
- optional, not held use ultrasonic equipment optional
- optional, not held calibrate electronic instruments optional
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held identify defects in concrete optional
- optional, not held lead inspections optional
- optional, not held mathematics optional
- optional, not held train employees optional
18 held skills the non-destructive testing specialist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advanced materials knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse stress resistance of materials skill
- not needed by the target role apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
- not needed by the target role biology knowledge
- not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
- not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
- not needed by the target role collect samples skill
- not needed by the target role collect samples for analysis skill
- not needed by the target role conduct field work skill
- not needed by the target role conduct soil sample tests skill
- not needed by the target role health, safety and hygiene legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role label samples skill
- not needed by the target role materials engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate scientific measuring equipment skill
- not needed by the target role perform laboratory tests skill
- not needed by the target role physics knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide technical expertise skill
- not needed by the target role rubber technology 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 non-destructive testing required
- optional, not held engineering principles optional
- optional, not held mathematics optional
Other moves recorded from material testing technician
Common questions about this move
Can a material testing technician become a non-destructive testing specialist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A material testing technician already covers 52% of what a non-destructive testing specialist is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 6 of which the non-destructive testing specialist role treats as required.
What skills does a material testing technician need to become a non-destructive testing specialist?
4 required skills are missing, plus 9 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is create solutions to problems.
How hard is the move from material testing technician to non-destructive testing specialist?
Its learning distance is 44 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.