How to put EIT on resume

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DebK

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I haven't gotten a straight answer on this from anyone at my university so I'm wondering if someone here might have my answer. It might just be that I am being overly paranoid about potentially lying on my resume...

So, I passed the Oct FE exam (YAY!) and am graduating in May with my BS degree. Since I passed I've been really excited to update my resume, but have been unsure of one thing: since I haven't graduated yet I am technically not an EIT. Is there some official and proper way of listing this on my resume? I know of people who put 'in progress' or something to that effect to say they have registered for the test, haven't taken it but want to sound impressive. I don't want to be confused with that group by someone skimming my resume. So, what am I really allowed to put? After all passing the test IS the hard part...

 
Congratulations! To be honest, i can imagine coming into the job market now. Good luck with your job search.

You should state that you passed the exam and on what date, and include that EIT is pending graduation. Anybody who understands the process will know the significance.

 
If you're going to put EIT on your resume then should provide the state of registration... and that's where you might run into an ethics issue. I don't think putting "EIT in progress" is very useful on a resume unless it helps get your application put onto the "for further consideration" pile by the HR folks based on keyword criteria.

I'd suggest you put something like "<state> EIT application pending, FE passed on <date>"

 
DebK, congrats! -

It is usually customary to list something that has not yet been achieved in parantheses. You're gonna be flinging out resumes (you better start!) before you graduate anyways, and you're gonna list your upcoming BS E, right? Something like B.S. Engineering, Western State University - (May 2009) is appropriate. So for your EIT cert, you could put:

FE - State, October 2008 (EIT)

then once you graduate: EIT - State, October 2008 - is atypical.

Any companies you're gonna be submitting to will understand FE / EIT is pretty interchangeable, fwiw. i really don't see this being an ethics red flag, IMO

 
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DebK, congrats! -
It is usually customary to list something that has not yet been achieved in parantheses. You're gonna be flinging out resumes (you better start!) before you graduate anyways, and you're gonna list your upcoming BS E, right? Something like B.S. Engineering, Western State University - (May 2009) is appropriate. So for your EIT cert, you could put:

FE - State, October 2008 (EIT)

then once you graduate: EIT - State, October 2008 - is atypical.

Any companies you're gonna be submitting to will understand FE / EIT is pretty interchangeable, fwiw. i really don't see this being an ethics red flag, IMO
I'd imagine nearly everyone puts their *future* date of graduation on a resume without too much second thought...

Your suggestion may be good, except the EIT date won't be the same as the FE date. Presumably the application isn't approved (or even submitted) until *after* graduation. I'm not sure about the use of italics and parentheses to specify pending.

Really, I think the issue here is one of concern regarding the state's restriction on the use of EIT rather than any trouble with a potential hiring company (unless you got a hard ass like me in the interview and then I'd ask you why you were claiming the title of EIT fraudulently just to see how you'd squirm). And for the most part, it'd seem the states are busy enough figuring out how to communicate test results that they don't have much time to bother with things like this. The only realistic problem would be if someone filed a complaint and the odds of that (risk) seems much lower (non-existent?) than than the reward of a hire.

 
Am I missing something? Did they change back to EIT from EI? Shouldn't a fresh passer of the FE be calling it themselves an EI?

:p

Definitely start looking for a job early, and make sure you have grad school in your back pocket. I too graduated during a terrible year for engineers, but I made the mistake of not just going straight to grad school and wasting months looking for jobs that just weren't there yet.

 
Am I missing something? Did they change back to EIT from EI? Shouldn't a fresh passer of the FE be calling it themselves an EI?
It depends on the state. Colorado is EI, but I had a co-worker transfer up from Texas and she was an EIT there.

On topic: I passed the FE (EIT back then) in October of my last year in school. When I started sending out resume's to potential employers, each of those jobs were dependent on my graduation of college and thus, would have been a full-blown EIT, so I put EIT on my resume. I forget exactly how I did it, but it was something along the lines of EIT - December 2002 (as December was when I got results). My final semester only had 2 elective courses required for graduation and I took 4 so I knew I had a good chance at graduating.

I think the thing to remember is that EIT (or EI) is a title that has no legal standing in the professional world. You are not able to offer any additional services to a client with an EIT, so advertising the fact you have one is only good in the job search arena. In that regard, put EIT on your resume as soon as you get it. The only time a client would see a resume with your name-EIT, would be after you have accepted a job (most likely after graduating), which fixes the "I'm not technically an EIT until I graduate" clause. The only time I would not recommend putting EIT on your resume would be if you have a VERY strong feeling you will not graduate as planned, in which case the jobs you are applying for are a moot point as you would need to return to school, right?

Just my thoughts.

 
I don't think it is a big deal to put EIT on your resume after you've passed the test. I changed my e-mail signature immediately after passing the P&P exam. In fact, in Texas, the passing letters come addressed - John Smith, PE - even though you haven't yet sent in your $ and gotten your certificate (suitable for framing).

 
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