Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Software architect to knowledge engineer

A software architect already meets 52% of what the knowledge engineer 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 software architect
52 % overlap
Partial match
To knowledge engineer
52 You already bring
15 Still to learn
89 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

61.4/ 100

1 How much of what a knowledge engineer is expected to do is already part of a software architect’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 knowledge engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A knowledge engineer role treats 10 of its required skills as things a software architect already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • analyse business requirements
  • apply ICT systems theory
  • business process modelling
  • define technical requirements
  • systems development life-cycle
  • systems theory

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 52 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A knowledge engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a software architect background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held systems theory information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held apply ICT systems theory working with computers
  • already held task algorithmisation information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held design database scheme communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held use query languages working with computers
  • already held web programming information and communication technologies (icts)

All 52 carried skills, including the 10 the knowledge engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 37 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.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 information and communication technologies (icts) 7 required, 8 supplementary
  • still to learn database development tools required
  • still to learn information extraction required
  • still to learn information structure required
  • still to learn principles of artificial intelligence required
  • still to learn resource description framework query language required
  • still to learn data engineering required
  • still to learn data science required
  • optional, not held LINQ optional
  • optional, not held N1QL optional
  • optional, not held SPARQL optional
  • optional, not held cloud technologies optional
  • optional, not held data mining optional
  • optional, not held decision support systems optional
  • optional, not held information architecture optional
  • optional, not held unstructured data optional
02 working with computers 2 required, 7 supplementary
  • still to learn manage ICT semantic integration required
  • still to learn use databases required
  • optional, not held define database physical structure optional
  • optional, not held implement a virtual private network optional
  • optional, not held utilise decision support system optional
  • optional, not held manage digital documents optional
  • optional, not held store digital data and systems optional
  • optional, not held use back-up and recovery tools optional
  • optional, not held use spreadsheets software optional
03 information skills 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn create semantic trees required
  • still to learn manage database required
  • optional, not held manage cloud data and storage optional
04 management skills 2 required
  • still to learn assess ICT knowledge required
  • still to learn manage business knowledge required
05 arts and humanities 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn natural language processing required
  • optional, not held visual presentation techniques optional
06 business, administration and law 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn business intelligence required
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a knowledge 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

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 52 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held analyse business requirements skill
  • already held apply ICT systems theory skill
  • already held business process modelling knowledge
  • already held define technical requirements skill
  • already held systems development life-cycle knowledge
  • already held systems theory knowledge
  • already held task algorithmisation knowledge
  • already held use an application-specific interface skill
  • already held use markup languages skill
  • already held web programming knowledge
  • already held ABAP knowledge
  • already held AJAX knowledge
  • already held APL knowledge
  • already held ASP.NET knowledge
  • already held Assembly (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held C# knowledge
  • already held C++ knowledge
  • already held COBOL knowledge
  • already held CoffeeScript knowledge
  • already held Common Lisp knowledge
  • already held Erlang knowledge
  • already held Groovy knowledge
  • already held Haskell knowledge
  • already held ICT security legislation knowledge
  • already held Java (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held JavaScript knowledge
  • already held Lisp knowledge
  • already held MATLAB knowledge
  • already held ML (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Microsoft Visual C++ knowledge
  • already held Objective-C knowledge
  • already held OpenEdge Advanced Business Language knowledge
  • already held PHP knowledge
  • already held Pascal (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Perl knowledge
  • already held Prolog (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Python (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held R knowledge
  • already held Ruby (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held SAP R3 knowledge
  • already held SAS language knowledge
  • already held Scala knowledge
  • already held Scratch (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Smalltalk (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held Swift (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held TypeScript knowledge
  • already held VBScript knowledge
  • already held Visual Basic knowledge
  • already held build business relationships skill
  • already held computer programming knowledge
  • already held design database scheme skill
  • already held use query languages skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held create database diagrams optional
  • optional, not held design application interfaces optional
08 social sciences, journalism and information 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held information categorisation optional
  • optional, not held cognitive psychology optional
22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
  • optional, not held LINQ optional
  • optional, not held N1QL optional
  • optional, not held SPARQL optional
  • optional, not held cloud technologies optional
  • optional, not held create database diagrams optional
  • optional, not held data mining optional
  • optional, not held decision support systems optional
  • optional, not held define database physical structure optional
  • optional, not held design application interfaces optional
  • optional, not held implement a virtual private network optional
  • optional, not held information architecture optional
  • optional, not held information categorisation optional
  • optional, not held manage cloud data and storage optional
  • optional, not held unstructured data optional
  • optional, not held utilise decision support system optional
  • optional, not held visual presentation techniques optional
  • optional, not held cognitive psychology optional
  • optional, not held manage digital documents optional
  • optional, not held store digital data and systems optional
  • optional, not held use back-up and recovery tools optional
  • optional, not held use spreadsheets software optional
37 held skills the knowledge engineer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role Agile project management knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Ansible knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Apache Maven knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ICT project management methodologies knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Jenkins (tools for software configuration management) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Process-based management knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Puppet (tools for software configuration management) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role SPARK knowledge
  • not needed by the target role STAF knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Salt (tools for software configuration management) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role WildFly knowledge
  • not needed by the target role align software with system architectures skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse software specifications skill
  • not needed by the target role collect customer feedback on applications skill
  • not needed by the target role create flowchart diagram skill
  • not needed by the target role create software design skill
  • not needed by the target role define software architecture skill
  • not needed by the target role design cloud architecture skill
  • not needed by the target role design database in the cloud skill
  • not needed by the target role design process skill
  • not needed by the target role develop software prototype skill
  • not needed by the target role do cloud refactoring skill
  • not needed by the target role implement data warehousing techniques skill
  • not needed by the target role lean project management knowledge
  • not needed by the target role manage staff skill
  • not needed by the target role object-oriented modelling knowledge
  • not needed by the target role oversee development of software skill
  • not needed by the target role perform ICT troubleshooting skill
  • not needed by the target role perform resource planning skill
  • not needed by the target role perform risk analysis skill
  • not needed by the target role provide ICT consulting advice skill
  • not needed by the target role provide cost benefit analysis reports skill
  • not needed by the target role security engineering knowledge
  • not needed by the target role system design knowledge
  • not needed by the target role tools for software configuration management knowledge
  • not needed by the target role unified modelling language knowledge
  • not needed by the target role utilise computer-aided software engineering tools skill
21 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 database development tools required
  • still to learn information extraction required
  • still to learn information structure required
  • still to learn natural language processing required
  • still to learn principles of artificial intelligence required
  • still to learn resource description framework query language required
  • still to learn business intelligence required
  • still to learn data engineering required
  • still to learn data science required
  • optional, not held ICT project management optional
  • optional, not held LINQ optional
  • optional, not held N1QL optional
  • optional, not held SPARQL optional
  • optional, not held cloud technologies optional
  • optional, not held data mining optional
  • optional, not held decision support systems optional
  • optional, not held information architecture optional
  • optional, not held information categorisation optional
  • optional, not held unstructured data optional
  • optional, not held visual presentation techniques optional
  • optional, not held cognitive psychology optional
Index

Other moves recorded from software architect

Full index of moves from software architect

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a software architect become a knowledge engineer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A software architect already covers 52% of what a knowledge engineer is expected to do: 52 skills carry over, 10 of which the knowledge engineer role treats as required.

What skills does a software architect need to become a knowledge engineer?

15 required skills are missing, plus 22 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information and communication technologies (icts). The single most important is assess ICT knowledge.

How hard is the move from software architect to knowledge engineer?

Its learning distance is 61.4 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.