Recent content by MostlyCivil

Watch out for the tax ramifications of the arrangement. As a sole proprietor, you are generally required to pay double social security, etc. Also keep in mind that unless you enroll yourself in workers comp, you will not be covered if you get injured. This is particularly important if you...

In California, you have been able to take the PE after only 2 years experience for quite a while. However, I recall seeing a graphic that showed years experience along the x and % passing along the y. It was a distinct bell curve with the peak at around 4 years. It would be interesting to see if...

I am troubled by several people trying to cut out EET (or any other course vendor) by buying used notes and/or sharing registrations. As licensed engineers, we are obligated to not only obey the laws, but also conduct ourselves in an ethical manner. Not only is it important to respect copyright...

But even when you charge on a fixed-fee basis, I would think that you need to use some kind of metric to determine what your service is worth. One such metric is to estimate how long it will take you, then decide what that time is worth, and then base the fee on that.  Just curious: if you do...

Getting a GOOD website and logo can be very expensive, and I would discourage you from spending your precious money on that upfront. Also, be very cautious when dealing with people selling advertisement, they will promise you the Moon but will rarely deliver. Word-of-mouth referrals are the...

It is relatively common for women to keep their professional licenses in their maiden name and not switch it if they chose to change their name when they get married. This is especially true if you are getting (re)married later in life, when you already have a well-established career.