Roughneck to derrickhand
A roughneck already meets 36% of what the derrickhand role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
58.8/ 100
1 How much of what a derrickhand is expected to do is already part of a roughneck’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 derrickhand role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A derrickhand role treats 4 of its required skills as things a roughneck already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- guide drill pipes
- mechanics
- monitor drilling fluid
- react to events in time-critical environments
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 7 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A derrickhand role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a roughneck background worth leading with.
- already held monitor drilling fluid constructing
- already held guide drill pipes constructing
- already held connect equipment to wellheads working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held react to events in time-critical environments communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held chemistry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held mechanics engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 7 carried skills, including the 4 the derrickhand role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 11 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 maintain circulation system required
- still to learn maintain mechanical equipment required
- optional, not held inspect pipelines optional
- still to learn control flow of oils required
- still to learn use rigging equipment required
- optional, not held add chemicals to drilling fluid optional
- still to learn follow safety procedures when working at heights required
- still to learn work in drilling teams required
- still to learn mechanical tools required
- still to learn rigging terminology required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a derrickhand role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 control flow of oils practise this
- 02 maintain circulation system practise this
- 03 maintain mechanical equipment 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 7 skills that carry over
- already held guide drill pipes skill
- already held mechanics knowledge
- already held monitor drilling fluid skill
- already held react to events in time-critical environments skill
- already held chemistry knowledge
- already held connect equipment to wellheads skill
- already held train employees skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held inspect quality of products optional
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held add chemicals to drilling fluid optional
- optional, not held inspect pipelines optional
- optional, not held inspect quality of products optional
10 held skills the derrickhand role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assemble metal parts skill
- not needed by the target role collect samples skill
- not needed by the target role connect oil well heads skill
- not needed by the target role cooperate with colleagues skill
- not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
- not needed by the target role ensure health and safety in manufacturing skill
- not needed by the target role maintain drilling equipment skill
- not needed by the target role maintain oil field machinery skill
- not needed by the target role make time-critical decisions 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.
- still to learn rigging terminology required
- still to learn mechanical tools required
Common questions about this move
Can a roughneck become a derrickhand?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A roughneck already covers 36% of what a derrickhand is expected to do: 7 skills carry over, 4 of which the derrickhand role treats as required.
What skills does a roughneck need to become a derrickhand?
8 required skills are missing, plus 3 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by constructing. The single most important is control flow of oils.
How hard is the move from roughneck to derrickhand?
Its learning distance is 58.8 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.