Table 1Transition record

materials engineertonanoengineer

A materials engineer already meets 47% of what the nanoengineer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From materials engineer

47%

Overlap1

To nanoengineer

19 Skills carried over

8 Required, not held

59.7 Difficulty2

Career overlap Partial match

47%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

59.7/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the nanoengineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the materials engineer 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 nanoengineer role treats 14 of its required skills as things a materials engineer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

adjust engineering designs
analytical chemistry
apply health and safety standards
approve engineering design
assess environmental impact
chemistry

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 19 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A nanoengineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a materials engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held develop chemical products communication, collaboration and creativity
already held green chemistry engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held forecast organisational risks information skills
already held materials engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held perform chemical experiments working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held work with chemicals handling and moving

All 19 carried skills, including the 14 the nanoengineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 36 missing skills fall into 11 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 engineering, manufacturing and construction 3 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held nanomaterials required
required, not held spectroscopy required
required, not held nanotechnology required

optional, not held continuum mechanics optional
optional, not held solid mechanics optional
optional, not held computer engineering optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held optical engineering optional

02 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 3 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held computational chemistry required
required, not held quantum technology required
required, not held biology required

optional, not held computational mechanics optional
optional, not held microbiology-bacteriology optional
optional, not held life sciences optional
optional, not held mathematical modelling optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical chemistry optional
optional, not held physics optional

03 information skills 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held examine engineering principles required

optional, not held analyse test data optional
optional, not held manage chemical testing procedures optional
optional, not held record test data optional

04 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held computer simulation required

optional, not held quantum computing optional

05 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 supplementary

optional, not held design optical systems optional
optional, not held design pharmaceutical manufacturing systems optional
optional, not held draft design specifications optional
optional, not held improve chemical processes optional

06 health and welfare 2 supplementary

optional, not held pharmaceutical drug development optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical technology optional

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a nanoengineer 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 19 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held analytical chemistry knowledge
already held apply health and safety standards skill
already held approve engineering design skill
already held assess environmental impact skill
already held chemistry knowledge
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held engineering processes knowledge
already held forecast organisational risks skill
already held materials engineering knowledge
already held perform chemical experiments skill
already held perform scientific research skill
already held test chemical samples skill
already held work with chemicals skill
already held design prototypes skill
already held develop chemical products skill
already held green chemistry knowledge
already held integrate new products in manufacturing skill
already held mechanics knowledge

The 5 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 management skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held develop components separation processes optional
optional, not held develop pharmaceutical drugs optional

08 arts and humanities 1 supplementary

optional, not held design principles optional

09 generic programmes and qualifications 1 supplementary

optional, not held scientific literature optional

10 working with computers 1 supplementary

optional, not held use CAD software optional

11 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary

optional, not held use chemical analysis equipment optional

28 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held computational mechanics optional
optional, not held continuum mechanics optional
optional, not held develop components separation processes optional
optional, not held microbiology-bacteriology optional
optional, not held quantum computing optional
optional, not held solid mechanics optional
optional, not held analyse test data optional
optional, not held computer engineering optional
optional, not held design optical systems optional
optional, not held design pharmaceutical manufacturing systems optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held develop pharmaceutical drugs optional
optional, not held draft design specifications optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held improve chemical processes optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held life sciences optional
optional, not held manage chemical testing procedures optional
optional, not held mathematical modelling optional
optional, not held optical engineering optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical chemistry optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical drug development optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical technology optional
optional, not held physics optional
optional, not held record test data optional
optional, not held scientific literature optional
optional, not held use CAD software optional
optional, not held use chemical analysis equipment optional

28 held skills the nanoengineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advanced materials knowledge
not needed by the target role advise on pollution prevention skill
not needed by the target role advise on waste management procedures skill
not needed by the target role analyse production processes for improvement skill
not needed by the target role assess the feasibility of implementing developments skill
not needed by the target role basic chemicals knowledge
not needed by the target role composite materials knowledge
not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
not needed by the target role define quality standards skill
not needed by the target role develop advanced materials skill
not needed by the target role develop material testing procedures skill
not needed by the target role electricity knowledge
not needed by the target role envelope systems for buildings knowledge
not needed by the target role integrated design knowledge
not needed by the target role laboratory techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role manufacturing processes knowledge
not needed by the target role material mechanics knowledge
not needed by the target role perform laboratory tests skill
not needed by the target role pollution legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role properties of textile materials knowledge
not needed by the target role quality standards knowledge
not needed by the target role rubber technology knowledge
not needed by the target role semiconductors knowledge
not needed by the target role sustainable building materials knowledge
not needed by the target role test materials skill
not needed by the target role thermoplastic materials knowledge
not needed by the target role types of metal knowledge
not needed by the target role types of plastic knowledge

24 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 computational chemistry required
required, not held nanomaterials required
required, not held quantum technology required
required, not held spectroscopy required
required, not held biology required
required, not held computer simulation required
required, not held nanotechnology required
optional, not held computational mechanics optional
optional, not held continuum mechanics optional
optional, not held microbiology-bacteriology optional
optional, not held quantum computing optional
optional, not held solid mechanics optional
optional, not held computer engineering optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held life sciences optional
optional, not held mathematical modelling optional
optional, not held optical engineering optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical chemistry optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical drug development optional
optional, not held pharmaceutical technology optional
optional, not held physics optional
optional, not held scientific literature optional

Index

Other moves recorded from materials engineer

Full index of moves from materials engineer

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.