Casting of metal is an area I have worked on on the back of my general metallurgical knowledge, steelworks working-with-hot-metal experience and a new skill required - the ability to use computers. 90-something% of the skills are the same, but with a computer you can probe "what if" questions cheaply, allowing you to make more complex castings and apply your skills more rewardingly.
From 2001/2002...
My credentials in casting
(PDF of 0.5MB size). Has casting pictures, shows "AutoCAD" drawings
of castings and a quite long section on using "Magma" the casting
simulator.
From 2002...
Then there is this example of classic metallurgy (linking to content
in "projects" directory) - casting stainless
steel "in air", using a tundish to clean the metal before it
finally casts into the mould
From 2009/2010...
Case-studies of various
projects in a foundry
.
The subjects are very different, but there is a similar methodology
about how to perform technical work. It is primarily something in the
character; supported by the knowledge you have accrued in education
and from experience in pursuing a technical career...