Metallurgical or Materials Technician
What the work is
Tests techniques, procedures and applications of equipment and materials as part of processing and refining, and/or research into metals, ceramics, polymers and other materials.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Obtains, measures and prepares ore samples for testing
- Reviews and approves welding procedures
- Conducts metallurgical laboratory test work to troubleshoot performance and advise on how to improve manufacturing techniques
- Inspects, measures and assesses the quality and strength of welds to ensure they comply with standards and specifications
- Assists metallurgists and other professionals in the use of complex equipment for metal production
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional engineering workshop and testing lab that supports factories, hospitals and construction sites. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- You find the hidden flaw in a part before it ever leaves the workshop
- A drawing you finished is turned into a real part that fits the first time
- A machine that was out of action runs again because of your diagnosis
Hard days
- A part fails a test just before a delivery deadline and the client is waiting
- Documents and drawings that do not match, and a long search for which one is right
- Pressure to pass a result that you are not sure about
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 313935, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.