RecordMove

Soil scientist to surveying technician

A soil scientist already meets 27% of what the surveying 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 soil scientist

Distant match

To surveying technician

9 You already bring

15 Still to learn

46 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance A rebuild

75/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

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

Why

Why this move works

A surveying technician role treats 8 of its required skills as things a soil scientist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

adjust surveying equipment
conduct land surveys
operate surveying instruments
perform scientific research
prepare surveying report
record survey data

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 9 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A surveying technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a soil scientist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held adjust surveying equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held prepare surveying report information skills
already held surveying methods engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held operate surveying instruments working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held record survey data information skills
already held surveying engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 9 carried skills, including the 8 the surveying technician 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 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 5 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn geographic information systems required
still to learn geodesy required
still to learn geomatics required
still to learn mathematics required
still to learn survey techniques required

optional, not held geography optional

02 information skills 4 required, 8 supplementary

still to learn compare survey computations required
still to learn interpret geophysical data required
still to learn perform surveying calculations required
still to learn process collected survey data required

optional, not held collect geological data optional
optional, not held collect data using GPS optional
optional, not held collect mapping data optional
optional, not held compile GIS-data optional
optional, not held conduct research before survey optional
optional, not held create GIS reports optional
optional, not held determine property boundaries optional
optional, not held value properties optional

03 engineering, manufacturing and construction 3 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn cartography required
still to learn topography required
still to learn technical drawings required

optional, not held engineering processes optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held engineering principles optional

04 working with computers 1 required, 6 supplementary

still to learn use technical drawing software required

optional, not held develop geological databases optional
optional, not held use geographic information systems optional
optional, not held apply digital mapping optional
optional, not held create thematic maps optional
optional, not held use CAD software optional
optional, not held use spreadsheets software optional

05 assisting and caring 1 required

still to learn ensure compliance with safety legislation required

06 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required

still to learn calibrate precision instrument required

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a surveying 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 9 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adjust surveying equipment skill
already held conduct land surveys skill
already held operate surveying instruments skill
already held perform scientific research skill
already held prepare surveying report skill
already held record survey data skill
already held surveying knowledge
already held surveying methods knowledge
already held geology knowledge

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 supplementary

optional, not held prepare geological map sections optional
optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional

08 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held urban planning law optional

22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held collect geological data optional
optional, not held develop geological databases optional
optional, not held engineering processes optional
optional, not held prepare geological map sections optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held use geographic information systems optional
optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
optional, not held apply digital mapping optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held collect data using GPS optional
optional, not held collect mapping data optional
optional, not held compile GIS-data optional
optional, not held conduct research before survey optional
optional, not held create GIS reports optional
optional, not held create thematic maps optional
optional, not held determine property boundaries optional
optional, not held engineering principles optional
optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held urban planning law optional
optional, not held use CAD software optional
optional, not held use spreadsheets software optional
optional, not held value properties optional

45 held skills the surveying technician role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role European pesticide legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role advise on fertiliser and herbicide skill
not needed by the target role advise on nature conservation skill
not needed by the target role advise on pollution prevention skill
not needed by the target role advise on soil and water protection skill
not needed by the target role agricultural equipment knowledge
not needed by the target role agroforestry knowledge
not needed by the target role agronomical production principles knowledge
not needed by the target role agronomy knowledge
not needed by the target role apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
not needed by the target role apply sustainable tillage techniques skill
not needed by the target role biology knowledge
not needed by the target role climate change impact knowledge
not needed by the target role collect samples skill
not needed by the target role collect samples for analysis skill
not needed by the target role conduct field work skill
not needed by the target role conduct soil sample tests skill
not needed by the target role conservation agriculture knowledge
not needed by the target role crop production principles knowledge
not needed by the target role develop irrigation strategies skill
not needed by the target role develop scientific research protocols skill
not needed by the target role ecology knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure soil fertility skill
not needed by the target role environmental engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role environmental legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role fertilisation principles knowledge
not needed by the target role gather experimental data skill
not needed by the target role government policy knowledge
not needed by the target role habitat restoration knowledge
not needed by the target role hydrology knowledge
not needed by the target role implement biodiversity action plans skill
not needed by the target role inspect agricultural fields skill
not needed by the target role irrigation systems knowledge
not needed by the target role laboratory techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with crop growers skill
not needed by the target role perform laboratory tests skill
not needed by the target role plant harvest methods knowledge
not needed by the target role plant propagation knowledge
not needed by the target role pollution prevention knowledge
not needed by the target role scientific literature knowledge

5 further entries not listed here

14 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 cartography required
still to learn geographic information systems required
still to learn topography required
still to learn geodesy required
still to learn geomatics required
still to learn mathematics required
still to learn survey techniques required
still to learn technical drawings required
optional, not held engineering processes optional
optional, not held quantity surveying optional
optional, not held civil engineering optional
optional, not held engineering principles optional
optional, not held geography optional
optional, not held urban planning law optional

Index

Other moves recorded from soil scientist

Full index of moves from soil scientist

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a soil scientist become a surveying technician?

Yes, and it is a career change move. A soil scientist already covers 27% of what a surveying technician is expected to do: 9 skills carry over, 8 of which the surveying technician role treats as required.

What skills does a soil scientist need to become a surveying technician?

15 required skills are missing, plus 22 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by natural sciences, mathematics and statistics. The single most important is cartography.

How hard is the move from soil scientist to surveying technician?

Its learning distance is 75 out of 100, which is the career change 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.