Table 1Transition record

pharmaceutical engineertomaterials engineer

A pharmaceutical engineer already meets 39% of what the materials engineer role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

From pharmaceutical engineer

39%

Overlap1

To materials engineer

14 Skills carried over

14 Required, not held

66.5 Difficulty2

Career overlap Distant match

39%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

66.5/ 100

Easy adjacentmoderatesubstantialcareer change Hard

1 Share of the materials engineer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the pharmaceutical 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 materials engineer role treats 13 of its required skills as things a pharmaceutical engineer already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

adjust engineering designs
analytical chemistry
apply health and safety standards
approve engineering design
assess environmental impact
chemistry

What stands in the way is 14 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 materials engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a pharmaceutical engineer background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held forecast organisational risks information skills
already held perform chemical experiments working with machinery and specialised equipment
already held work with chemicals handling and moving
already held analytical chemistry natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
already held test chemical samples information skills
already held assess environmental impact assisting and caring

All 14 carried skills, including the 13 the materials engineer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 33 missing skills fall into 7 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 5 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held integrated design required
required, not held sustainable building materials required
required, not held manufacturing processes required
required, not held material mechanics required
required, not held materials engineering required

optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
optional, not held green chemistry optional
optional, not held properties of textile materials optional
optional, not held rubber technology optional
optional, not held types of plastic optional
optional, not held electricity optional
optional, not held mechanics optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held types of metal optional

02 information skills 4 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held develop advanced materials required
required, not held analyse production processes for improvement required
required, not held develop material testing procedures required
required, not held test materials required

optional, not held assess the feasibility of implementing developments optional

03 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 3 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held advanced materials required
required, not held composite materials required
required, not held thermoplastic materials required

optional, not held basic chemicals optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held create solutions to problems required
required, not held integrate new products in manufacturing required

optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional
optional, not held advise on waste management procedures optional
optional, not held design prototypes optional
optional, not held develop chemical products optional

05 business, administration and law 2 supplementary

optional, not held pollution legislation optional
optional, not held quality standards optional

06 management skills 1 supplementary

optional, not held define quality standards optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a materials 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 14 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held adjust engineering designs skill
already held analytical chemistry knowledge
already held apply health and safety standards skill
already held approve engineering design skill
already held assess environmental impact skill
already held chemistry knowledge
already held engineering principles knowledge
already held engineering processes knowledge
already held forecast organisational risks skill
already held perform chemical experiments skill
already held perform scientific research skill
already held test chemical samples skill
already held work with chemicals skill
already held laboratory techniques knowledge

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 working with machinery and specialised equipment 1 supplementary

optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional

19 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
optional, not held green chemistry optional
optional, not held pollution legislation optional
optional, not held properties of textile materials optional
optional, not held rubber technology optional
optional, not held types of plastic optional
optional, not held advise on pollution prevention optional
optional, not held advise on waste management procedures optional
optional, not held assess the feasibility of implementing developments optional
optional, not held basic chemicals optional
optional, not held define quality standards optional
optional, not held design prototypes optional
optional, not held develop chemical products optional
optional, not held electricity optional
optional, not held mechanics optional
optional, not held perform laboratory tests optional
optional, not held quality standards optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held types of metal optional

45 held skills the materials engineer role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role analyse medication's impact on brain skill
not needed by the target role biological chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role chemical preservation knowledge
not needed by the target role computational chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role conduct public presentations skill
not needed by the target role contribute to registration of pharmaceutical products skill
not needed by the target role design pharmaceutical manufacturing systems skill
not needed by the target role develop pharmaceutical drugs skill
not needed by the target role drug administration regulations knowledge
not needed by the target role electrical instrumentation engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure compliance with environmental legislation skill
not needed by the target role ensure compliance with safety legislation skill
not needed by the target role evaluate pharmaceutical manufacturing process skill
not needed by the target role examine engineering principles skill
not needed by the target role good manufacturing practices knowledge
not needed by the target role human physiology knowledge
not needed by the target role improve safety of medicines skill
not needed by the target role industrial research and development knowledge
not needed by the target role industrial software knowledge
not needed by the target role intellectual property law knowledge
not needed by the target role manage chemical testing procedures skill
not needed by the target role manage pharmaceutical production facilities construction skill
not needed by the target role mechanical engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role monitor plant production skill
not needed by the target role packaging engineering knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmaceutical chemistry knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmaceutical drug development knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmaceutical industry knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmaceutical legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmaceutical manufacturing quality systems knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmacology knowledge
not needed by the target role pharmacovigilance legislation knowledge
not needed by the target role provide technical expertise skill
not needed by the target role quality assurance methodologies knowledge
not needed by the target role scientific literature knowledge
not needed by the target role software architecture models knowledge
not needed by the target role supply chain management knowledge
not needed by the target role test pharmaceutical process skill
not needed by the target role test production input materials skill
not needed by the target role toxicology knowledge

5 further entries not listed here

20 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 advanced materials required
required, not held integrated design required
required, not held sustainable building materials required
required, not held composite materials required
required, not held manufacturing processes required
required, not held material mechanics required
required, not held materials engineering required
required, not held thermoplastic materials required
optional, not held envelope systems for buildings optional
optional, not held green chemistry optional
optional, not held pollution legislation optional
optional, not held properties of textile materials optional
optional, not held rubber technology optional
optional, not held types of plastic optional
optional, not held basic chemicals optional
optional, not held electricity optional
optional, not held mechanics optional
optional, not held quality standards optional
optional, not held semiconductors optional
optional, not held types of metal optional

Index

Other moves recorded from pharmaceutical engineer

Full index of moves from pharmaceutical 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.