Next step for Civil PE

[Maverick6714]

For a civil engineer, what is the next training or credential someone should work on after getting a PE (typically working on land developments or natural gas design)?

 

[MWC PE]

For a civil engineer, what is the next training or credential someone should work on after getting a PE (typically working on land developments or natural gas design)?

I really don't think a lot of those are really worth the money/effort. If it is something you want to specialize in and the state recognizes/requires it then I would do it (like EPSC/SWPPP plans and the CPESC in some states or traffic engineering and the TE in California) Otherwise I think the PE should be more than enough for most things.

In your case I know a lot of land developers get LEED AP certified but that really depends on if your customers find a value in green development.

 

[John QPE]

You sound a lot like me, and just want to keep putting letters after your name....

I am heavily involved with the USGBC, and I don't see LEED or sustainable design/low-impact development going anywhere, so I vote LEED and CPESC .... neither essential for LD, but they certainly do not hurt if you just want to keep your mind working, and setting goals for yourself.

There is always PMP as well.

 

[Duke of PEarl]

Some people say PMP is good, LEED AP is beneficial, CQE or CQA or CMQ/OE are hard but a plus to your career growth...

 

[PeonPE]

In my experience, extra certifications are beneficial to Principals of companies who are trying to bolster their profile as they bid competitively for work. Often they are the ones sealing the Plans, overseeing the whole project and appear in the Bid package to prospective clients. If you are just a grunt PE such as myself and Clients rarely review or approve your resume, it matters little. What I have found is if there is a specific project I am supposed to be the project manager on, then my company will pay me to get whatever certification they think I need to make my resume more fancy when we bid that project. Otherwise, no one really cares. You may hear differently from others - and I am not discounting their professional achievements, but anyone in the industry knows many certifications out there are just smoke and mirrors. Certifications are there to boost your profile to otherwise ignorant clients. Trust me when I say most town supervisors looking to award that new Elementary School project to a design firm don't have the first clue what LEED AP is - but it sure sounds important, right?

Just my opinion and your mileage may vary. I would just not have any great expectations. Especially if you are doing this on your own coin and gumption. I would talk it over with your overseers and see what they think about you purusing extracurricular certs.

The only letters that matter are PE (and SE if you live in an area that lawfully requires it). I would recommend instead of taking the time and money to study for a certification exam - instead spend some time really writing up a good resume and profile. People want to know what you worked on and what you did. Engineers should never have one page profiles. List everything in detail. Writing a good resume is very tedious and time consuming but well worth it.

I think many people try to sum their backgrounds up with extra alphabet soup so they don't have to bother with a good profile. Personally, I am far to diverse in my experience to let PTOE sum me up in four letters.