Rotating equipment engineer to surface engineer
A rotating equipment engineer already meets 55% of what the surface engineer role asks for. The move turns on 3 required skills not yet in the profile.
46.3/ 100
1 How much of what a surface engineer is expected to do is already part of a rotating equipment 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 12 of its required skills as things a rotating equipment engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adjust engineering designs
- approve engineering design
- engineering principles
- engineering processes
- execute analytical mathematical calculations
- industrial engineering
What stands in the way is 3 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 14 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 rotating equipment engineer background worth leading with.
- already held industrial engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held material mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held production processes engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held approve engineering design communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held mechanical engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held manufacturing processes engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 14 carried skills, including the 12 the surface engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 24 missing skills fall into 8 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 safety engineering required
- still to learn surface engineering required
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held semiconductors optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held types of metal optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
- still to learn corrosion types required
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- optional, not held physics optional
- optional, not held analyse stress resistance of materials optional
- optional, not held analyse test data optional
- optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
- optional, not held recognise signs of corrosion optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- 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
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
2 further areas 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.
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 14 skills that carry over
- already held adjust engineering designs skill
- already held approve engineering design skill
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
- already held industrial engineering knowledge
- already held manufacturing processes knowledge
- already held mathematics knowledge
- already held perform scientific research skill
- already held production processes knowledge
- already held technical drawings knowledge
- already held use technical drawing software skill
- already held material mechanics knowledge
- already held mechanical engineering knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
21 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 analyse test data optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held develop material testing procedures optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held galvanise metal workpiece optional
- optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held physics optional
- optional, not held recognise signs of corrosion optional
- optional, not held record test data optional
- optional, not held semiconductors optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held types of metal optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
31 held skills the surface engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role 3D modelling knowledge
- not needed by the target role CAD software knowledge
- not needed by the target role CAE software knowledge
- not needed by the target role advise on machinery malfunctions skill
- not needed by the target role advise on safety improvements skill
- not needed by the target role blueprints knowledge
- not needed by the target role build a product's physical model skill
- not needed by the target role create a product's virtual model skill
- not needed by the target role design prototypes skill
- not needed by the target role determine production capacity skill
- not needed by the target role determine production feasibility skill
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
- not needed by the target role estimate duration of work skill
- not needed by the target role execute feasibility study skill
- not needed by the target role maintain rotating equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage supplies skill
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor production developments skill
- not needed by the target role plan manufacturing processes skill
- not needed by the target role principles of mechanical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide cost benefit analysis reports skill
- not needed by the target role quality and cycle time optimisation knowledge
- not needed by the target role read engineering drawings skill
- not needed by the target role read standard blueprints skill
- not needed by the target role reverse engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role set up the controller of a machine skill
- not needed by the target role troubleshoot skill
- not needed by the target role types of rotating equipment knowledge
- not needed by the target role use CAD software skill
- not needed by the target role use CAM software skill
- not needed by the target role use computer-aided engineering systems skill
15 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 safety engineering required
- still to learn surface engineering required
- optional, not held ferrous metal processing optional
- optional, not held chemistry optional
- optional, not held computer simulation optional
- optional, not held electrical engineering optional
- optional, not held environmental legislation optional
- optional, not held hazardous waste types optional
- optional, not held non-destructive testing optional
- optional, not held physics optional
- optional, not held semiconductors optional
- optional, not held soldering techniques optional
- optional, not held types of metal optional
- optional, not held welding techniques optional
Other moves recorded from rotating equipment engineer
Common questions about this move
Can a rotating equipment engineer become a surface engineer?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A rotating equipment engineer already covers 55% of what a surface engineer is expected to do: 14 skills carry over, 12 of which the surface engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a rotating equipment engineer need to become a surface engineer?
3 required skills are missing, plus 21 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is corrosion types.
How hard is the move from rotating equipment engineer to surface engineer?
Its learning distance is 46.3 out of 100, which is the moderate 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.