Table 1Transition record

welding engineertoflight test engineer

A welding engineer already meets 47% of what the flight test engineer role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.

From welding engineer

47%

Overlap1

To flight test engineer

12 Skills carried over

8 Required, not held

56.6 Difficulty2

Career overlap Partial match

47%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

56.6/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the flight test engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the welding engineer 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 flight test engineer role treats 11 of its required skills as things a welding engineer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

adjust engineering designs
analyse test data
approve engineering design
engineering principles
engineering processes
industrial engineering

What stands in the way is 8 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 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A flight test engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a welding engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held industrial engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held production processes engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held analyse test data information skills
already held approve engineering design communication, collaboration and creativity
already held manufacturing processes engineering, manufacturing and construction
already held use technical drawing software working with computers

All 12 carried skills, including the 11 the flight test engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 22 missing skills fall into 8 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 working with machinery and specialised equipment 2 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held operate two-way radio systems required
required, not held operate radio navigation instruments required

optional, not held perform flight manoeuvres optional
optional, not held perform take off and landing optional
optional, not held operate cockpit control panels optional

02 services 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held aircraft flight control systems required
required, not held aviation meteorology required

optional, not held visual flight rules optional

03 constructing 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held oversee aircraft sensor and recording systems required

optional, not held conduct performance tests optional

04 assisting and caring 1 required

required, not held ensure aircraft compliance with regulation required

05 business, administration and law 1 required

required, not held common aviation safety regulations required

06 management skills 1 required

required, not held plan test flights required

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a flight test 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 12 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held analyse test data skill
already held approve engineering design skill
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held engineering processes knowledge
already held industrial engineering knowledge
already held manufacturing processes knowledge
already held perform scientific research skill
already held production processes knowledge
already held technical drawings knowledge
already held use technical drawing software skill
already held record test data skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 engineering, manufacturing and construction 7 supplementary

optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held aerodynamics optional
optional, not held aerospace engineering optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held electronics optional
optional, not held instrumentation engineering optional
optional, not held instrumentation equipment optional

08 information skills 2 supplementary

optional, not held perform routine flight operations checks optional
optional, not held inspect aircraft manufacturing optional

14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held perform flight manoeuvres optional
optional, not held perform routine flight operations checks optional
optional, not held perform take off and landing optional
optional, not held aerodynamics optional
optional, not held aerospace engineering optional
optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held electronics optional
optional, not held inspect aircraft manufacturing optional
optional, not held instrumentation engineering optional
optional, not held instrumentation equipment optional
optional, not held operate cockpit control panels optional
optional, not held visual flight rules optional

41 held skills the flight test engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role CAD software knowledge
not needed by the target role apply arc welding techniques skill
not needed by the target role apply brazing techniques skill
not needed by the target role apply technical communication skills skill
not needed by the target role consult technical resources skill
not needed by the target role coordinate engineering teams skill
not needed by the target role define manufacturing quality criteria skill
not needed by the target role define technical requirements skill
not needed by the target role design drawings knowledge
not needed by the target role develop new welding techniques skill
not needed by the target role draw design sketches skill
not needed by the target role ensure correct gas pressure skill
not needed by the target role ensure equipment maintenance skill
not needed by the target role ensure finished product meet requirements skill
not needed by the target role ensure fulfilment of legal requirements skill
not needed by the target role evaluate employees work skill
not needed by the target role ferrous metal processing knowledge
not needed by the target role follow company standards skill
not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
not needed by the target role identify hazards in the workplace skill
not needed by the target role inspect quality of products skill
not needed by the target role liaise with managers skill
not needed by the target role liaise with quality assurance skill
not needed by the target role maintain safe engineering watches skill
not needed by the target role mathematics knowledge
not needed by the target role operate brazing equipment skill
not needed by the target role operate oxy-fuel welding torch skill
not needed by the target role operate soldering equipment skill
not needed by the target role operate welding equipment skill
not needed by the target role perform metal active gas welding skill
not needed by the target role perform metal inert gas welding skill
not needed by the target role perform test run skill
not needed by the target role perform tungsten inert gas welding skill
not needed by the target role perform welding inspection skill
not needed by the target role prepare production prototypes skill
not needed by the target role research welding techniques skill
not needed by the target role select filler metal skill
not needed by the target role spot metal imperfections skill
not needed by the target role supervise staff skill
not needed by the target role types of metal knowledge

1 further entry not listed here

11 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 aircraft flight control systems required
required, not held aviation meteorology required
required, not held common aviation safety regulations required
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held aerodynamics optional
optional, not held aerospace engineering optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held electronics optional
optional, not held instrumentation engineering optional
optional, not held instrumentation equipment optional
optional, not held visual flight rules optional

Index

Other moves recorded from welding engineer

Full index of moves from welding engineer

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.