I am applying to take the PE in Virginia. I have my BS degree in Math, which is a related science and therefore requires 6 years of "qualifying experience" for licensure in Virginia. I spent 1.5 years working as a CAD designer at one firm, where I was given responsibilities similar to other recent grads who had majored in Engineering. I then switched companies and took another job as a designer 4.5 years ago, and have since gotten my EIT and taken some engineering classes working towards a master's.
I'm unsure how to document my 6 years of experience. Virginia's law specifically says that "drafting" is not considered qualifying experience, and the application asks for you to make a distinction between "Sub-Professional (non-qualifying)" and "Professional" experience, within the same company. At both jobs, I was hired to do "drafting and design." Early in my career, it was more drafting and less design, and now, like most PEs I know, I still do some drafting, but I'm more focused on the design.
The first job pushed me to learn engineering, but didn't have enough clients to give me any real opportunity to any real design. I definitely learned a lot in the support role I played there, though. My second job, where I work now, was more hesitant to give me opportunities to design since I was not, in their minds at the time, "PE track." I would say that the first year there I was basically the CAD bitch. Years 2-3 I spent bitching and complaining that I should have more responsibility, while working under the one guy at the company that agreed with me. Somewhere along the line they realized I was right and that I shouldn't be the CAD bitch, and for the past 1.5 years I've been firmly in the Engineering category.
My dilemma comes over how to quantify this. Virginia's application specifically asks for the number of months the experience should be considered "Sub-Professional (non-qualifying)" vs "Professional." Given that the law specifically says drafting is not qualifying experience, and I spent a portion of my career having my boss think that my job was to push buttons on the computer and make "drafting" happen, I feel like I need to claim some of it as non-qualifying. I know that some states make a distinction within the required number of years experience between "original design" and what is typical for entry level work. However, reading Virginia's law it looks like they are looking for all of the 6 years to be "qualifying experience." However, since I'm sure they expect most kids straight out of school are working under a senior engineer training them, they don't need it all to be "original design experience."
The distinction between drafting and design has never been clear to me. In both cases, you're working in some CAD software to create a set of documents that describes how something should be built. In the case of both the full time CAD designer and the recent engineering grad, you're working under a senior engineer who has the final say in decisions. I would say that I have always been focused primarily on the project, as opposed to the process, but my boss hasn't always realized this. My career might be summarized like this:
T-6 years: I have a Math degree, and I decided I don't want to teach. I guess I'll get a job doing CAD.
T-5 years: This is actually pretty interesting. Maybe I'll do this instead.
T-4.5 years: My company has no work. I need a new job.
T-4 years: WTF these guys don't even realize I have a college degree
T-3 years: HEY GUYS! FUCK YOU! I HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE! (meanwhile one guy is teaching me cool stuff). Starting around this time I start making calls on my own about how things should be designed, and the guy I'm working for is cool with it. However, our boss doesn't realize this, and assumes I am just inserting things into the computer like an idiot.
T-2 years: Still working under the one guy at the company who doesn't suck, I take some engineering classes at night
T-1.5 years: I take the FE exam
T-1 year: Title officially changed from "Designer" to "EIT", given some jobs not directly under another engineer
TL;DR My question is basically do I need to put all my experience as "qualifying" for Virginia or should I attempt to draw a line between working as someone's bitch and having real responsibilities.
I'm unsure how to document my 6 years of experience. Virginia's law specifically says that "drafting" is not considered qualifying experience, and the application asks for you to make a distinction between "Sub-Professional (non-qualifying)" and "Professional" experience, within the same company. At both jobs, I was hired to do "drafting and design." Early in my career, it was more drafting and less design, and now, like most PEs I know, I still do some drafting, but I'm more focused on the design.
The first job pushed me to learn engineering, but didn't have enough clients to give me any real opportunity to any real design. I definitely learned a lot in the support role I played there, though. My second job, where I work now, was more hesitant to give me opportunities to design since I was not, in their minds at the time, "PE track." I would say that the first year there I was basically the CAD bitch. Years 2-3 I spent bitching and complaining that I should have more responsibility, while working under the one guy at the company that agreed with me. Somewhere along the line they realized I was right and that I shouldn't be the CAD bitch, and for the past 1.5 years I've been firmly in the Engineering category.
My dilemma comes over how to quantify this. Virginia's application specifically asks for the number of months the experience should be considered "Sub-Professional (non-qualifying)" vs "Professional." Given that the law specifically says drafting is not qualifying experience, and I spent a portion of my career having my boss think that my job was to push buttons on the computer and make "drafting" happen, I feel like I need to claim some of it as non-qualifying. I know that some states make a distinction within the required number of years experience between "original design" and what is typical for entry level work. However, reading Virginia's law it looks like they are looking for all of the 6 years to be "qualifying experience." However, since I'm sure they expect most kids straight out of school are working under a senior engineer training them, they don't need it all to be "original design experience."
The distinction between drafting and design has never been clear to me. In both cases, you're working in some CAD software to create a set of documents that describes how something should be built. In the case of both the full time CAD designer and the recent engineering grad, you're working under a senior engineer who has the final say in decisions. I would say that I have always been focused primarily on the project, as opposed to the process, but my boss hasn't always realized this. My career might be summarized like this:
T-6 years: I have a Math degree, and I decided I don't want to teach. I guess I'll get a job doing CAD.
T-5 years: This is actually pretty interesting. Maybe I'll do this instead.
T-4.5 years: My company has no work. I need a new job.
T-4 years: WTF these guys don't even realize I have a college degree
T-3 years: HEY GUYS! FUCK YOU! I HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE! (meanwhile one guy is teaching me cool stuff). Starting around this time I start making calls on my own about how things should be designed, and the guy I'm working for is cool with it. However, our boss doesn't realize this, and assumes I am just inserting things into the computer like an idiot.
T-2 years: Still working under the one guy at the company who doesn't suck, I take some engineering classes at night
T-1.5 years: I take the FE exam
T-1 year: Title officially changed from "Designer" to "EIT", given some jobs not directly under another engineer
TL;DR My question is basically do I need to put all my experience as "qualifying" for Virginia or should I attempt to draw a line between working as someone's bitch and having real responsibilities.
