Chartered Engineer

Guidance Notes: your guide to making a successful application

YOUR GUIDE TO MAKING A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION

This guide has been prepared to provide support, assistance and advice to you as you prepare to submit your application for Chartered Engineer. This document does not in any way replace the Regulations for Chartered Engineer but aims to assist you in meeting the application requirements outlined in the Regulations. It is important that you understand the current requirements for becoming a Chartered Engineer. You should be absolutely confident that you meet the education standard, have the requisite professional engineering experience and have acquired the five competences (Appendix 1 of the Regulations) before making your application. Please ensure that you read the full Regulations for Chartered Engineer carefully when preparing your application. If you do have questions or queries at any stage of the application process, please contact our Membership Team: Tel. +353 1 6651334 or Email membership@engineersireland.ie Good luck and we look forward to welcoming you as a Chartered Engineer the next important goal in your engineering career!

Chartered Engineer Membership Director

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 1. THE COMPETENCES OF A CHARTERED ENGINEER EXPLAINED 7

2.

TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR PROFESSIONAL REPORT

12

3.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

13

4.

A SAMPLE LAYOUT OF A REPORT

14

5.

TIPS FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW

23

6.

WHAT CONSTITUTES CPD

24

7.

THE ENGINEERS IRELAND CODE OF ETHICS

26

8.

THE FUTURE PROFESSIONALS PROGRAMME

26

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THE COMPETENCES OF A CHARTERED ENGINEER EXPLAINED

Use your copy of the five competences from the Regulations for Chartered Engineer and read them in conjunction with these guidance notes. Make comparisons and then see where they fit in to YOUR professional career and how YOU can demonstrate how you satisfy each sub-element. This is NOT a layout for your report but a useful tool when drafting your ideas in advance of preparing your report.

COMPETENCE 1 YOUR KNOWLEDGE!

Use a combination of general and specialist engineering knowledge and understanding to optimise the application of existing and emerging technology My examples

Includes but not restricted to: How YOU use the engineering theory you learned through your qualification and apply it to your practical experience.

How YOU keep aware of, and improve your knowledge, of technological advances and innovations.

How YOU implement innovation and knowledge gained in order to approach problem solving.

How YOU successfully pass this knowledge on to improve the advantage to your project and company.

This is NOT a layout for your report but a useful tool when drafting your ideas in advance of preparing your report.

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COMPETENCE 2 APPLYING YOUR KNOWLEDGE!

Apply appropriate theoretical and practical methods to the analysis and solution of engineering problems My examples

Includes but not restricted to: How YOU apply your engineering knowledge and experience to improve and innovate.

How YOU continually review and take the initiative for the enhancement of products and processes.

How YOU plan, cost, analyse, correct and modify.

How YOU actively participate in consultation.

This is NOT a layout for your report but a useful tool when drafting your ideas in advance of preparing your report.

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COMPETENCE 3 DEMONSTRATING YOUR LEADERSHIP!

Provide technical, commercial and managerial leadership My examples

Includes but not restricted to: How YOU prepare, structure and agree the development and improvement of a project.

How YOU project manage resources, processes and technical and non-technical teams.

How YOU develop and improve the capabilities and skills of your staff.

How YOU promote, apply and improve quality standards and control.

This is NOT a layout for your report but a useful tool when drafting your ideas in advance of preparing your report.

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COMPETENCE 4 HOW YOU COMMUNICATE!

Use effective communication and interpersonal skills My examples

Includes but not restricted to: How YOU develop, maintain and promote effective working relationships.

How YOU present, clarify, discuss and identify plans, proposals and common goals.

How YOU continuously improve your written and spoken communication skills.

How YOU resolve conflicts, promote confidence and effectively negotiate with all project participants.

This is NOT a layout for your report but a useful tool when drafting your ideas in advance of preparing your report.

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COMPETENCE 5 PROFESSIONAL STANDARD

Make a personal commitment to abide by the appropriate code of professional conduct, recognising obligations to society, the profession and the environment. My examples

Includes but not restricted to: How YOU place responsibility for the welfare, health and safety of the community at all times before responsibility to the profession, to sectional interests, or to other engineers.

How YOU comply with the Code of Ethics of Engineers Ireland.

How YOU maintain adequate knowledge in order to implement appropriate safe systems of work.

How YOU take precautions when dealing with hazards.

How YOU approach issues which impact on the environment.

How YOU set personal goals to achieve personal and professional objectives.

This is NOT a layout for your report but a useful tool when drafting your ideas in advance of preparing your report.

