Does tooling engineer experience count as Professional Experience

[ivy039]

I am just out of college and got a job in tooling engineering in GM

my current assignment is to develop tool drawings that require programming skill because the drawings should be automatically generated. I am also looking into process sheet of the current programs and future program in order to see if there are opportunities to improve the process and save money. Finally, I am responsiible for selecting and comparing different gaging device to see which one has better capability, says, better gage R&R.

I dont know if i stick to this position for 4 yrs will yield meaningful results if i want to pursue PE exam and license.

do you have any other recommendations of positions that are strongly related to PE exam quialifying experience?

thank you all!!!

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

http://engineeringregistration.tamu.edu/Experience/EngineeringExperience.htm

States Texas, but I'm sure it applied to all states.

 

[ivy039]

looks like my current work is that related to the requirements.........T_T

should i switch position quickly?

 

[ivy039]

i mean: NOT related...

 

[solomonb]

Ivy-- Let's go slow here. You just graduated, the ink is not yet dry on the diploma, so------------------ here is what I suggest. Take the job and do it for 6-8 months-- get familiar with the company, your new assignment and life-- actually in that order.

Let's ASSUME that the Texas rules are reflective and representative of the other states-- they may/may not be, but if they are not, there are close enough for this exercise.

A. Keep a list of those rules on your desk. Every week, on Friday, review the rules and see what you did that week that is included in the rules. I suspect that everything that you do is included-- you may have to have some creative engineering to include them, but I suspect that your tasks are included in those rules.

B. Document, i.e.,write down what you did that week just like is required on the SER (Supplemental Experience Review) which you will submit when you apply for the PE. This is real important-- you need to document your work all the time, it makes filling out the SER a breeze when you have to do it.

C. Get a PE to sign off on your documented work as you go-- probably every 6 months or so-- then that also becomes easy.

D. Repeat this process until your 4 years is complete-- you will be done.

E. You will change jobs within the 4 years-- I guarantee that. Do this job to the best of your ability, keeping good notes along the way to complete your SER-- you will be there in no time.

F. There is no reason to jump jobs now-- you are just beginning-- ride this out for 6 months-- it will be a better experience all along.

You can do this-- good luck.

 

[ivy039]

thank you solomonb, for your detailed suggestion. i will be patient and have an eye on what i am doing everyday.

by the way, since i am in manufacturing department, there is no PE here...only specialist, like tooling specialist, gaging specialist, manufacturing supervisor...

i am afraid at the end when i ask for references....it doent fulfill one of the requirements which is at least 3 references must be from PE...

 

[solomonb]

IVY-- No worries at this point. At the end of the day, you just need 3 PE's to certify that the work that you have done is indeed real engineering work. Here is how we address that challenge.

A. Follow everything that I stated earlier-- keep good documentation of what you do and how it applies as applicable engineering work, using the Texas rules as your template-- that is assuming, of course, that you don't reside in Texas and your state does not have any documented rules. If your state has documented rules, follow them. However, for this drill, following the Texas rules should be both adequate and sufficient.

B. As you get started in your career, attend some state Professional Engineering chapter meetings. I don't know where you live, but a little Google action will help you find a chapter, hopefully, near where you live. Go to their meetings. Get your boss to pay-- this is professional development, which he/she should be happy to provide to you. If not, suck it up and go-- you will meet some other colleagues, make some new buddies and learn about the profession.

C. You will meet some PE's at the meeting. During the next couple of years, attend faithfully, develop some relationships and share what you are doing. You will find that you will be able to get the 3 PE's that you will need to verify/certify your SER. Ideally, your boss would be that individual, however, don't panic-- we have all overcome this hurdle as well.

Good Luck-- you can do this!

 

[ivy039]

Hi solomonb,

you just gave me another great suggestion which is to attend Professional Engineering chapter meeting

I am currently live in Warren, Michigan. Will try to find chapter near me

In terms of the SER, does it have a special format? Or it looks like a report/dairy which shows what I did and how to write down what I did to in line with the Texas guideline?

thank you for all your effort!!

 

[ivy039]

I just joined NSPE michigan chapter and now I am a member of the society

 

[Ship Wreck PE]

Some states require that your 4 years experience be under PE supervision.

 

[solomonb]

Ivy-- go to the Michigan professional engineers web site and see if they have a SER format. I would guess that the answer is YES! If not, Texas does, use that-- the format is similar in all states, so no problems there. Review the format and you will see what you need to do. Make sure that you describe your work in engineering terms, i.e., design, develop, construct, analyze, build, not administrative terms-- coordinate, collaborate, attend, etc.

I think that there is some forum on here that describes this, however, if not, just be sure to use engineering action VERBS, not coordination, administration verbs. Again, Google is your friend-- you can get some help there as well. If you come up dry, I will help you-- however, you are a smart guy, I doubt that you will come up dry.

------------------------------------------------------

Shipwrieck-- what do you in Valdosta, GA? I was stationed at Moody 25 years ago-- have some great friends in Valdosta! Valdosta is a great place-- great golf courses as well as the base! Very fond memories of South Georgia!

 

[ivy039]

here is the michigan board reply:

[SIZE=11pt]Michigan’s statute has a “Manufacturing Exemption” which states in part, Engineers who work for a private manufacturing company where the company is 100% responsible for the quality of the product they produce, are exempt from the requirement for engineers to be licensed to design their products. This means you may use engineers, supervisors, managers, etc., who are familiar with the nature of your engineering work, as references and they will be accepted as equivalent to licensed PEs for the purpose of your licensure application. Please go to: www.michigan.gov/engineers and find Forms and Publications in the right hand column. Open this link to our document system and then open #04, Application for PE License. The two page Experience Verification Form is where you detail your experience on page 1 and then give a completed page 1 and blank page 2 to five different references to complete page 2 and mail both pages to this office when you are submitting the application materials for approval to sit for the PE exam in Michigan. The first 4 pages of instruction, found at the beginning of this package of forms will detail the process for completing the application. The home page for engineers also has a link for PE examination approval process. In the right hand column of the home page under Quick Links, you will see Article 20 and Administrative Rules for Engineers.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]http://www.dleg.state.mi.us/bcsc/forms/eng/len020.pdf[/SIZE]

http://www7.dleg.state.mi.us/orr/AdminCode.aspx?AdminCode=Department&Dpt=LR&Level_1=Corporations%2c+Securities%2c+%26+Commercial+Licensing