Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Software developer to application engineer

A software developer already meets 46% of what the application engineer role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From software developer
46 % overlap
Partial match
To application engineer
34 You already bring
14 Still to learn
89 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

65.7/ 100

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

Why

Why this move works

An application engineer role treats 19 of its required skills as things a software developer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • analyse software specifications
  • collect customer feedback on applications
  • computer programming
  • define technical requirements
  • engineering principles
  • engineering processes

What stands in the way is 14 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 34 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An application engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a software developer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held identify customer requirements information skills
  • already held use software design patterns communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held integrated development environment software information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held use software libraries working with computers
  • already held collect customer feedback on applications information skills
  • already held software anomalies information and communication technologies (icts)

All 34 carried skills, including the 19 the application engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 55 missing skills fall into 11 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 management skills 3 required, 6 supplementary
  • still to learn define quality standards required
  • still to learn manage product testing required
  • still to learn process customer orders required
  • optional, not held carry out inventory planning optional
  • optional, not held create technical plans optional
  • optional, not held develop test procedures optional
  • optional, not held manage budgets optional
  • optional, not held manage distribution channels optional
  • optional, not held perform project management optional
02 information and communication technologies (icts) 3 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn algorithms required
  • still to learn computer science required
  • still to learn task algorithmisation required
  • optional, not held principles of artificial intelligence optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 9 supplementary
  • still to learn identify customer's needs required
  • still to learn determine suitability of materials required
  • optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
  • optional, not held compare contractors' bids optional
  • optional, not held create a product's virtual model optional
  • optional, not held handle customer complaints optional
  • optional, not held implement efficiency plans for logistics operations optional
  • optional, not held manage localisation optional
  • optional, not held meet contract specifications optional
  • optional, not held prepare production prototypes optional
  • optional, not held present artistic design proposals optional
04 information skills 2 required, 7 supplementary
  • still to learn analyse test data required
  • still to learn conduct research on trends in design required
  • optional, not held analyse supply chain trends optional
  • optional, not held archive documentation related to work optional
  • optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
  • optional, not held conduct quality control analysis optional
  • optional, not held estimate duration of work optional
  • optional, not held maintain contract administration optional
  • optional, not held read engineering drawings optional
05 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 9 supplementary
  • still to learn computer engineering required
  • optional, not held human-robot collaboration optional
  • optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
  • optional, not held mechatronics optional
  • optional, not held model based system engineering optional
  • optional, not held precision mechanics optional
  • optional, not held production processes optional
  • optional, not held robotic components optional
  • optional, not held robotics optional
  • optional, not held transportation engineering optional
06 business, administration and law 1 required, 4 supplementary
  • still to learn product data management required
  • optional, not held cost management optional
  • optional, not held warehouse operations optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
  • optional, not held supply chain management optional

