Posts filed under 'Professional Registration'
Are You Delaying Taking the P.E. Test or Getting Another Certification….Why?
Featured Guest Blogger: Anthony Fasano, P.E., CPC, LEED AP
Maser Consulting
Associate Civil Engineer and Certified Professional Career Development Coach
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This down economy is providing many of us with some down time due to lack of work. Whether there is some down time at the office or you are currently unemployed. What are you doing with that down time? Why not spend it pursuing a license or certification that will add value to your credentials?
I know many engineers that have the work experience required to take the P.E. test, and have even passed part one of the exam (the F.E.), however they just won’t fill out the application and sit for the exam. People make all kinds of excuses like, the application is difficult, no time to study, I don’t really need the license because my boss signs the plans, etc. The same goes for other certifications like the LEED AP. I hear people saying that the LEED exam takes too much memorization and they don’t have time for that.
In the coaching world, we call these excuses “blocks” because they are blocking you from achieving a goal. There are two kinds of blocks, interior and exterior blocks. Interior blocks are things like self-doubt and fear. For example many people won’t sign up for the test for fear of failure. They think about what would happen if they failed, what would people think, etc. On the other hand, people may have fear of passing, yes that’s right passing. They fear additional responsibilities or attention that they would rather avoid. So how do you overcome these blocks without a coach? You can do some self-coaching by asking yourself the following questions:
- What is holding me back from taking the next step to achieving this goal?
- What can I do today to help me overcome that challenge?
- What would my career look like if I passed the test?
- How would it affect my salary, my job standing, my family?
- What will my career look like in 5 years if I pass the test? If I don’t pass the test?
Write out the answers and be very descriptive and specific. Then re-read the answers. Many times seeing the value of the certification in these terms will help to eliminate these inner blocks.
Exterior blocks would be things like time and money. To overcome exterior blocks you will most likely have to put an action plan together. For example if you say you don’t have enough time to study, set up a detailed study schedule. Maybe you study a half an hour each day before or after work or dedicate lunch a few times a week for studying. If you establish a plan and stick with it, you will eliminate the exterior blocks.
I hope this article was helpful in moving you closer to your certifications, now go sign up for that test!
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
8 comments November 18, 2009
Unlicensed Civil Engineers Posing as PEs
By Carol Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
Amanda Kolson Hurley, Executive Editor at ARCHITECT Magazine, wrote a great article: Trust Me. I’m An (Unlicensed) Architect. The subheader reads “If you don’t have an architectural license, it’s illegal to call yourself an architect or perform architectural services—but people still do. Who are they, who’s policing them, and can they be stopped?” This well written article sites enforcement actions taken by states. It got me thinking, who is policing the civil engineering community?
As I Googled “civil engineers license violation” I found myself at the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. They state that while they have some criminal prosecutions…Citations are an alternative to criminal prosecutions which the Board can use to enforce the laws prohibiting unlicensed practice of engineering or land surveying. When a fine is levied with a citation, payment of the fine represents satisfactory resolution of the matter. The State’s criminal and citation listings have not been updated since 2007.
In 2003, NSPE approved their guidelines for NSPE State Chapters in addressing unlicensed practice of engineering. The report, now 6 years old, reported the finding that the most frequent violation cited by State Boards was that of unlicensed practice. Has this been updated? Are there new numbers tracking violations? I hope to have some answers in a future BLOG. In speaking with several officers of state chapters of NSPE, I found that policing has become increasingly difficult for the states. Self-policing by the state chapters, as opposed to relying on the individual state licensing boards is taking on a life of it’s own. Models for programs to give more support to State Licensing Boards are being developed.
With so many civil engineers still looking for work, some licensed and many not, I wonder if desperation will breed fraud? The majority of civil engineering firms now run their own employment background checks including license verification. But, what about the average individual consumer, looking to hire, for example, a structural engineer for inspection? How many check with the local licensing boards? One would hope everyone! Realistically…probably not that many.
What do you think and what do you know?
civil engineering jobs :: civil engineering resumes :: civil engineering blog :: civil engineering discussion
8 comments October 28, 2009
Engineering Ethics… Is There Ever A Question?
By Carol Metzner
President, The Metzner Group, LLC and
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC home of CivilEngineeringCentral.com
Several studies conducted across the world suggest that the majority of engineering failures can be traced to a deficiency in engineering ethics. Specifically, someone was dishonest in their business dealings as they cut corners to save a dollar or keep a project on schedule. Perhaps they evaluated a situation that they were not competent to assess. In either case a failure occurs and an engineer’s ethics are called into question. Is there ever a grey area when pondering ethics in engineering?
