CEng Application - How to write it?

Question

I am unsure how to write the CEng Application, especially the part under career history. 
 I have used the career manager self assessment and have drafted 4-5 examples against each competency using the STAR technique - I am happy with this, although need to tidy it up. 
 Under career history, I have included all jobs I have done in the last 10 years, however, I am unsure how to write this. 
 Is it meant to be: 
 
 An overview of my job and responsibilities 
 Around three examples of work and projects I have been involved with for my current and last job with one example for the earlier jobs. 
 
 Or: 
 
 A bigger in-depth example which covers many competencies and goes into more depth explaining the 'nitty-gritty' details of what I did and why? 
 
 I do plan on contacting a PRA, but would like to have something drafted out to discuss and refine before I approach them. 
 Can someone please advise on the best way to approach this?

Andy Millar · Accepted Answer

Hi, 
 I'd say don't delay in contacting a PRA, we're very used to seeing very rough drafts and can save you a lot of time by advising on exactly these types of points. 
 But very briefly, it's not quite any of the above. Your career history is your application, so it must cover all the competences. For most applicants I work with we usually find it's easiest to show the competences by describing two to three projects in their current role. Sometimes one has more technical responsibilities and another has more management responsibilities. But it varies a lot as it depends what your job is - which is why it's difficult to give general advice, a PRA can advise what's best for your specific case. Someone who's working on many projects at once will probably write their application slightly differently from someone who's just been working on one huge project for the last few years. 
 But you mustn't go into too much detail on "what I did and why". Many applicants think the assessors are going to act like university lecturers "marking their sums". They aren't, they want to be clear about what your responsibilities are and that you do make technical decisions, but they are not expecting you to go into huge detail to explain or justify those decisions in your application. 
 It also important to get the level of detail in the earlier parts of your career history correct, these need to tell a story as to how you ended up with the competences today, so describing what skills and experience you picked up in your previous roles. Again, this needs to vary for different applicants, particularly depending on your academic history. 
 So overall, don't have any concerns about engaging a PRA too early, it's more frustrating if we have to advise you to dismantle your application and start again than to be asked too early - in fact there's never a too early! 
 Hope that helps, 
 Andy

CEng Application - How to write it?

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