Table 1Transition record

urban plannertoseismologist

A urban planner already meets 69% of what the seismologist role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From urban planner

69%

Overlap1

To seismologist

37 Skills carried over

10 Required, not held

45.4 Difficulty2

Career overlap Strong match

69%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

45.4/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the seismologist role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the urban planner profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A seismologist role treats 31 of its required skills as things a urban planner already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

apply for research funding
apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities
communicate with a non-scientific audience
conduct research across disciplines
demonstrate disciplinary expertise
develop professional network with researchers and scientists

What stands in the way is 10 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 37 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A seismologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a urban planner background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held advise on building matters communication, collaboration and creativity
already held scientific modelling information and communication technologies (icts)
already held geography natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held use geographic information systems working with computers
already held provide technical expertise communication, collaboration and creativity
already held manage findable accessible interoperable and reusable data information skills

All 37 carried skills, including the 31 the seismologist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 24 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 5 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held seismology required
required, not held geophysics required
required, not held mathematics required
required, not held physics required
required, not held statistics required

optional, not held geology optional
optional, not held remote sensing techniques optional

02 information skills 4 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held interpret geophysical data required
required, not held apply scientific methods required
required, not held apply statistical analysis techniques required
required, not held execute analytical mathematical calculations required

optional, not held analyse seismic risk optional
optional, not held map the mantle of the Earth optional
optional, not held collect geological data optional
optional, not held develop scientific theories optional
optional, not held conduct field work optional

03 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held use seismometers required

optional, not held predict earthquakes optional
optional, not held operate remote sensing equipment optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 supplementary

optional, not held prepare geological map sections optional
optional, not held design scientific equipment optional
optional, not held write research proposals optional

05 working with computers 2 supplementary

optional, not held develop geological databases optional
optional, not held apply digital mapping optional

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a seismologist 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 37 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply for research funding skill
already held apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities skill
already held communicate with a non-scientific audience skill
already held conduct research across disciplines skill
already held demonstrate disciplinary expertise skill
already held develop professional network with researchers and scientists skill
already held disseminate results to the scientific community skill
already held draft scientific or academic papers and technical documentation skill
already held evaluate research activities skill
already held increase the impact of science on policy and society skill
already held integrate gender dimension in research skill
already held interact professionally in research and professional environments skill
already held manage findable accessible interoperable and reusable data skill
already held manage intellectual property rights skill
already held manage open publications skill
already held manage personal professional development skill
already held manage research data skill
already held mentor individuals skill
already held operate open source software skill
already held perform project management skill
already held perform scientific research skill
already held promote open innovation in research skill
already held promote the participation of citizens in scientific and research activities skill
already held promote the transfer of knowledge skill
already held publish academic research skill
already held scientific modelling knowledge
already held scientific research methodology knowledge
already held speak different languages skill
already held synthesise information skill
already held think abstractly skill
already held write scientific publications skill
already held advise on building matters skill
already held apply blended learning skill
already held geography knowledge
already held provide technical expertise skill
already held teach in academic or vocational contexts skill
already held use geographic information systems skill

14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held analyse seismic risk optional
optional, not held map the mantle of the Earth optional
optional, not held predict earthquakes optional
optional, not held collect geological data optional
optional, not held develop geological databases optional
optional, not held develop scientific theories optional
optional, not held prepare geological map sections optional
optional, not held apply digital mapping optional
optional, not held conduct field work optional
optional, not held design scientific equipment optional
optional, not held geology optional
optional, not held operate remote sensing equipment optional
optional, not held remote sensing techniques optional
optional, not held write research proposals optional

45 held skills the seismologist role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role CAD software knowledge
not needed by the target role advise architects skill
not needed by the target role advise on architectural matters skill
not needed by the target role advise on legislative acts skill
not needed by the target role advise on pollution prevention skill
not needed by the target role advise on use of land skill
not needed by the target role architectural conservation knowledge
not needed by the target role architecture regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role bicycle sharing systems knowledge
not needed by the target role build business relationships skill
not needed by the target role building codes knowledge
not needed by the target role cartography knowledge
not needed by the target role communicate with local residents skill
not needed by the target role community-led local development knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct land surveys skill
not needed by the target role conduct public surveys skill
not needed by the target role construction methods knowledge
not needed by the target role demography knowledge
not needed by the target role design spatial layout of outdoor areas skill
not needed by the target role develop concepts for city marketing skill
not needed by the target role develop innovative mobility solutions skill
not needed by the target role ensure infrastructure accessibility skill
not needed by the target role environmental policy knowledge
not needed by the target role execute feasibility study skill
not needed by the target role green building practices knowledge
not needed by the target role green space strategies knowledge
not needed by the target role historic architecture knowledge
not needed by the target role landscape architecture knowledge
not needed by the target role liaise with local authorities skill
not needed by the target role meet building regulations skill
not needed by the target role plan public housing skill
not needed by the target role project management knowledge
not needed by the target role promote innovative infrastructure design skill
not needed by the target role promote sustainability skill
not needed by the target role public housing legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role rural development strategies knowledge
not needed by the target role smart city features knowledge
not needed by the target role spatial planning knowledge
not needed by the target role study human population skill
not needed by the target role study traffic flow skill

5 further entries not listed here

7 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 acquire Tier

required, not held seismology required
required, not held geophysics required
required, not held mathematics required
required, not held physics required
required, not held statistics required
optional, not held geology optional
optional, not held remote sensing techniques optional

Index

Other moves recorded from urban planner

Full index of moves from urban planner

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.