Mud logger to geochemist
A mud logger already meets 29% of what the geochemist role asks for. The move turns on 12 required skills not yet in the profile.
65.5/ 100
1 How much of what a geochemist is expected to do is already part of a mud logger’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 geochemist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A geochemist role treats 4 of its required skills as things a mud logger already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- examine geochemical samples
- geology
- perform sample testing
- prepare samples for testing
What stands in the way is 12 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 geochemist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a mud logger background worth leading with.
- already held examine geochemical samples information skills
- already held prepare samples for testing handling and moving
- already held test samples for pollutants information skills
- already held collect samples handling and moving
- already held perform sample testing information skills
- already held geology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
All 8 carried skills, including the 4 the geochemist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 15 missing skills fall into 9 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 communicate on minerals issues required
- still to learn deal with pressure from unexpected circumstances required
- still to learn address problems critically required
- still to learn prepare scientific reports required
- optional, not held liaise with industrial professionals optional
- still to learn conduct environmental site assessments required
- still to learn create GIS reports required
- still to learn conduct laboratory chemical research on metals required
- optional, not held perform minor repairs to equipment optional
- still to learn ensure compliance with environmental legislation required
- still to learn types of metal required
- still to learn manipulate metal required
3 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a geochemist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 communicate on minerals issues practise this
- 02 conduct laboratory chemical research on metals practise this
- 03 deal with pressure from unexpected circumstances 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 examine geochemical samples skill
- already held geology knowledge
- already held perform sample testing skill
- already held prepare samples for testing skill
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held collect samples skill
- already held test samples for pollutants skill
- already held troubleshoot skill
The 3 learning areas not shown above
- still to learn geographic information systems required
- still to learn create thematic maps required
- optional, not held supervise staff optional
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held liaise with industrial professionals optional
- optional, not held perform minor repairs to equipment optional
- optional, not held supervise staff optional
11 held skills the geochemist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on geology for mineral extraction skill
- not needed by the target role assess risks implied in rigging operations skill
- not needed by the target role chemical processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role conduct soil sample tests skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
- not needed by the target role monitor equipment condition skill
- not needed by the target role natural gas knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform data analysis skill
- not needed by the target role test oil samples skill
- not needed by the target role work safely with chemicals skill
- not needed by the target role write production reports 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.
- still to learn geographic information systems required
- still to learn types of metal required
Common questions about this move
Can a mud logger become a geochemist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A mud logger already covers 29% of what a geochemist is expected to do: 8 skills carry over, 4 of which the geochemist role treats as required.
What skills does a mud logger need to become a geochemist?
12 required skills are missing, plus 3 optional ones. They fall into 9 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is communicate on minerals issues.
How hard is the move from mud logger to geochemist?
Its learning distance is 65.5 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.