In 1995 thirty-five faculty from across the US and eight undergraduate fellows, gathered to develop engineering ethics resource material across engineering disciplines. Numerical and ethical problems were developed with the support of the National Science Foundation. These materials have made their way into many engineering ethics courses. As I reviewed the civil engineering problems, I, a non engineer, paused trying to think how to answer the ethical issues. For example, in one scenerio, a new female PE, is sent to a construction site to oversee the construction of her first sealed design (a parking garage). After a day of heckling, whistling and additional lack of respect from the construction team on site, she returned to her civil engineering office and sought her colleagues/supervisors responses to issues she had confronted. Getting their input she returned for day two. Concrete is poured and a delay ensues. She confronts the construction supervisor and advised him that if a delay continues, then the poured concrete will need to be removed to avoid a structurally unsound joint. The construction supervisor advises her that her inexperience and lack of construction knowledge leaves her with inadequate knowledge to make an accurate assessment in this case. He assures her that the joint will be sound and she is forced to make a decision to continue or place the project on delay. Under pressure she backs down. Guess what happens? Six months later a crack develops where the cold joint was and two years later an earthquake collapses that part of the garage severaly injuring people. The young PE and her company are found liable.
Some good ethical questions come out of this tragedy: When do you let a new engineer go to a site alone? There has to be a first time at some point. When she returned after the first day describing the adverse working conditions, should she had been sent back out alone? Should the contractor be held liable also?
On the CivilEngineeringCentral Group on LINKEDIN, one member commented “if one has been in the engineering industry long enough, properly resolving ethical ambiguities are inevitable.” He so eloquently continues that when confronted he makes an “attempt to resolve any ethical dilemma through thoughtful deliberation first (never acting impulsively), then by calling my local PE Board for advice, who are exceptionally helpful, then finally as difficult as it might be, by confronting those who are central to the dilemma to offer an opportunity to arrive at an acceptable resolution prior to moving forward with reporting a transgression that might have crossed the line.”
The majority of us have an internal compass that moves when we are off center. When something doesn’t feel right we know it in our gut. We need to trust our instincts, talk with our mentors and our colleagues and make the good solid ethical choices. As ASCE so plainly states: Ethics is a cornerstone of civil engineering practice.
Civil Engineering Jobs :: Civil Engineering Resumes :: Civil Engineering Blog :: Linkedin Discussion
9 comments May 11, 2009
To PE, or Not to PE? That is the Question.
By Matt Barcus
President, Precision Executive Search, Inc.
Managing Partner, A/E/P Central, LLC
CivilEngineeringCentral.com
Is NOT pursuing your Professional Engineering license even an option? If you are a member of the consulting world (and possibly other worlds), the answer is “NO!” When entering the field of engineering, especially as a consultant, pursuing one’s Professional Engineering license is a must. It lends itself to a higher level of credibility and respect, it shows initiative, shows understanding and knowledge, and it allows for a level of trust by the community within which you work that you might not otherwise receive. Quite honestly, who wants to put the engineering of a dam or a bridge in the hands of an unlicensed engineer just because they have 25 years of experience, even if they hand off the plans to be signed by a PE? Not me; not the public; and not the owner of that bridge or dam. If that was the case, then I would prefer you put the prefix “Dr.” in front of my last name, as I have successfully nurtured back to health my three children time and time again after diagnosing them with headaches, colds, flu, fevers, and other various ailments. Luckily I have been able to successfully nurse them back to health; but if I make one error or neglect a certain symptom that lands them in the hospital as a result, I’m in big trouble. Often times I speak to engineers by self imposed title, not by registration. They may have a BS, they may or may not have passed their Fundamentals of Engineering examination, but for some reason they have not fully pursued their P.E. license. As a search consultant, I always inquire as to why? Here are the top three responses, with my two cents added:
A. “My college professors never really pushed registration.”
Shame on your professor, shame on the university you attended. Someone deserves a letter of reprimand. If it’s not too late, take the FE Exam – it’s a lot of book/classroom material; move quickly so you are not too far removed from this information. The Dean of the engineering program at your Alma Mater should be informed that s/he needs to change their philosophy. By NOT pushing registration to the student body, they are holding back their students from long term opportunity.
B. “My boss said it wasn’t really necessary.”
If your boss is not pushing it, s/he may be threatened by you – threatened that you may advance more rapidly then them once you have your P.E. Or threatened that you may leave as you will become more marketable to the competition. If this is the case, get out while you can.
C. “Work/Life/Family got too crazy.”
You’re preachin’ to the choir, my friend. Everyone is working crazy hours and is so busy at home. That is no excuse these days…in fact, it’s 1AM on a Wednesday morning and here I am writing this article after putting in a full day of work at the office. Your employer should be supporting you in the registration process and making sure they give you the appropriate training, mentorship, and study time. For those that were not given this opportunity earlier in your career, it may be too late. Eventually you get married, start a family, and then it REALLY becomes difficult. GET IT DONE EARLY.
So, unless you have the desire to be a glorified engineering technician (not that there is anything wrong with that), make the pursuit of your P.E. license your number one priority early in your career. I can’t tell you how many times I have presented a candidate who has all the technical, project, operations and marketing experience that my client is looking for, but they will not even consider the candidate because they do not have their license. Is this closed minded? Maybe. Is it reality? Definitely.
Add comment May 15, 2008
