Being professionally registered, I won't vote, but thinking back about my own experience, I put it off for years because it was very daunting, even though I had been working in responsible positions with complex systems in some of the country's leading infrastructure projects leading to that point. The IEE was a very different place to the IET, but I guess it still looks like a big hill to climb.

The best advice I can give to anyone thinking of starting the process is speak to a Professional Registration Advisor, who will help take the veil of the mystical process, tell you what to expect based on your experience, and hopefully give you some advice on how to prepare for the interview.

In my extensive search, the term ‘leader’ appears to be conspicuously absent.

tricksandtraps said:

Forgive me but engineer is like leader. An unprotected title.

'Chartered Engineer', 'Incorporated Engineer' and 'Engineering Technician' are, however, protected iby legislation and Royal Charter..

AMK said:

Could you share whether attaining the status of Chartered Engineer has provided tangible benefits in your career , or was it primarily pursued as a personal achievement akin to my own aspirations.

That is, for me, really difficult to answer.

It's made things easier in some cases - in reality, I think, CEng and EurIng have been more recognizable internationally, and in certain specific sectors in the UK, but not all. In fact, in some sectors of the industry, there's an extra burden of proof to "work on the tools" if you are CEng (regardless of how you got there ... like an "inverted snobbery").

Post Grenfell, who knows?

When CEng, IEng and EngTech stopped being considered a "qualification" (by legislation - prior to that, it was consider a qualification legally and professionally) was a really bad day for industry in the UK, and at the time I don't think our UK Institutions:

(a) helped fight for the value of what we had; and

(b) realized what we would lose (and now, sadly, have lost).

Your message contained a reference to Grenfell (Tower Fire) and indirectly to Dame Judith Hackitt proposals to fix the construction industry.

What is the name of the UK law (so I can review it), that disallowed people who are CEng, IEng and EngTech from being considered qualified.

How did it pass muster at the IET - did  Dr. Joanna Cox (IET Head of Policy) approve it?

On another topic mentioned in another of your messages- Has the IET obtained a new extension of the Royal Charter from your new King?

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay Florida 

AMK said:

Could you share whether attaining the status of Chartered Engineer has provided tangible benefits in your career , or was it primarily pursued as a personal achievement akin to my own aspirations.

Initially for the latter reason, I have a pretty awful degree and I thought being CEng might distract recruiters from that. I don't actually think that works, recruiters who are only worried about tick boxes for qualifications won't get distracted from them by anything, and engineers involved in recruitment are (quite rightly) usually more interested in actual track record. Still, since my employers were paying for it it was worth a try.

However, nowadays the first part applies - it is a requirement for my job that we are Chartered. Why? Because I work in a consultancy, and it's part of our credibility that those at Principal level have been accredited by a third party as showing professional competence. I possibly could have got my first consultancy job without being Chartered (I possibly could have got it just on my industry reputation), but possibly not, and in any case they would have needed me to get it asap.

Peter Brooks said:

What is the name of the UK law (so I can review it), that disallowed people who are CEng, IEng and EngTech from being considered qualified.

Hi,

I don't think that's quite what Graham said? But I'll admit I didn't know these ever were considered a "qualification". If they were I'll admit that (and this is very rare for me!) I'd have to disagree with Graham, I don't think they should count as a "qualification". My IEE certificate says that I am a "Chartered Electrical Engineer", but I do not have any competence in electrical engineering and should not be considered qualified to do any electrical engineering work. Since the broadening into the IET this is even more true, CEng (or IEng or EngTech) doesn't give any indication of your competence to do any particular piece of engineering, what it does (hopefully) do is indicate that what ever your skills and knowledge are you will apply them professionally. And that really is quite useful.

P.S. I'm pretty competent up to 50V ac and 75V dc, above that I don't want to know...it bites!

Thanks,

Andy

One piece of safety advice about playing around with voltages over 75 V dc - Keep one hand in your pocket .

The first place I worked at in the UK the electricians were not issued with meters. In order to check if a circuit was live (440 volts) they would wet the tips of two adjacent fingers then touch the bare wires or terminals, to see if they experience tingling. 

Peter 

In case anyone is tempted to try...

I'd expect a tingle even at 75V. I'd expect to burn away chunks of finger at 220 or 440 between adjacent fingers, indeed  while at school I managed a mains 230V shock that left impressive burn marks in my hands and got me the afternoon off. (school play and stage wiring....)

A dry skin brushing contact may be 'high resistance', but is often more than enough  enough for muscular convulsions - please do not lick any body parts you may enliven.

A single point touch of 240, completing the circuit through the capacitance of the body to ground, maybe aided and abetted by slightly conductive footwear from sweaty feet, is quite enough for sensation - and if there is any risk at all, use the back of the hand, so the muscle spasm disconnects, rather than makes you grip tighter.

I think they were probably winding you up a bit.

Mike.

Hi Peter, just to clarify but Dr Joanna Cox is not the Head of Policy at the IET? And King Charles is indeed  Patron of the IET as recently reported in IET Member News: https://www.theiet.org/membership/member-news/member-news-2024/member-news-april-to-june-2024/hm-the-king-becomes-iet-patron . 

Hi Peter, just to clarify but Dr Joanna Cox is not the Head of Policy at the IET? And King Charles is indeed  Patron of the IET as recently reported in IET Member News: https://www.theiet.org/membership/member-news/member-news-2024/member-news-april-to-june-2024/hm-the-king-becomes-iet-patron . 

Hello Lisa. My Grenfell Tower fire file from early 2018 shows the IET sponsored a couple of special industry wide meetings. Dame Judith Hackitt was not invited - however for the first she was on vacation in the US. The IET/HPS event was called "Hi-Rise Building. A safer future through technology", and was held at the IET Headquarters. 

My records show that Dr. Joanna Cox was identified as the IET Head of policy at that time.