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries an application 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 34 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held analyse software specifications skill
  • already held collect customer feedback on applications skill
  • already held computer programming knowledge
  • already held define technical requirements skill
  • already held engineering principles knowledge
  • already held engineering processes knowledge
  • already held identify customer requirements skill
  • already held integrate system components skill
  • already held integrated development environment software knowledge
  • already held interpret technical requirements skill
  • already held manage engineering project skill
  • already held perform scientific research skill
  • already held project management knowledge
  • already held software anomalies knowledge
  • already held technical drawings knowledge
  • already held use an application-specific interface skill
  • already held use software design patterns skill
  • already held use software libraries skill
  • already held use technical drawing software skill
  • already held ABAP knowledge
  • already held Assembly (computer programming) knowledge
  • already held ICT debugging tools knowledge
  • already held Microsoft Visual C++ knowledge
  • already held Perl knowledge
  • already held R knowledge
  • already held SAS language knowledge
  • already held TypeScript knowledge
  • already held VBScript knowledge
  • already held debug software skill
  • already held design user interface skill
  • already held develop software prototype skill
  • already held use automatic programming skill
  • already held utilise computer-aided software engineering tools skill
  • already held utilise machine learning skill
The 5 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 working with computers 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn conduct ICT code review required
  • optional, not held develop translation memory software optional
08 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required
  • still to learn advanced materials required
09 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held install machinery optional
  • optional, not held run laboratory simulations optional
10 arts and humanities 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held linguistics optional
11 constructing 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held perform test run optional
41 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held analyse supply chain trends optional
  • optional, not held archive documentation related to work optional
  • optional, not held carry out inventory planning optional
  • optional, not held cost management optional
  • optional, not held develop translation memory software optional
  • optional, not held human-robot collaboration optional
  • optional, not held principles of artificial intelligence optional
  • optional, not held warehouse operations optional
  • optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
  • optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
  • optional, not held compare contractors' bids optional
  • optional, not held conduct quality control analysis optional
  • optional, not held create a product's virtual model optional
  • optional, not held create technical plans optional
  • optional, not held develop test procedures optional
  • optional, not held estimate duration of work optional
  • optional, not held handle customer complaints optional
  • optional, not held implement efficiency plans for logistics operations optional
  • optional, not held install machinery optional
  • optional, not held linguistics optional
  • optional, not held maintain contract administration optional
  • optional, not held manage budgets optional
  • optional, not held manage distribution channels optional
  • optional, not held manage localisation optional
  • optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
  • optional, not held mechatronics optional
  • optional, not held meet contract specifications optional
  • optional, not held model based system engineering optional
  • optional, not held perform project management optional
  • optional, not held perform test run optional
  • optional, not held precision mechanics optional
  • optional, not held prepare production prototypes optional
  • optional, not held present artistic design proposals optional
  • optional, not held production processes optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
  • optional, not held read engineering drawings optional
  • optional, not held robotic components optional
  • optional, not held robotics optional
  • optional, not held run laboratory simulations optional
  • optional, not held supply chain management optional

1 further entry not listed here

74 held skills the application engineer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role AJAX knowledge
  • not needed by the target role APL knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ASP.NET knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Ajax Framework knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Ansible knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Apache Maven knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Apache Tomcat knowledge
  • not needed by the target role C# knowledge
  • not needed by the target role C++ knowledge
  • not needed by the target role COBOL knowledge
  • not needed by the target role CoffeeScript knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Common Lisp knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Drupal knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Eclipse (integrated development environment software) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Erlang knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Groovy knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Haskell knowledge
  • not needed by the target role IBM WebSphere knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ICT security legislation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Internet of Things knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Java (computer programming) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role JavaScript knowledge
  • not needed by the target role JavaScript Framework knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Jenkins (tools for software configuration management) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role KDevelop knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Lisp knowledge
  • not needed by the target role MATLAB knowledge
  • not needed by the target role ML (computer programming) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role NoSQL knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Objective-C knowledge
  • not needed by the target role OpenEdge Advanced Business Language knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Oracle Application Development Framework knowledge
  • not needed by the target role PHP knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Pascal (computer programming) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Prolog (computer programming) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Puppet (tools for software configuration management) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Python (computer programming) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role Ruby (computer programming) knowledge
  • not needed by the target role SAP R3 knowledge
  • not needed by the target role SPARK knowledge

34 further entries not listed here

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 advanced materials required
  • still to learn algorithms required
  • still to learn computer engineering required
  • still to learn computer science required
  • still to learn product data management required
  • still to learn task algorithmisation required
  • optional, not held cost management optional
  • optional, not held human-robot collaboration optional
  • optional, not held principles of artificial intelligence optional
  • optional, not held warehouse operations optional
  • optional, not held linguistics optional
  • optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
  • optional, not held mechatronics optional
  • optional, not held model based system engineering optional
  • optional, not held precision mechanics optional
  • optional, not held production processes optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
  • optional, not held robotic components optional
  • optional, not held robotics optional
  • optional, not held supply chain management optional
  • optional, not held transportation engineering optional
Index

Other moves recorded from software developer

Full index of moves from software developer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a software developer become an application engineer?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A software developer already covers 46% of what an application engineer is expected to do: 34 skills carry over, 19 of which the application engineer role treats as required.

What skills does a software developer need to become an application engineer?

14 required skills are missing, plus 41 optional ones. They fall into 11 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by management skills. The single most important is advanced materials.

How hard is the move from software developer to application engineer?

Its learning distance is 65.7 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.