In order to get your PE license in the US, you must first earn a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program. Next, you must pass what’s called the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam.
In addition to these two requirements, you need to gain acceptable work experience (typically a minimum of four years, but this varies by state). In most cases, this must be completed under the supervision of a PE.
Each state may have different guidelines for what is considered acceptable work experience. It is your responsibility to find out what is considered acceptable in the state where you are employed, and then to ensure that any job you take will consist of acceptable experience that you can use towards obtaining your PE license. Failure to do this could delay or prevent you from obtaining your license, and subsequently impair your engineering career development.
To find this information, contact either the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) or your state education department and ask who oversees professional licensure in your state. Then contact that organization and find out what is deemed acceptable. Compare their definition to the descriptions of prospective jobs.
In most instances, the work will probably be acceptable, but you should take the time to confirm it so you don’t get a bad surprise when you go to submit your PE application in four years.
This is a guest post by Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success. Anthony found success as an engineer at a very early age and now writes and podcasts to help other engineers do the same. Visit Anthony’s website atEngineeringCareerCoach.com and subscribe to the top 3 resources Anthony has used to become a partner in a firm at the age of 27.