EIT in state where I don't live

Hey all,

I have not actually passed the FE exam yet, but I was looking to address a concern I have about the EIT certification process before the time comes.  I live in New Jersey, which certifies EIT's, but one of the requirements for the certification is three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a PE.  I am a ChemE looking for my first job out of grad school, and after checking, I have not found a single professor, from undergrad or grad school, who had a PE, so I think that my EIT application here is dead in the water (for now).

I would like to get the EIT as soon as possible, even before I find a job, in order to keep public sector options open (and to be able to respond to job listings that say "EIT preferred").  So, I am considering applying for the EIT certification in Pennsylvania, which does not require recommendations.  I already checked with the PA state board and confirmed that I can do this, but I wonder if having a PA EIT on my resume, with my NJ address, would look bad in the hiring process.  Do you think a potential employer would see that on my resume and think it suspicious, or does an employer not really care where your EIT is from, as long as you can move it to their state once you start your job?

Thanks for your advice!

EIT is essentially universal.  you will just have to request verification from the other state if you get your PE in a different state. 

I wouldn't think twice about the two things being different and I can't imagine anyone that would.

I believe similar topics of this nature have been discussed. But I just don't see the portfolio value-add for an engineer to either list or be EIT certified. To me (and I've previously interviewed multiple eng. candidates), it seems to project a false pretense for an individual's qualifications. There are plenty of engineers (I was one for a time) out there who do not have their EIT (or PE) but are still considered to be professionals in their engineering roles. But seeing EIT in someone's title or resume, just seems to initially say "junior engineer". Perhaps times have changed now that licensure seems to be more prevalent. But when I'd interview for jobs, I would usually verbally convey that I took and passed the FE exam and wasn't adverse to pursuing my PE.

Just my 2 cents...

samuelfootbowden845 said:

I would like to get the EIT as soon as possible, even before I find a job, in order to keep public sector options open (and to be able to respond to job listings that say "EIT preferred").  So, I am considering applying for the EIT certification in Pennsylvania, which does not require recommendations.  I already checked with the PA state board and confirmed that I can do this, but I wonder if having a PA EIT on my resume, with my NJ address, would look bad in the hiring process.  Do you think a potential employer would see that on my resume and think it suspicious, or does an employer not really care where your EIT is from, as long as you can move it to their state once you start your job?

Click to expand...

When you take the EIT, there's no requirement to list which state it's from. On your resume, it's just EIT. Also, it doesn't matter where you took. Some employers ask that you submit the certificate, some as for the number, some don't even ask. Back in my day, there were no recommendations and there were no PE recommendation requirement either. The majority of us took it in school as a Junior or Senior and we just had to send in our application. That recommendation part is a bit odd to me but each state has their rule. As far as an employer is concerned, where you took it doesn't matter. The test is the same everywhere and doesn't give you much credential to do anything really. Though, it is a good indication of how much they'll try to lowball you and whether you're more ready than someone else, with equal years of experience, to be licensed as a PE.

knight1fox3 said:

But I just don't see the portfolio value-add for an engineer to either list or be EIT certified. To me (and I've previously interviewed multiple eng. candidates), it seems to project a false pretense for an individual's qualifications.

Click to expand...

You have a good point but a majority of employers ask for that credential. It's just their way of figuring out how low to pay a candidate (Junior vs Mid-career/Senior). Also, if the application specifically asks (most of them these days do), candidates better make sure that EIT is somewhere on there if they have it. In this world of automated application screening, that could be the keyword that sends an application to the trash bin or to the HR inbox. Some time ago, EIT wasn't asked but "PE eligible" was more common. So basically, EIT with 3-4 year experience was expected. Nowadays, you see more EIT requirements or "Must have PE or ability to quickly get PE in XY state". I've noticed the shift, at least with Civil Engineering. A lot of it is salary tied and trying to bucket entry level engineers and mid-career engineers.