Table 1Transition record

agricultural techniciantosoil scientist

A agricultural technician already meets 24% of what the soil scientist role asks for. The move turns on 10 required skills not yet in the profile.

From agricultural technician

24%

Overlap1

To soil scientist

12 Skills carried over

10 Required, not held

76.8 Difficulty2

Career overlap Distant match

24%

Learning distance A rebuild

76.8/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 Share of the soil scientist role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the agricultural technician 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 soil scientist role treats 4 of its required skills as things a agricultural technician already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

apply safety procedures in laboratory
gather experimental data
soil science
write work-related reports

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

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held inspect agricultural fields information skills
already held advise on fertiliser and herbicide communication, collaboration and creativity
already held soil science natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held sustainable agricultural production principles agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
already held plant harvest methods agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary
already held agricultural equipment agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary

All 12 carried skills, including the 4 the soil scientist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 42 missing skills fall into 11 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 agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary 2 required, 7 supplementary

required, not held crop production principles required
required, not held soil structure required

optional, not held agroforestry optional
optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
optional, not held irrigation systems optional
optional, not held plant propagation optional
optional, not held agronomical production principles optional
optional, not held agronomy optional
optional, not held fertilisation principles optional

02 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 2 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held ecology required
required, not held geology required

optional, not held habitat restoration optional
optional, not held hydrology optional
optional, not held climate change impact optional

03 information skills 1 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held conduct soil sample tests required

optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held record survey data optional
optional, not held develop scientific research protocols optional
optional, not held perform scientific research optional
optional, not held prepare surveying report optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held advise on nature conservation required

optional, not held advise on soil and water protection optional
optional, not held implement biodiversity action plans optional
optional, not held liaise with crop growers optional
optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional

05 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held soil mechanics required

optional, not held surveying methods optional
optional, not held environmental engineering optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional
optional, not held surveying optional

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

required, not held perform laboratory tests required

optional, not held operate surveying instruments optional
optional, not held adjust surveying equipment optional

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a soil scientist 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 apply safety procedures in laboratory skill
already held gather experimental data skill
already held soil science knowledge
already held write work-related reports skill
already held advise on fertiliser and herbicide skill
already held agricultural equipment knowledge
already held biology knowledge
already held conduct field work skill
already held inspect agricultural fields skill
already held laboratory techniques knowledge
already held plant harvest methods knowledge
already held sustainable agricultural production principles knowledge

The 5 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 business, administration and law 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held European pesticide legislation required

optional, not held environmental legislation optional

08 generic programmes and qualifications 1 required

required, not held scientific literature required

09 handling and moving 4 supplementary

optional, not held apply sustainable tillage techniques optional
optional, not held collect samples optional
optional, not held ensure soil fertility optional
optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional

10 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held develop irrigation strategies optional

11 social sciences, journalism and information 1 supplementary

optional, not held government policy optional

32 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held advise on soil and water protection optional
optional, not held agroforestry optional
optional, not held apply sustainable tillage techniques optional
optional, not held collect samples optional
optional, not held conduct land surveys optional
optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
optional, not held develop irrigation strategies optional
optional, not held ensure soil fertility optional
optional, not held habitat restoration optional
optional, not held hydrology optional
optional, not held implement biodiversity action plans optional
optional, not held irrigation systems optional
optional, not held liaise with crop growers optional
optional, not held operate surveying instruments optional
optional, not held plant propagation optional
optional, not held record survey data optional
optional, not held surveying methods optional
optional, not held adjust surveying equipment optional
optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional
optional, not held agronomical production principles optional
optional, not held agronomy optional
optional, not held climate change impact optional
optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
optional, not held develop scientific research protocols optional
optional, not held environmental engineering optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held fertilisation principles optional
optional, not held government policy optional
optional, not held perform scientific research optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional
optional, not held prepare surveying report optional
optional, not held surveying optional

31 held skills the soil scientist role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise on crop diseases skill
not needed by the target role aeroponics knowledge
not needed by the target role agricultural chemicals knowledge
not needed by the target role agricultural raw materials, seeds and animal feed products knowledge
not needed by the target role analyse environmental data skill
not needed by the target role analyse scientific data skill
not needed by the target role analyse test data skill
not needed by the target role aquaculture industry knowledge
not needed by the target role aquaculture reproduction knowledge
not needed by the target role assess crop damage skill
not needed by the target role chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role collect weather-related data skill
not needed by the target role culture aquaculture hatchery stocks skill
not needed by the target role evaluate vineyard problems skill
not needed by the target role evaluate vineyard quality skill
not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
not needed by the target role horticulture principles knowledge
not needed by the target role hydroponics knowledge
not needed by the target role integrated food-energy systems knowledge
not needed by the target role irrigate soil skill
not needed by the target role maintain aquaculture containers skill
not needed by the target role maintain laboratory equipment skill
not needed by the target role maintain tanks for viticulture skill
not needed by the target role maintain waterbased aquaculture facilities skill
not needed by the target role manage crop production skill
not needed by the target role monitor crops skill
not needed by the target role monitor fisheries skill
not needed by the target role prevent crop disorders skill
not needed by the target role provide advice to farmers skill
not needed by the target role research improvement of crop yields skill
not needed by the target role viticulture knowledge

23 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 European pesticide legislation required
required, not held crop production principles required
required, not held soil mechanics required
required, not held soil structure required
required, not held ecology required
required, not held geology required
required, not held scientific literature required
optional, not held agroforestry optional
optional, not held conservation agriculture optional
optional, not held habitat restoration optional
optional, not held hydrology optional
optional, not held irrigation systems optional
optional, not held plant propagation optional
optional, not held surveying methods optional
optional, not held agronomical production principles optional
optional, not held agronomy optional
optional, not held climate change impact optional
optional, not held environmental engineering optional
optional, not held environmental legislation optional
optional, not held fertilisation principles optional
optional, not held government policy optional
optional, not held pollution prevention optional
optional, not held surveying optional

Index

Other moves recorded from agricultural technician

Full index of moves from agricultural technician

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.