RecordMove

Synthetic materials engineer to materials engineer

A synthetic materials engineer already meets 22% of what the materials engineer role asks for. The move turns on 21 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional

From synthetic materials engineer

Distant match

To materials engineer

10 You already bring

21 Still to learn

47 Skills in the target role2

Learning distance A rebuild

80/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

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

Why

Why this move works

A materials engineer role treats 6 of its required skills as things a synthetic materials engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

adjust engineering designs
analyse production processes for improvement
manufacturing processes
materials engineering
test materials
work with chemicals

What stands in the way is 21 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 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A materials engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a synthetic materials engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held rubber technology engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held test materials information skills
already held basic chemicals natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held materials engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held work with chemicals handling and moving
already held types of plastic engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 10 carried skills, including the 6 the materials 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 engineering, manufacturing and construction 5 required, 7 supplementary

still to learn engineering processes required
still to learn integrated design required
still to learn sustainable building materials required
still to learn engineering principles required
still to learn material mechanics required

optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
optional, not held green chemistry optional
optional, not held properties of textile materials optional
optional, not held electricity optional
optional, not held mechanics optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held types of metal optional

02 information skills 5 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn develop advanced materials required
still to learn develop material testing procedures required
still to learn forecast organisational risks required
still to learn perform scientific research required
still to learn test chemical samples required

optional, not held assess the feasibility of implementing developments optional

03 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 5 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn advanced materials required
still to learn analytical chemistry required
still to learn chemistry required
still to learn composite materials required
still to learn thermoplastic materials required

optional, not held laboratory techniques optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 required, 4 supplementary

still to learn approve engineering design required
still to learn create solutions to problems required
still to learn integrate new products in manufacturing required

optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional
optional, not held advise on waste management procedures optional
optional, not held design prototypes optional
optional, not held develop chemical products optional

05 assisting and caring 2 required

still to learn apply health and safety standards required
still to learn assess environmental impact required

06 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required, 1 supplementary

still to learn perform chemical experiments required

optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a materials 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 10 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held analyse production processes for improvement skill
already held manufacturing processes knowledge
already held materials engineering knowledge
already held test materials skill
already held work with chemicals skill
already held basic chemicals knowledge
already held quality standards knowledge
already held rubber technology knowledge
already held types of plastic knowledge

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to pick up Tier

07 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held pollution legislation optional

08 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held define quality standards optional

16 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to pick up Tier

optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
optional, not held green chemistry optional
optional, not held pollution legislation optional
optional, not held properties of textile materials optional
optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional
optional, not held advise on waste management procedures optional
optional, not held assess the feasibility of implementing developments optional
optional, not held define quality standards optional
optional, not held design prototypes optional
optional, not held develop chemical products optional
optional, not held electricity optional
optional, not held laboratory techniques optional
optional, not held mechanics optional
optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held types of metal optional

28 held skills the materials engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role anticipate installation maintenance skill
not needed by the target role assemble machines skill
not needed by the target role build machines skill
not needed by the target role check quality of raw materials skill
not needed by the target role chemical processes knowledge
not needed by the target role civil engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role communication knowledge
not needed by the target role design engineering components skill
not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
not needed by the target role design process skill
not needed by the target role electrical machines knowledge
not needed by the target role examine engineering principles skill
not needed by the target role handle chemicals skill
not needed by the target role injection moulding machine parts knowledge
not needed by the target role inspect quality of products skill
not needed by the target role manage environmental impact of operations skill
not needed by the target role manage processes skill
not needed by the target role measure materials skill
not needed by the target role perform maintenance on installed equipment skill
not needed by the target role prepare scientific reports skill
not needed by the target role quality assurance methodologies knowledge
not needed by the target role record test data skill
not needed by the target role synthetic materials knowledge
not needed by the target role use CAD software skill
not needed by the target role use hand tools skill
not needed by the target role use technical drawing software skill
not needed by the target role work safely with chemicals skill
not needed by the target role write technical reports skill

19 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 engineering processes required
still to learn integrated design required
still to learn sustainable building materials required
still to learn analytical chemistry required
still to learn chemistry required
still to learn composite materials required
still to learn engineering principles required
still to learn material mechanics required
still to learn thermoplastic materials required
optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
optional, not held green chemistry optional
optional, not held pollution legislation optional
optional, not held properties of textile materials optional
optional, not held electricity optional
optional, not held laboratory techniques optional
optional, not held mechanics optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held types of metal optional

Index

Other moves recorded from synthetic materials engineer

Full index of moves from synthetic materials engineer

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a synthetic materials engineer become a materials engineer?

Yes, and it is a career change move. A synthetic materials engineer already covers 22% of what a materials engineer is expected to do: 10 skills carry over, 6 of which the materials engineer role treats as required.

What skills does a synthetic materials engineer need to become a materials engineer?

21 required skills are missing, plus 16 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is develop advanced materials.

How hard is the move from synthetic materials engineer to materials engineer?

Its learning distance is 80 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.