Brilliant advice - starting your application early will actually highlight the parts of UK spec where you need to gain more experience and will guide your conversation on training and other opportunities. Just don't panic where it shows up gaps: management doesn't mean you need to have 20 people (or even one person) reporting to you, sustainability doesn't mean you have to have written the company's recycling policy, technical knowledge doesn't mean you have to be spending all day doing calculations.


Pulling all this together, a good strategy for anyone seeking registration at any level is:

1. Read UK Spec and any guidelines you can find (including these forums!)

• Stop panicking, remember that any competent engineer can get registered

• Speak to an IET Mentor (or PRA) about where you are now and get outline advice of where you probably already meet the criteria, and where there might be a need for more work

• Start your application, concentrating on your current role first

• If in any doubt at all, speak to your Mentor / PRA again to firm up advice of where you have gaps and what the IET would be looking for to close them

• Speak to your employer about a development plan to close those gaps. IMPORTANT: You are NOT closing those gaps to achieve registration, you ARE closing those gaps to become a better (more rounded) engineer who will add more value to the business. Perhaps a secondment to another project or team? Getting out on site more? Getting into the office more? Going out with the sales team to visit customers? Helping prepare for an ISO9001 audit, or helping solve problems after an audit?

• After that it's just review and repeat until you think you've met all the UKSpec competences. Redraft your application.

• PUT YOUR APPLICATION THROUGH A PRA BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN. Saves time and grief for everyone! Yourself very much included.

I think you can see through this why the much underused IET Mentor service can be of value, they are there to keep giving you advice right the way through this process.  https://www.theiet.org/career/professional-development/mentoring/apply-for-a-mentor/ PRAs are generally expecting to be used when you're nearly ready to submit, But I think most of us PRAs would be happy to give advice at any point.


I hate to say this, but do be wary of taking advice on registration from people you work with, including your managers and registered engineers. I've seen some very misleading advice being given - generally making registration seem much harder than it actually is. Most common I've seen is engineers being forced into management roles because "you need to be a manager to be registered".  


Good luck!


Andy

Brilliant advice - starting your application early will actually highlight the parts of UK spec where you need to gain more experience and will guide your conversation on training and other opportunities. Just don't panic where it shows up gaps: management doesn't mean you need to have 20 people (or even one person) reporting to you, sustainability doesn't mean you have to have written the company's recycling policy, technical knowledge doesn't mean you have to be spending all day doing calculations.


Pulling all this together, a good strategy for anyone seeking registration at any level is:

1. Read UK Spec and any guidelines you can find (including these forums!)

• Stop panicking, remember that any competent engineer can get registered

• Speak to an IET Mentor (or PRA) about where you are now and get outline advice of where you probably already meet the criteria, and where there might be a need for more work

• Start your application, concentrating on your current role first

• If in any doubt at all, speak to your Mentor / PRA again to firm up advice of where you have gaps and what the IET would be looking for to close them

• Speak to your employer about a development plan to close those gaps. IMPORTANT: You are NOT closing those gaps to achieve registration, you ARE closing those gaps to become a better (more rounded) engineer who will add more value to the business. Perhaps a secondment to another project or team? Getting out on site more? Getting into the office more? Going out with the sales team to visit customers? Helping prepare for an ISO9001 audit, or helping solve problems after an audit?

• After that it's just review and repeat until you think you've met all the UKSpec competences. Redraft your application.

• PUT YOUR APPLICATION THROUGH A PRA BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN. Saves time and grief for everyone! Yourself very much included.

I think you can see through this why the much underused IET Mentor service can be of value, they are there to keep giving you advice right the way through this process.  https://www.theiet.org/career/professional-development/mentoring/apply-for-a-mentor/ PRAs are generally expecting to be used when you're nearly ready to submit, But I think most of us PRAs would be happy to give advice at any point.


I hate to say this, but do be wary of taking advice on registration from people you work with, including your managers and registered engineers. I've seen some very misleading advice being given - generally making registration seem much harder than it actually is. Most common I've seen is engineers being forced into management roles because "you need to be a manager to be registered".  


Good luck!


Andy