Table 1Transition record

automotive designertoproduct development engineering drafter

A automotive designer already meets 48% of what the product development engineering drafter role asks for. The move turns on 7 required skills not yet in the profile.

From automotive designer

48%

Overlap1

To product development engineering drafter

14 Skills carried over

7 Required, not held

51.5 Difficulty2

Career overlap Partial match

48%

Learning distance Real move, short list to learn

51.5/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 Share of the product development engineering drafter role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the automotive designer 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 product development engineering drafter role treats 9 of its required skills as things a automotive designer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

CAD software
engineering principles
engineering processes
manual draughting techniques
mathematics
read engineering drawings

What stands in the way is 7 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 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A product development engineering drafter role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a automotive designer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held use CADD software working with computers
already held manual draughting techniques arts and humanities
already held use manual draughting techniques communication, collaboration and creativity
already held build a product's physical model handling and moving
already held draw design sketches communication, collaboration and creativity
already held create a product's virtual model communication, collaboration and creativity

All 14 carried skills, including the 9 the product development engineering drafter role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 20 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 engineering, manufacturing and construction 3 required, 6 supplementary

required, not held circular economy required
required, not held design drawings required
required, not held technical drawings required

optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held electronics optional
optional, not held industrial engineering optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held manufacturing processes optional

02 management skills 2 required

required, not held create technical plans required
required, not held provide technical documentation required

03 information skills 1 required

required, not held define part requirements required

04 working with computers 1 required

required, not held use technical drawing software required

05 communication, collaboration and creativity 3 supplementary

optional, not held develop assembly instructions optional
optional, not held draft design specifications optional
optional, not held draw blueprints optional

06 business, administration and law 2 supplementary

optional, not held design management optional
optional, not held product data management optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a product development engineering drafter 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 14 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held CAD software knowledge
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held engineering processes knowledge
already held manual draughting techniques knowledge
already held mathematics knowledge
already held read engineering drawings skill
already held use CAD software skill
already held use CADD software skill
already held use manual draughting techniques skill
already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held build a product's physical model skill
already held create a product's virtual model skill
already held draw design sketches skill
already held liaise with engineers skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 arts and humanities 1 supplementary

optional, not held design principles optional

08 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary

optional, not held 3D modelling optional

13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held design management optional
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held 3D modelling optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held develop assembly instructions optional
optional, not held draft design specifications optional
optional, not held draw blueprints optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held electronics optional
optional, not held industrial engineering optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held product data management optional

34 held skills the product development engineering drafter role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role 3D printing process knowledge
not needed by the target role CADD software knowledge
not needed by the target role CAM software knowledge
not needed by the target role advanced driver assistant systems knowledge
not needed by the target role advanced materials knowledge
not needed by the target role aesthetics knowledge
not needed by the target role analyse production processes for improvement skill
not needed by the target role analyse stress resistance of products skill
not needed by the target role anticipate change in car technology skill
not needed by the target role assess operating cost skill
not needed by the target role battery design knowledge
not needed by the target role computer simulation knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct performance tests skill
not needed by the target role defense system knowledge
not needed by the target role design prototypes skill
not needed by the target role ergonomics knowledge
not needed by the target role estimate duration of work skill
not needed by the target role examine engineering principles skill
not needed by the target role execute analytical mathematical calculations skill
not needed by the target role green automotive technologies knowledge
not needed by the target role manage supplies skill
not needed by the target role material mechanics knowledge
not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
not needed by the target role mechanics of motor vehicles knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor technology trends skill
not needed by the target role perform market research skill
not needed by the target role perform physical stress tests on models skill
not needed by the target role physics knowledge
not needed by the target role synthetic natural environment knowledge
not needed by the target role use CAM software skill
not needed by the target role use spreadsheets software skill
not needed by the target role vehicle manufacturing process knowledge
not needed by the target role vehicle-to-everything technologies knowledge
not needed by the target role write stress-strain analysis reports skill

13 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 circular economy required
required, not held design drawings required
required, not held technical drawings required
optional, not held design management optional
optional, not held mechanical engineering optional
optional, not held 3D modelling optional
optional, not held design principles optional
optional, not held electrical engineering optional
optional, not held electronics optional
optional, not held industrial engineering optional
optional, not held industrial research and development optional
optional, not held manufacturing processes optional
optional, not held product data management optional

Index

Other moves recorded from automotive designer

Full index of moves from automotive designer

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.