PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
(OP)
I have submitted my experience to the State twice already with a response both times that I am not detailed enough in my experience descriptions. To avoid submitting for a fourth time I have decided to post my experience that I will be submitting again. Please, any constructive criticism would be helpful as the State was not willing to provide any (I have called and e-mailed them and got nothing but vague responses....a little hypocritical if you ask me). Anyways, attached is my experience, I tried referencing the code but I did not reference paragraphs or sections because I thought that would be tedious and nothing but fluff that would seem to be filling the pages. The examiner probably would have no clue anyways. I am sure he or she does not have the ASHRAE Handbooks on hand.
Any help would be appreciated. Unfortunately I do not know any P.E.'s that have recently gone through this process.
Thanks!
Any help would be appreciated. Unfortunately I do not know any P.E.'s that have recently gone through this process.
Thanks!





RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
As for the whole referencing codes, I am pretty sure this is not what they want to see. They are more interested in seeing a clear and concise breakdown of your progressive work experience under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
PittEng88 and structSU10, I will consider breaking down my experience based on projects instead of periods of time. It is just that I did most of the same things on multiple projects over 4 years it would almost seem repetitive.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
I agree with the comments you received. The key is specificity.
You may also want to combine listing individual projects with grouping repetitive work together. For example, when I submitted my information long, long ago, I wrote something like this (this is the shortened version):
"(1) Project engineer responsible for designing a 600-ft long, double-barreled 96-inch-diameter inverted siphon with reinforced concrete inlet and outlet structures on the ####### Canal for ###### Irrigation District, CA. The inverted siphon was constructed with elliptically reinforced ASTM C-76 culvert pipe. The inlet structure includes stop-log guides for blocking off either siphon barrel.
"(2) Project engineer responsible for designing a 3.0-million-gallon ground-level welded steel water tank with 18-inch CML/C steel inlet/outlet pipeline for ######## Municipal Water District, CA. Currently serving as Resident Engineer during construction.
"(3) Project engineer responsible for designing eight reinforced concrete structures for expanding the City of #####, CA, Wastewater Treatment Plant, including a 200,000-gallon circular clarifier, headworks with two Archimedes screw pumps, oxidation ditch, etc. Assisted with design of site grading and plant piping.
"(4) Project engineer responsible for preparing schematic designs for water and reclaimed water system facilities required to serve new developments proposed in ######## Municipal Water District, CA. To date, I have completed 12 schematic designs for proposed developments ranging in size from 6 residential units on 3 acres to 1200 residential units plus commercial on 550 acres. I am currently working on 3 more similar studies. These studies require computer modeling of the District's water and reclaimed distribution systems, developing project-specific design criteria, sizing pipes and any required storage tanks, booster pumping stations, and/or pressure reducing stations, and writing a report for approval by the District's Board of Directors."
Note: the "Project engineer responsible for designing…" was suggested by my boss. If I was writing this today, I would probably just say "Designed…"
Now to your document--Here are a few specific suggestions:
You said, "I performed heat load calculations on numerous buildings." I suggest something like, "I performed heat load calculations on 27 buildings ranging in size from 30,000 sf/one story to 400,000 sf/five stories."
You said, "…design work for pipelines…" I suggest something like, "Designed water and natural gas distribution systems for seven office complexes ranging in size from three buildings (120,000 sf) on 7 acres to eight buildings (725,000 sf) on 32 acres."
When you talk about backflow prevention devices, I suggest giving size and flow rate ranges. The same goes for everything else you mention in your document. Describe sizes, capacities, etc.
I hope this helps.
==========
"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
As a young engineer during the last one year of my working experience, I have learned that Engineers need to be specific in their description. For example, "I have a long rod" and "I drive alot" doesn't really mean anything to us. I am surprised the OP doesn't know this and already applying for PE license.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
NewEngineer - I find your post a little insulting. In no way I felt I was being not detailed in the way you transcribed. In addition to this your questioning of my professional experience and aptitude as an engineer based soley on an application form I find unamusing and disrespectful. I have a bachelors degree and 4 years of experience in design work to be signed off by a P.E. Please, if you do not have any useful or constructive criticism please keep to yourself and find another post to troll on for your satisfaction.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
So I changed the margins (larger), line spacing (larger) and the font (larger).
Went
Right
Through
The trick is to be subtle. Don't use an 18 font. Increase a 11 to 12. Or 11 to 11.5.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
That is funny and sad!
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
NewEngineer may not have worded it in the most tactful fashion, but there is a grain of truth in his sentiment that I agree with. While the rules specify 4 years min, there is a certain "is that enough?" question being raised. If you get your PE now, technically you could be mentoring someone else fresh off of the boat. A few strings like that and the last guy in the chain will have enough experience to tie his shoes. Being a PE means you not only have the experience to work on similar projects, but experience to recognize what needs to be done differently on unfamiliar projects... do you have that level of experience? It's a somewhat rhetorical question from my end, but something you should really mull over on your own.
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
In the first quote you defined "Senior Mechanical Engineer". It is clearly someone who is not licensed, has only two years of experience and has overall responsibility of a project without the input of a licensed professional engineer. Further, in some states, the use of that term would not be allowed for you because it implies and (in most cases) requires licensing.
In the second quote, you admitted that your supervision was by individuals who, by your company's own definition, might or might not be qualified to provide such supervision in compliance with the state's engineering law.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
Thank you for the input. I will clarify that my work was also done under the supervision of my sponsor who is the P.E. Just to also clarify, what I attached was not submitted to the State just yet so I did not shoot myself in the foot just yet haha. I wanted to post it on a forum first and get some
Constructive criticism prior to sending it in which I thank you and macqyver and others for providing me. Just an FYI I asked the state if you needed to have the sponsor be a licensed P.E. And they responded no. But I am not claiming any experience while I was in the construction industry.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
Also, when talking about standards, be careful about capitalization. If you are talking about general standards, the "s" doesn't need to be capitalized, BUT if you are talking about a specific standard (e.g., ASHRAE Standards 55 and 55a) the "S" needs to be capitalized. I noticed in Period 2, the "s" not being capitalized when discussing the specific standard.
Finally, and this is a personal choice, you may wish to change from the use of voice from 1st Person (e.g., "I did this"). Instead of stating "I had to do x and y to do z." say "The project required z by utilizing x and y."
Finally, try to be clear and concise with the information you provide. Based upon your work experience, you have 4 pages of information and the information for each project is too much to be contained in 1 paragraph. It was difficult to read your work experience because it seemed to go all over the place.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
Personally, I think this is one of those places where using the first person would be a good thing.
I interview far too many people who use constructs like "The project required z by utilizing x and y." to conceal the fact that x, y (and ultimately z), though required, never got done - or if they did get done, that the interviewee was a mere spectator.
A.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
Then the answer should be "The project required z by utilizing x and y. Therefore I used process alpha to relate beta to the measured sigma." If the interviewee can't place themselves into the actual process that they did, my BS flag starts to fly. I went through (at least) one interview where the applicant got through 30+ minutes of discussion without once giving us an indication of them having actually done ANY of the work mentioned on the resume. They were involved, somehow, some way, but they couldn't really give us a clear indication of what that involvement might have been. I start getting an eye twitch at that point and begin thinking of Office Space... "What would you say... you DO here?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAY27NU1Jog
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
That would do it.
A.
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
RE: PE EXAM EXPERIENCE - FORM 4A
I am continually surprised by the number of cube workers who have OT seen Office Space. Little has changed since that came out...
Dan - Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com