Microelectronics materials engineer to surface engineer
A microelectronics materials engineer already meets 44% of what the surface engineer role asks for. The move turns on 9 required skills not yet in the profile.
55.6/ 100
1 How much of what a surface engineer is expected to do is already part of a microelectronics materials 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 surface engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A surface engineer role treats 6 of its required skills as things a microelectronics materials engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adjust engineering designs
- engineering processes
- manufacturing processes
- mathematics
- perform scientific research
- use technical drawing software
What stands in the way is 9 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 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A surface engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a microelectronics materials engineer background worth leading with.
- already held develop material testing procedures information skills
- already held hazardous waste types services
- already held semiconductors engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held material mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held analyse test data information skills
- already held environmental legislation business, administration and law
All 18 carried skills, including the 6 the surface engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 20 missing skills fall into 7 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 engineering principles required
- still to learn industrial engineering required
- still to learn production processes required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- still to learn surface engineering required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
- still to learn execute analytical mathematical calculations required
- optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
- optional, not held recognise signs of corrosion optional
- still to learn approve engineering design required
- still to learn corrosion types required
- optional, not held apply phosphate coating to metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held parkerise metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held use non-destructive testing equipment optional
- optional, not held galvanise metal workpiece optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a surface engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 approve engineering design practise this
- 02 corrosion types study this
- 03 engineering principles study this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 18 skills that carry over
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held manufacturing processes knowledge
- already held mathematics knowledge
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held analyse test data skill
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held develop material testing procedures skill
- already held electrical engineering knowledge
- already held environmental legislation knowledge
- already held hazardous waste types knowledge
- already held material mechanics knowledge
- already held mechanical engineering knowledge
- already held physics knowledge
- already held record test data skill
- already held semiconductors knowledge
- already held types of metal knowledge
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
11 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply phosphate coating to metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held parkerise metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held use non-destructive testing equipment optional
- optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held galvanise metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held recognise signs of corrosion optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
61 held skills the surface engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role CAE software knowledge
- not needed by the target role abide by regulations on banned materials skill
- 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 big data skill
- not needed by the target role apply soldering techniques skill
- not needed by the target role apply statistical analysis techniques skill
- not needed by the target role artificial neural networks knowledge
- not needed by the target role basic chemicals knowledge
- not needed by the target role characteristics of waste knowledge
- not needed by the target role composite materials knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct literature research skill
- not needed by the target role create technical plans skill
- not needed by the target role data mining knowledge
- not needed by the target role data models knowledge
- not needed by the target role define manufacturing quality criteria skill
- not needed by the target role design prototypes skill
- not needed by the target role develop hazardous waste management strategies skill
- not needed by the target role develop microelectromechanical system test procedures skill
- not needed by the target role dispose of soldering waste skill
- not needed by the target role electricity principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role electronics knowledge
- not needed by the target role emergent technologies knowledge
- not needed by the target role environmental threats knowledge
- not needed by the target role hazardous waste treatment knowledge
- not needed by the target role inspect semiconductor components skill
- not needed by the target role integrate new products in manufacturing skill
- not needed by the target role join metals skill
- not needed by the target role laboratory techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role machine learning knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage data skill
- not needed by the target role materials engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role microassembly knowledge
- not needed by the target role microelectronics knowledge
- not needed by the target role micromechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role microoptics knowledge
- not needed by the target role microsensors knowledge
- not needed by the target role microsystem test procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role nanomaterials knowledge
- not needed by the target role nanotechnology knowledge
21 further entries not listed here
12 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 corrosion types required
- still to learn engineering principles required
- still to learn industrial engineering required
- still to learn production processes required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- still to learn surface engineering required
- still to learn technical drawings required
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
Other moves recorded from microelectronics materials engineer
- materials engineer 49% covered · substantial
- microsystem engineer 48% covered · substantial
- microelectronics designer 48% covered · substantial
- microelectronics smart manufacturing engineer 47% covered · substantial
Full index of moves from microelectronics materials engineer
Common questions about this move
Can a microelectronics materials engineer become a surface engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A microelectronics materials engineer already covers 44% of what a surface engineer is expected to do: 18 skills carry over, 6 of which the surface engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a microelectronics materials engineer need to become a surface engineer?
9 required skills are missing, plus 11 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is approve engineering design.
How hard is the move from microelectronics materials engineer to surface engineer?
Its learning distance is 55.6 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.