Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Optomechanical engineering technician to microelectronics engineering technician

An optomechanical engineering technician already meets 40% of what the microelectronics engineering technician role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From optomechanical engineering technician
40 % overlap
Partial match
To microelectronics engineering technician
21 You already bring
15 Still to learn
52 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

66/ 100

1 How much of what a microelectronics engineering technician is expected to do is already part of an optomechanical engineering technician’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 microelectronics engineering technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A microelectronics engineering technician role treats 10 of its required skills as things an optomechanical engineering technician already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • adjust engineering designs
  • align components
  • assist scientific research
  • design drawings
  • fasten components
  • inspect quality of products

What stands in the way is 15 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 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A microelectronics engineering technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an optomechanical engineering technician background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held operate precision machinery working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held integrate new products in manufacturing communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held assist scientific research communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held write technical reports communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held use precision tools handling and moving
  • already held monitor machine operations information skills

All 21 carried skills, including the 10 the microelectronics engineering technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 31 missing skills fall into 10 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 engineering, manufacturing and construction 6 required, 8 supplementary
  • still to learn electronic equipment standards required
  • still to learn electronic test procedures required
  • still to learn electronics required
  • still to learn integrated circuits required
  • still to learn microelectronics required
  • still to learn microsensors required
  • optional, not held LED lighting components optional
  • optional, not held MOEM optional
  • optional, not held battery formation optional
  • optional, not held consumer electronics optional
  • optional, not held microelectromechanical systems optional
  • optional, not held surface-mount technology optional
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held precision measuring instruments optional
02 constructing 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn test microelectronics required
  • still to learn solder electronics required
  • optional, not held solder components onto electronic board optional
03 information skills 2 required
  • still to learn interpret circuit diagrams required
  • still to learn read assembly drawings required
04 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required, 3 supplementary
  • still to learn microprocessors required
  • optional, not held microsystem test procedures optional
  • optional, not held automatic control system optional
  • optional, not held firmware optional
05 assisting and caring 1 required
  • still to learn wear cleanroom suit required
06 handling and moving 1 required
  • still to learn assemble microelectronics required

4 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a microelectronics engineering 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 21 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held adjust engineering designs skill
  • already held align components skill
  • already held assist scientific research skill
  • already held design drawings knowledge
  • already held fasten components skill
  • already held inspect quality of products skill
  • already held liaise with engineers skill
  • already held prepare production prototypes skill
  • already held read engineering drawings skill
  • already held record test data skill
  • already held CAD software knowledge
  • already held CAE software knowledge
  • already held apply technical communication skills skill
  • already held integrate new products in manufacturing skill
  • already held keep records of work progress skill
  • already held monitor machine operations skill
  • already held operate precision machinery skill
  • already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
  • already held use CAM software skill
  • already held use precision tools skill
  • already held write technical reports skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 management skills 1 required
  • still to learn meet deadlines required
08 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required
  • still to learn microassembly required
09 working with machinery and specialised equipment 3 supplementary
  • optional, not held maintain microelectronics optional
  • optional, not held operate SMT placement equipment optional
  • optional, not held operate precision measuring equipment optional
10 working with computers 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held program firmware optional
16 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held LED lighting components optional
  • optional, not held MOEM optional
  • optional, not held battery formation optional
  • optional, not held consumer electronics optional
  • optional, not held maintain microelectronics optional
  • optional, not held microelectromechanical systems optional
  • optional, not held microsystem test procedures optional
  • optional, not held operate SMT placement equipment optional
  • optional, not held solder components onto electronic board optional
  • optional, not held surface-mount technology optional
  • optional, not held automatic control system optional
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held firmware optional
  • optional, not held operate precision measuring equipment optional
  • optional, not held precision measuring instruments optional
  • optional, not held program firmware optional
30 held skills the microelectronics engineering technician role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role apply optical coating skill
  • not needed by the target role assemble optomechanical equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role calibrate optical instruments skill
  • not needed by the target role cavity optomechanics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role clean optical components skill
  • not needed by the target role computational mechanics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role conduct quality control analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role continuum mechanics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role define part requirements skill
  • not needed by the target role electromagnetic spectrum knowledge
  • not needed by the target role inspect optical supplies skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain optical equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role mechanical engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role microoptics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role operate industrial equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role operate optical assembly equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role operate scientific measuring equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role optical components knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optical engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optical equipment standards knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optical glass characteristics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optical manufacturing process knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optics knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optomechanical components knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optomechanical devices knowledge
  • not needed by the target role optomechanical engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role refractive power knowledge
  • not needed by the target role repair optical equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role test optical components skill
  • not needed by the target role types of optical instruments knowledge
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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn electronic equipment standards required
  • still to learn electronic test procedures required
  • still to learn electronics required
  • still to learn integrated circuits required
  • still to learn microassembly required
  • still to learn microelectronics required
  • still to learn microprocessors required
  • still to learn microsensors required
  • optional, not held LED lighting components optional
  • optional, not held MOEM optional
  • optional, not held battery formation optional
  • optional, not held consumer electronics optional
  • optional, not held microelectromechanical systems optional
  • optional, not held microsystem test procedures optional
  • optional, not held surface-mount technology optional
  • optional, not held automatic control system optional
  • optional, not held electrical engineering optional
  • optional, not held firmware optional
  • optional, not held precision measuring instruments optional
Index
FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can an optomechanical engineering technician become a microelectronics engineering technician?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. An optomechanical engineering technician already covers 40% of what a microelectronics engineering technician is expected to do: 21 skills carry over, 10 of which the microelectronics engineering technician role treats as required.

What skills does an optomechanical engineering technician need to become a microelectronics engineering technician?

15 required skills are missing, plus 16 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is assemble microelectronics.

How hard is the move from optomechanical engineering technician to microelectronics engineering technician?

Its learning distance is 66 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.