Mineral processing engineer to mine geologist
A mineral processing engineer already meets 38% of what the mine geologist role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
61.2/ 100
1 How much of what a mine geologist is expected to do is already part of a mineral processing 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 mine geologist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A mine geologist role treats 6 of its required skills as things a mineral processing engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- address problems critically
- chemistry
- communicate on the environmental impact of mining
- geology
- prepare scientific reports
- supervise staff
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 · What you already bring
Of the 8 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A mine geologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a mineral processing engineer background worth leading with.
- already held communicate on the environmental impact of mining communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held monitor mine production information skills
- already held maintain records of mining operations information skills
- already held prepare scientific reports communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held geology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held supervise staff management skills
All 8 carried skills, including the 6 the mine geologist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 16 missing skills fall into 6 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 geology for mineral extraction required
- still to learn advise on mining environmental issues required
- still to learn communicate on minerals issues required
- still to learn deal with pressure from unexpected circumstances required
- still to learn provide information on geological characteristics required
- optional, not held advise on mine development optional
- optional, not held advise on mine equipment optional
- optional, not held advise on mine production optional
- optional, not held negotiate land access optional
- still to learn determine characteristics of mineral deposits required
- optional, not held assess operating cost optional
- still to learn plan mine operations required
- optional, not held develop site remediation strategies optional
- still to learn use mine planning software required
- optional, not held logging optional
- optional, not held dimension stone optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a mine geologist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 plan mine operations practise this
- 02 advise on geology for mineral extraction practise this
- 03 advise on mining environmental issues 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 8 skills that carry over
- already held address problems critically skill
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held communicate on the environmental impact of mining skill
- already held geology knowledge
- already held prepare scientific reports skill
- already held supervise staff skill
- already held maintain records of mining operations skill
- already held monitor mine production skill
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held advise on mine development optional
- optional, not held advise on mine equipment optional
- optional, not held advise on mine production optional
- optional, not held develop site remediation strategies optional
- optional, not held dimension stone optional
- optional, not held logging optional
- optional, not held negotiate land access optional
- optional, not held assess operating cost optional
11 held skills the mine geologist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role apply transportation management concepts skill
- not needed by the target role bioleaching knowledge
- not needed by the target role design plant waste procedures skill
- not needed by the target role develop new installations skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
- not needed by the target role impact of geological factors on mining operations knowledge
- not needed by the target role manage mineral processing plant skill
- not needed by the target role manage mineral testing procedures skill
- not needed by the target role mine dump design skill
- not needed by the target role organize chemical reagents skill
- not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held dimension stone optional
- optional, not held logging optional
Other moves recorded from mineral processing engineer
Common questions about this move
Can a mineral processing engineer become a mine geologist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A mineral processing engineer already covers 38% of what a mine geologist is expected to do: 8 skills carry over, 6 of which the mine geologist role treats as required.
What skills does a mineral processing engineer need to become a mine geologist?
8 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is plan mine operations.
How hard is the move from mineral processing engineer to mine geologist?
Its learning distance is 61.2 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.