For years, becoming a Chartered Engineer was something I kept meaning to do but never quite started.
I had the qualifications, the experience, and the professional membership. What I really lacked was momentum.
Why I Put It Off for So Long
The biggest blocker was compiling my experience in chronological order on the application form. I had been working for 20 years so remembering and cramming it all into a few pages was daunting.
I think a lot of experienced engineers fall into the same trap. The more experience you have, the harder it feels to summarise it all into a few pages.
What Finally Changed
The shove I needed was when I looked to move up a grade at work. My "boss" blocked me with a job description. Basically, a badly written list of must-haves to perform the upgrade in position. Lots of airy-fairy statements plucked out of thin air that the person must meet to perform the job. I was doing the job already but had to prove it.
So I set about formulating a case that showed and was backed with evidence of my experience that I could meet the must-haves. I spent a few weeks with a text document open on the side of my desktop, quickly adding experience when I remembered..., reliving my past 20 years.
The document grew and grew and gradually I recounted all the projects I had worked on. I had ticked off all the job requirements (must-haves) and provided real evidence of how I met them.
I polished it a bit adding in real must-haves the job holder should have and forwarded it to my "boss" and was moved up a grade. The bonus was I now had a full career review down on paper (or digitally). The dreaded application form for chartered engineer would be easy now.
So I set about formulating a case that showed and was backed with evidence of my experience that I could meet the must-haves. I spent a few weeks with a text document open on the side of my desktop, quickly adding experience when I remembered..., reliving my past 20 years.
The document grew and grew and gradually I recounted all the projects I had worked on. I had ticked off all the job requirements (must-haves) and provided real evidence of how I met them.
I polished it a bit adding in real must-haves the job holder should have and forwarded it to my "boss" and was moved up a grade. The bonus was I now had a full career review down on paper (or digitally). The dreaded application form for chartered engineer would be easy now.
What initially felt overwhelming suddenly became manageable once I realised I already had most of the evidence—I just needed to organise and present it properly.I sought out 2 sponsors as a reference, added all my details, did some more polishing to my career history, and sent it off and waited...
I was invited for an interview shortly after. A time and date were set for me to be at a hotel in Altens to be "grilled".
I had a few weeks to prepare for my interview. The format would be for me to present for 15 minutes and then answer questions for an hour.
The application pack I had downloaded from the IET website had a guide to what was expected in the presentation and what the interview would cover.
I was invited for an interview shortly after. A time and date were set for me to be at a hotel in Altens to be "grilled".
I had a few weeks to prepare for my interview. The format would be for me to present for 15 minutes and then answer questions for an hour.
The application pack I had downloaded from the IET website had a guide to what was expected in the presentation and what the interview would cover.
Preparing for the Interview
I prepared a pack of 5 slides covering projects (maximum allowed) I have worked on and ticked off all the skills I needed to have. I then printed 3 packs with my slides, my application, training evidence, work evidence, and my CV and presented them neatly in a clear plastic folder.
I also added a couple of pics of my Tiger, the kit car I built. I felt like a software engineer I wanted to be able to show I also have electrical and mechanical hands-on skills too.
A few weeks later, I donned my suit and tie and headed for my interview. Confident I had prepared well it was time to be a shining example of a potential chartered engineer.
I met with a panel of 3 interviewers. The IET guide said there would be 2! Oh well, the more the merrier.
We introduced each other and I sat at one side of the table and they at the other. I did my presentation and quickly talked through all my slides.
I also added a couple of pics of my Tiger, the kit car I built. I felt like a software engineer I wanted to be able to show I also have electrical and mechanical hands-on skills too.
A few weeks later, I donned my suit and tie and headed for my interview. Confident I had prepared well it was time to be a shining example of a potential chartered engineer.
I met with a panel of 3 interviewers. The IET guide said there would be 2! Oh well, the more the merrier.
We introduced each other and I sat at one side of the table and they at the other. I did my presentation and quickly talked through all my slides.
The Interview Wasn’t What I Expected
The next part I was dreading, what if I couldn't answer the questions? What if I wasn't qualified? It didn't matter. What happened was a good conversation about my experience. One interviewer was leading the conversation and another was checking off where I met the skills required as I gave my answers.
What surprised me most was that it didn’t feel like an interrogation. It felt more like an experienced conversation about projects, decisions, and engineering work I had already done.The main point I had to quickly adapt to was to say I rather than we. Working as a team for so long I am accustomed to saying 'we' rather than 'I'd, which caught me out a couple of times. I had said we had created some procedure and had to correct myself and said I, one interviewer said are you sure, while the other chipped in with the front page of the procedure showing my name on the front cover as the author. Thankfully I had put a copy In the interview pack.
The rest is a bit of a blur but an enjoyable blur. It was a great opportunity to talk about what you have been doing for the last 20 years.
In the end, the interviewers came across the pictures of my Tiger and probably had just as many questions about it and how I had built it, an easy subject to talk about without any prep.
So that was it, it was about 1hr 45min when we finished, and I left confident I had done my best. My interviewers couldn't give me any indication of whether I had passed or failed. I would be contacted in due course.
6 weeks later I received an email. My application must have been good, my presentation and interview must have been good. I was invited to join the engineering council as a chartered engineer.
In the end, the interviewers came across the pictures of my Tiger and probably had just as many questions about it and how I had built it, an easy subject to talk about without any prep.
So that was it, it was about 1hr 45min when we finished, and I left confident I had done my best. My interviewers couldn't give me any indication of whether I had passed or failed. I would be contacted in due course.
6 weeks later I received an email. My application must have been good, my presentation and interview must have been good. I was invited to join the engineering council as a chartered engineer.
What I Learned From the Process
Go me! Why didn't I do that a long time ago? With a bit of effort and lots of preparation, the whole process is very straightforward and not as daunting as first thought.
Looking back, the process was far less intimidating than I had built it up to be in my head.
Looking back, the process was far less intimidating than I had built it up to be in my head.
Most of the challenge was simply taking the time to reflect properly on years of experience and organise it into evidence.
If you’re considering becoming chartered but keep putting it off, my advice would simply be to start gathering your experience together. Once you begin, it becomes much more manageable.
This also connects closely to my reflections on career change and professional growth.
A lot of the practical engineering mindset behind chartership also appears in my posts about making and problem solving.
Professional development often feels more intimidating before you start than it does once you begin.
I know how intimidating the process can feel at the start, so if you're stuck or procrastinating on chartership, you can drop me a message here.