As brief introduction, I wrote this post about a week ago, and I never posted it because I wasn’t sure if I felt it would be useful to people who aren’t civil engineers. But I think I’m also stuck on a larger issue: If I’m not sure what I want to do, is it a good idea to pursue a certain path “just in case?” Let me know what you think…
Here is my conundrum: Should I, or should I not take the Fundamentals of Engineering (F.E.) Exam this April? And more importantly, is it critical that I become a Professional Engineer?
In the field of Civil Engineering, one must be a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in order to stamp the requisite seal of approval on any and all design specification documents. And, there is no denying that – as in any professional title – being able to add “P.E.” after your name indicates to the world your credibility in the field. Indeed, those two capitalized letters scream, “I know my sh*t.”
To become a Professional Engineer, one must first take and pass the F.E. Exam (8, yes EIGHT, hours long), at which point he or she is considered an Engineer in Training. The EIT must then work under a Professional Engineer for 5 years before taking the Professional Engineering Exam, and registering as a PE in their U.S. state(s) of employment.
So, I’m wondering if it would be beneficial for me to become a Professional Engineer. Is this a useful credential to have even if I plan to work predominantly outside of the US? Is it worth it for me to pursue a conventional career at an engineering firm for 5 years so to gain the credibility that might be necessary to have a real impact in the field of sustainable development later on in my life? Am I willing to sacrifice my desire to work on projects I really care about – in a less structured setting – during a time in my life when I am not tied down by financial responsibilities?
And, dare I ask: what if I don’t know what I want to do now, let alone in the future? What if I'm not sure I want to be an engineer?
The FE is 8 hours and horrible, true, but it's pass/fail and not THAT bad. Keep in mind that depending on the project level, EWB requires chapters to have a mentor with a PE. It's still relevant even if the projects are outside the US. One thing they told us as grad students - if the department head has a PE (and for civils, this is more often the case), then after your graduate work you have "worked under a PE", even if you weren't working with the person directly. Then you can get a few years towards that end as long as the head signs off on it, which they usually will. I imagine this might apply if you work for a nonprofit as well. If CMU subsidizes the cost of the FE (my undergrad refunded half the cost if you passed), all the better. It's nice to keep your options open at this point, I think. I took the FE and don't think I'll be needing it, but I might want to work for the EPA and need to be a PE so it's nice to have that option.
ReplyDeleteI took FE. The hours were really long. But the test itself is much easier than the preparing materials. Agree with Melissa. Keep your options open.
ReplyDeleteDo you lose anything for taking it? If not, why NOT take it even if you don't plan on working under a PE for 5 years? How long does it last, the passing of the test?
ReplyDeleteBrad - I remembered that there was a limit, but it's damn hard to use the NCEES site for anything useful. Finally I found http://www.feexamreview.com/faq/ (validity rating: meh) that says EIT status expires in 8 years. Googling makes me unsure if both EIT status AND FE scores expire; might be state-specific. Good thing for me to be aware of anyway...grad school counts for two years of training, but lasts for five, so I'll have three years to get two years' experience in. Hm.
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