Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

surface-mount technology machine operatortoprinted circuit board test technician

A surface-mount technology machine operator already meets 36% of what the printed circuit board test technician role asks for. The move turns on 17 required skills not yet in the profile.

From surface-mount technology machine operator
36%
Overlap1
To printed circuit board test technician
18 Skills carried over
17 Required, not held
68.9 Difficulty2
Career overlap Distant match

36%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

68.9/ 100

1 Share of the printed circuit board test technician role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the surface-mount technology machine operator 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 printed circuit board test technician role treats 9 of its required skills as things a surface-mount technology machine operator already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • check for solder defects
  • electronics
  • ensure conformity to specifications
  • inspect quality of products
  • interpret circuit diagrams
  • printed circuit boards

What stands in the way is 17 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 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A printed circuit board test technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a surface-mount technology machine operator background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held operate automated optical inspection machine working with machinery and specialised equipment
  • already held IPC standards engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held check for solder defects constructing
  • already held surface-mount technology engineering, manufacturing and construction
  • already held printed circuit boards information and communication technologies (icts)
  • already held microelectronics engineering, manufacturing and construction

All 18 carried skills, including the 9 the printed circuit board test technician role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 30 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 engineering, manufacturing and construction 4 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held in-circuit test required
  • required, not held electronic equipment standards required
  • required, not held instrument performance elements required
  • required, not held integrated circuits required
  • optional, not held through-hole technology optional
  • optional, not held semiconductors optional
02 constructing 3 required, 3 supplementary
  • required, not held perform in-circuit test required
  • required, not held test printed circuit boards required
  • required, not held perform test run required
  • optional, not held apply soldering techniques optional
  • optional, not held maintain test equipment optional
  • optional, not held test hardware optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 3 supplementary
  • required, not held communicate test results to other departments required
  • required, not held troubleshoot required
  • optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
  • optional, not held research equipment needs optional
  • optional, not held write inspection reports optional
04 information skills 2 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held ensure material compliance required
  • required, not held measure electrical characteristics required
  • optional, not held write records for repairs optional
05 assisting and caring 2 required
  • required, not held abide by regulations on banned materials required
  • required, not held process customer requests based on the REACh Regulation 1907 2006 required
06 handling and moving 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held send faulty equipment back to assembly line required
  • optional, not held remove defective products optional

5 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a printed circuit board test technician 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 18 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held check for solder defects skill
  • already held electronics knowledge
  • already held ensure conformity to specifications skill
  • already held inspect quality of products skill
  • already held interpret circuit diagrams skill
  • already held printed circuit boards knowledge
  • already held read assembly drawings skill
  • already held read standard blueprints skill
  • already held report defective manufacturing materials skill
  • already held IPC standards knowledge
  • already held apply technical communication skills skill
  • already held keep records of work progress skill
  • already held microelectronics knowledge
  • already held monitor machine operations skill
  • already held operate automated optical inspection machine skill
  • already held quality standards knowledge
  • already held resolve equipment malfunctions skill
  • already held surface-mount technology knowledge
The 5 learning areas not shown above
Skill to acquire Tier
07 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • required, not held printed circuit boards testing methods required
  • optional, not held hardware testing methods optional
08 business, administration and law 1 required
  • required, not held quality assurance procedures required
09 management skills 1 required
  • required, not held meet deadlines required
10 health and welfare 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held automated optical inspection optional
11 services 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held waste removal regulations optional
13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held automated optical inspection optional
  • optional, not held through-hole technology optional
  • optional, not held waste removal regulations optional
  • optional, not held write records for repairs optional
  • optional, not held apply soldering techniques optional
  • optional, not held hardware testing methods optional
  • optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
  • optional, not held maintain test equipment optional
  • optional, not held remove defective products optional
  • optional, not held research equipment needs optional
  • optional, not held semiconductors optional
  • optional, not held test hardware optional
  • optional, not held write inspection reports optional
18 held skills the printed circuit board test technician role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role apply health and safety standards skill
  • not needed by the target role assemble printed circuit boards skill
  • not needed by the target role carry out shipping orders for parts skill
  • not needed by the target role clean printed circuit board skill
  • not needed by the target role coat printed circuit board skill
  • not needed by the target role dispose of hazardous waste skill
  • not needed by the target role ensure public safety and security skill
  • not needed by the target role maintain electronic systems skill
  • not needed by the target role operate SMT placement equipment skill
  • not needed by the target role operate wave soldering machine skill
  • not needed by the target role oversee logistics of finished products skill
  • not needed by the target role prepare board for soldering skill
  • not needed by the target role provide power connection from bus bars skill
  • not needed by the target role repair electronic components skill
  • not needed by the target role replace defect components skill
  • not needed by the target role solder components onto electronic board skill
  • not needed by the target role use CAM software skill
  • not needed by the target role use diagnostic tools for electronic repairs skill
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 in-circuit test required
  • required, not held electronic equipment standards required
  • required, not held instrument performance elements required
  • required, not held integrated circuits required
  • required, not held printed circuit boards testing methods required
  • required, not held quality assurance procedures required
  • optional, not held automated optical inspection optional
  • optional, not held through-hole technology optional
  • optional, not held waste removal regulations optional
  • optional, not held hardware testing methods optional
  • optional, not held semiconductors optional
Index

Other moves recorded from surface-mount technology machine operator

Full index of moves from surface-mount technology machine operator

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.