Table 1Transition record

material testing techniciantosoil surveying technician

A material testing technician already meets 25% of what the soil surveying technician role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

From material testing technician

25%

Overlap1

To soil surveying technician

7 Skills carried over

13 Required, not held

73.6 Difficulty2

Career overlap Distant match

25%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

73.6/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the soil surveying technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the material testing technician profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A soil surveying technician role treats 6 of its required skills as things a material testing technician already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

apply safety procedures in laboratory
collect samples
collect samples for analysis
conduct field work
conduct soil sample tests
perform laboratory tests

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

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A soil surveying technician 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.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held conduct soil sample tests information skills
already held collect samples handling and moving
already held conduct field work information skills
already held apply safety procedures in laboratory assisting and caring
already held biology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held perform laboratory tests working with machinery and specialised equipment

All 7 carried skills, including the 6 the soil surveying technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 30 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 4 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held ecology required
required, not held geology required
required, not held laboratory techniques required
required, not held soil science required

optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held mathematics optional

02 information skills 2 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held gather experimental data required
required, not held prepare surveying report required

optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held monitor geotechnical structures optional
optional, not held record survey data optional
optional, not held perform scientific research optional

03 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required

required, not held operate surveying instruments required
required, not held adjust surveying equipment required

04 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 8 supplementary

required, not held soil mechanics required

optional, not held cartography optional
optional, not held engineering processes optional
optional, not held surveying methods optional
optional, not held topography optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held engineering principles optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional
optional, not held surveying optional

05 agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held soil structure required

optional, not held agroforestry optional
optional, not held agronomy optional

06 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held write work-related reports required

optional, not held advise on nature conservation optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a soil surveying technician 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 7 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
already held collect samples skill
already held collect samples for analysis skill
already held conduct field work skill
already held conduct soil sample tests skill
already held perform laboratory tests skill
already held biology knowledge

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 assisting and caring 1 required

required, not held ensure compliance with safety legislation required

08 business, administration and law 1 required

required, not held environmental legislation required

17 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held advise on nature conservation optional
optional, not held agroforestry optional
optional, not held cartography optional
optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held engineering processes optional
optional, not held monitor geotechnical structures optional
optional, not held record survey data optional
optional, not held surveying methods optional
optional, not held topography optional
optional, not held agronomy optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held engineering principles optional
optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held mathematics optional
optional, not held perform scientific research optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional
optional, not held surveying optional

22 held skills the soil surveying technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

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 analyse test data skill
not needed by the target role assist scientific research skill
not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role develop material testing procedures 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 liaise with engineers skill
not needed by the target role maintain test equipment 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 physics knowledge
not needed by the target role provide technical expertise skill
not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
not needed by the target role record test data skill
not needed by the target role report test findings skill
not needed by the target role rubber technology knowledge
not needed by the target role use non-destructive testing equipment skill
not needed by the target role use testing equipment skill
not needed by the target role wear appropriate protective gear skill

19 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 acquire Tier

required, not held soil mechanics required
required, not held soil structure required
required, not held ecology required
required, not held environmental legislation required
required, not held geology required
required, not held laboratory techniques required
required, not held soil science required
optional, not held agroforestry optional
optional, not held cartography optional
optional, not held engineering processes optional
optional, not held surveying methods optional
optional, not held topography optional
optional, not held agronomy optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held engineering principles optional
optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held mathematics optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional
optional, not held surveying optional

Index

Other moves recorded from material testing technician

Full index of moves from material testing technician

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.