Table 1Transition record

marine biologisttobiologist

A marine biologist already meets 33% of what the biologist role asks for. The move turns on 24 required skills not yet in the profile.

From marine biologist

33%

Overlap1

To biologist

30 Skills carried over

24 Required, not held

77.1 Difficulty2

Career overlap Distant match

33%

Learning distance A rebuild

77.1/ 100

adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change

1 Share of the biologist role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the marine biologist 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 biologist role treats 14 of its required skills as things a marine biologist already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

apply scientific methods
biology
botany
collect biological data
conduct research on fauna
conduct research on flora

What stands in the way is 24 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 30 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A biologist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a marine biologist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held marine biology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held conduct fish populations studies information skills
already held inspect fish stock information skills
already held conduct research on flora information skills
already held send samples to laboratory handling and moving
already held conduct ecological research information skills

All 30 carried skills, including the 14 the biologist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 68 missing skills fall into 12 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 communication, collaboration and creativity 10 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held communicate with a non-scientific audience required
required, not held develop professional network with researchers and scientists required
required, not held disseminate results to the scientific community required
required, not held draft scientific or academic papers and technical documentation required
required, not held evaluate research activities required
required, not held increase the impact of science on policy and society required
required, not held interact professionally in research and professional environments required
required, not held promote the transfer of knowledge required
required, not held publish academic research required
required, not held write scientific publications required

optional, not held provide on-site training in aquaculture facilities optional
optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
optional, not held provide technical expertise optional
optional, not held write routine reports optional

02 information skills 8 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held apply for research funding required
required, not held apply research ethics and scientific integrity principles in research activities required
required, not held conduct research across disciplines required
required, not held demonstrate disciplinary expertise required
required, not held manage research data required
required, not held promote open innovation in research required
required, not held promote the participation of citizens in scientific and research activities required
required, not held synthesise information required

optional, not held create natural science taxonomies optional
optional, not held analyse blood samples optional
optional, not held analyse cell cultures optional
optional, not held assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations optional
optional, not held conduct genome research optional
optional, not held archive scientific documentation optional
optional, not held develop scientific research protocols optional
optional, not held report analysis results optional
optional, not held seek innovation in current practices optional

03 management skills 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held manage personal professional development required
required, not held perform project management required

optional, not held develop aquaculture breeding strategies optional

04 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required, 17 supplementary

required, not held life sciences required

optional, not held entomology optional
optional, not held herpetology optional
optional, not held lepidoptery optional
optional, not held mammalogy optional
optional, not held mycology optional
optional, not held ornithology optional
optional, not held applied zoology optional
optional, not held biological chemistry optional
optional, not held computational biology optional
optional, not held cryopreservation optional
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held proteomics optional
optional, not held stem cells optional
optional, not held synthetic biology optional
optional, not held aquatic species optional
optional, not held pharmacology optional
optional, not held toxicology optional

05 health and welfare 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held virology required

optional, not held medical parasitology optional
optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held pathology optional

06 generic programmes and qualifications 1 required

required, not held scientific literature required

6 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a biologist 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 30 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held apply scientific methods skill
already held biology knowledge
already held botany knowledge
already held collect biological data skill
already held conduct research on fauna skill
already held conduct research on flora skill
already held ecosystem management knowledge
already held gather experimental data skill
already held laboratory techniques knowledge
already held microbiology-bacteriology knowledge
already held molecular biology knowledge
already held perform scientific research skill
already held scientific research methodology knowledge
already held send samples to laboratory skill
already held chemistry knowledge
already held conduct ecological research skill
already held conduct fish mortality studies skill
already held conduct fish populations studies skill
already held ecology knowledge
already held fish anatomy knowledge
already held fish biology knowledge
already held fish identification and classification knowledge
already held habitat restoration knowledge
already held inspect fish stock skill
already held marine biology knowledge
already held monitor fish health status skill
already held oceanography knowledge
already held perform field research skill
already held write research proposals skill
already held write work-related reports skill

The 6 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with computers 1 required

required, not held manage open publications required

08 handling and moving 4 supplementary

optional, not held collect fish samples for diagnosis optional
optional, not held identify poisons optional
optional, not held screen live fish deformities optional
optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional

09 agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary 2 supplementary

optional, not held reforestation optional
optional, not held biotechnology in aquaculture optional

10 business, administration and law 2 supplementary

optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
optional, not held quality assurance methodologies optional

11 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held conserve natural resources optional

12 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary

optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional

44 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held create natural science taxonomies optional
optional, not held entomology optional
optional, not held herpetology optional
optional, not held lepidoptery optional
optional, not held mammalogy optional
optional, not held mycology optional
optional, not held ornithology optional
optional, not held analyse blood samples optional
optional, not held analyse cell cultures optional
optional, not held applied zoology optional
optional, not held assess environmental impact in aquaculture operations optional
optional, not held biological chemistry optional
optional, not held collect fish samples for diagnosis optional
optional, not held computational biology optional
optional, not held conduct genome research optional
optional, not held conserve natural resources optional
optional, not held cryopreservation optional
optional, not held develop aquaculture breeding strategies optional
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held identify poisons optional
optional, not held medical parasitology optional
optional, not held proteomics optional
optional, not held provide on-site training in aquaculture facilities optional
optional, not held reforestation optional
optional, not held screen live fish deformities optional
optional, not held stem cells optional
optional, not held synthetic biology optional
optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
optional, not held aquatic species optional
optional, not held archive scientific documentation optional
optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held biotechnology in aquaculture optional
optional, not held collect samples for analysis optional
optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
optional, not held develop scientific research protocols optional
optional, not held pathology optional
optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional
optional, not held pharmacology optional
optional, not held provide technical expertise optional
optional, not held quality assurance methodologies optional

4 further entries not listed here

14 held skills the biologist role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role advise on nature conservation skill
not needed by the target role analyse fish samples for diagnosis skill
not needed by the target role biotechnology knowledge
not needed by the target role coastal management knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct ecological surveys skill
not needed by the target role control aquatic production environment skill
not needed by the target role develop aquaculture strategies skill
not needed by the target role monitor water quality skill
not needed by the target role organism taxonomy knowledge
not needed by the target role perform data analysis skill
not needed by the target role physics knowledge
not needed by the target role physiology of animals knowledge
not needed by the target role treat fish diseases skill
not needed by the target role wind energy knowledge

27 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 life sciences required
required, not held scientific literature required
required, not held virology required
optional, not held entomology optional
optional, not held herpetology optional
optional, not held lepidoptery optional
optional, not held mammalogy optional
optional, not held mycology optional
optional, not held ornithology optional
optional, not held applied zoology optional
optional, not held biological chemistry optional
optional, not held computational biology optional
optional, not held cryopreservation optional
optional, not held genomics optional
optional, not held medical parasitology optional
optional, not held proteomics optional
optional, not held reforestation optional
optional, not held stem cells optional
optional, not held synthetic biology optional
optional, not held animal welfare legislation optional
optional, not held aquatic species optional
optional, not held biosecurity optional
optional, not held biotechnology in aquaculture optional
optional, not held pathology optional
optional, not held pharmacology optional
optional, not held quality assurance methodologies optional
optional, not held toxicology optional

Index

Other moves recorded from marine biologist

Full index of moves from marine biologist

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.