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2.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR PROFESSIONAL REPORT

Write it in the first person Write about your personal contribution and responsibilities Tell us about the problems you faced Let us know the solution(s) you found What were the engineering judgements you made? Emphasise what impact your solutions(s) and judgements generated. Link each block of experience to the competence or sub-competence you believe that experience represents. Ensure that your essays are a clear articulation of your opinions, arguments, conclusions and analysis. We would expect to see phrases such as, I think, In my opinion and I have found. Although we ask for all your experience from date of graduation, concentrate the content of your IPD on your experience or projects which best demonstrates the competences. Make sure you include all the elements required. If any element is omitted it will delay you progressing to interview! Be absolutely certain of the closing date and ensure that you submit your report and payment to us on time. We recommend you ask a colleague, who has successfully completed the CEng process, to read your report and offer comments and advice. CHECK, CHECK and RE-CHECK, especially spelling, grammar and syntax. Your report is a perfect example of your achievement of Competence 4!

8.

9.

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11.

12.

13.

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3.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST
You have completed all the elements of your report and are now ready to submit it to us. Use this handy checklist to make sure you have included EVERYTHING that is required.

Item 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Description I meet the Education Standard for Chartered Engineer I have a minimum of 4 years post graduate engineering work experience I have read and understood the Regulations for Chartered Engineer and in my opinion, I have acquired the five competences (Appendix 1) I have spent at least two years in responsible charge of significant engineering work My Report is all my own work My Report contains, collated in the following order: Original application form, completed in full and signed by myself and my Supporters A title page which includes my name, the title being sought and date of submission A table of contents A Summary of Career Details Table (Appendix 2) A Table of CPD (Appendix 3) with minimum of five days CPD per annum for the two years prior to application A 3,500-4,000 word description of my IPD in chronological order, starting with my date of graduation My IPD links to my Career Details Table and demonstrates my achievement of each of the five competences I have included headings My supporters have initialled at least 50% of my IPD I have included a word count for my IPD My two essays of 500 - 600 words each The essays express MY OWN opinion I have included a word count for my essays A signed and dated Statement of Authenticity A Glossary of Terms is contained in an Appendix Optional drawings and photos are contained in an Appendix

7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

If I am including drawings/photos, there are no more than 6 and they are all of A4 or A3 size I have carefully edited my report and checked my spelling, grammar and syntax and have avoided excessive use of jargon and abbreviations I have numbered my pages My original report is bound and photocopied 3 times I have included my professional interview fee I have 1 electronic copy of my report ready to send to Engineers Ireland

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4.

A SAMPLE REPORT LAYOUT

The sample report on the following pages simply shows how we would expect to see your report collated. The style, format and layout are entirely up to you, as long as it adheres to 5.1 of the Regulations for Chartered Engineer.

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Application for the Title of Chartered Engineer

Engineering Practice Report

BRIAN MURPHY, BEng MIEI Membership Number: 123456

Submission date: 27 January 2012

Sample report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 1. SUMMARY OF CAREER DETAILS 3

2.

CPD AND TRAINING TABLE

3. 3.1 3.2 3.3

DESCRIPTION OF INITIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ABC Group Graduate Manufacturing Engineer XYZ Engineering Assistant Project Engineer XYZ Engineering Lead Project Engineer

4. 4.1 4.2

ESSAYS Essay 1 Health & Safety Makes Sense Essay 2 Project Management and its Role Today

6 6 6

5.

STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY

6.

APPENDIX 1 GLOSSARY OF TERMS

1.

SUMMARY OF CAREER DETAILS

Employment/Project Dates From Sept 03 To Oct 04

Company

Position

Responsibilities

Supervisor

Duration claimed for: Training Responsible Experience 10 months

ABC Group

Graduate Manufacturing Engineer

Training, Bill of Materials, Review of product materials

Brendan Aherne 3 months Lead Engineer

Oct 04

May 05

XYZ

Assistant

ETC!!

Engineering Project Engineer

2.

CPD AND TRAINING TABLE

CPD Type E.G. Internal or External Training Course, Conference or Lecture, structured reading, post-grad studies, etc. External training Internal training Etc

No.

Description

Training provider

Date

CPD days

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

An introduction to Project Management Manual Handling

Engineers Ireland ABC Group

November 2004 December 2004

1 .25

Total

3.

DESCRIPTION OF INITIAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT [3,900 WORDS]

ABC Group Sept 2003 Oct 2004
Graduate Manufacturing Engineer In September 2003, I began a Graduate Training Programme with ABC Group.etc.

3.1

BOD [supporter signature]

[competences claimed 1.1, 1.2]

3.2

XYX Engineering Oct 2004 May 2005

Assistant Project Engineer I was successful in gaining the post of Assistant Project Engineer in May 2005.etc.

BA [supporter signature]

[competences claimed 2.1, 2.2]

4.1 ESSAY 1
Health and Safety Makes Sense [500 words]
I believe that Health and Safety is a critical aspect of all our livesetc

4.2 ESSAY 2
Project Management and its Role Today [560 words]
It is my opinion that Project Management is a problem scheduled for solutionetc

5.

STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY
I hereby certify that the Engineering Practice Report and Essays have been prepared in their entirety by me and that all statements and claims made therein are true and accurate.

Signed

Date

Brian Murphy _______________ Brian Murphy, BEng MIEI

27/01/12 _________________ 27 January 2012

6.

APPENDIX 1 GLOSSARY OF TERMS

CEng MIEI CPD IPD MIEI Chartered Engineer and Member of Engineers Ireland Continuing Professional Development Initial Professional Development Member of Engineers Ireland

5.
1.

TIPS FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW

Prepare your ten minute presentation in advance of your interview. This is your ten minutes to impress so make sure that its not just a summary of your report your interviewers have already read this and made notes on it. For example, the Panel will want to know about significant engineering work you have undertaken, perhaps additional projects which were not included in your report or an update on a project which was incomplete at the time of submitting your report. You may use hand notes or drawings. No other visual aids are permitted so you will be relying on your own presentation and articulation skills. Consider practising your presentation in front of a family member or colleague. Remember, this is your opportunity to partly demonstrate your achievement of Competence 4 Communication!!

2. 3.

Study your report and familiarise yourself with it before your interview. Re-visit the Regulations and make sure you are familiar with the five competences. These are what your interviewers will be investigating and assessing you on throughout the interview. Do your research. If you are giving statistics make sure that they are correct and up to date. Double check the date, time and venue of your interview and ensure that you arrive at least ten minutes before the start time. Know your venue. How long does it take to get there? Is it easy to get parking? Do you need to pay for parking and if so, do you have change? Bring your photographic identification. Nervousness can make people race through their interview so concentrate on speaking slowly and pause appropriately. If you disagree with your panel, be persuasive rather than aggressive. Convince them of your point of view. Say that you accept their point of view but that you feel differently and explain why. Finally, if you want to give a successful interview just think of the three R's Research, Reconnoitre and Relax!

4. 5.

6.

7. 8.

9.

10.

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6.

WHAT CONSTITUTES CPD

Many people are unsure as to what counts as CPD. There is a misconception that CPD only means formal courses, seminars and training days. In fact, theres a lot more CPD that you might be doing without actually realising it! Types of CPD and corresponding time credits Types of formal CPD i.e. excluding on-the-job general learning and development. In-company training courses or lectures. Time credit classroom training actual duration lectures actual duration computer based course actual duration formal induction training actual duration Senior Staff: Teaching classes / Tutoring actual class time plus materials preparation time

1. 1.1.

1.2

Postgraduate academic courses. Time credit relevant Masters degrees from an institution recognised by Engineers Ireland up to 50 days (25 days University or equivalent p.a. over 2 years) Degree in engineering related subjects up to 60 days (20 days University or equivalent p.a. over 3 years) Diploma in engineering related subjects up to 20 days Certificate in engineering related subjects up to 15 days Other relevant academic courses with qualifications - actual lecture time External training courses. Time credit courses run by a recognised institution or training provider covering specific technical subjects, sector specific subjects or generic training (management, law, finance, accounting, health and safety, human resources, environmental issues, computer applications etc) actual lecture time Senior Staff: Courses such as Conflict Resolution, Management, Influencing Skills, PR & Media Training, Advanced-level training, Systems Thinking training etc actual lecture time

1.3

1.4

Professional Institution Activities. Time credit attending a relevant lecture actual lecture time organising a technical conference or lecture series up to 3 days per annum participating in a committee, council or special task force actual meeting time (up to 3 days per annum) Senior Staff: preparing and delivering a paper - up to 3 days per annum

1.5

Special study leave, including exam time. This is covered by the allowances for Masters, Degrees, Diplomas and Certificates shown above under 1.2. For those sitting other formal examinations not covered by 1.2, actual exam time is allowable as an additional CPD time.

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1.6

Special visits or assignments Targeted visits of a learning nature or active attendance at a work-related conference/seminar when the cost is borne by the company or individual as an expense (i.e. not chargeable to a client). Credit actual time. Visits to an overseas company or installation would fall into this category where planned as a developmental activity. Credit actual time at venue or site Professional Titles Where candidates successfully achieve a registered professional title (e.g. CEng, AEng, Eng Tech), one days CPD credit can be allocated for the application and professional interview process. Structured Reading Where structured reading is identified as part of a developmental plan (e.g. familiarisation with new legislation or new technology) a maximum of 1 days CPD credit per annum can be claimed. Knowledge Management Where formal knowledge sharing activities are planned and run in-house, the actual session times are allowable for CPD purposes, up to a maximum of 2 days per annum. Technical Blogs Staff who host a Technical Blog, deemed to be beneficial as a knowledge source to other technical staff, can claim 1 days CPD per annum Mentoring Staff who have completed formal training in mentoring skills and upkeep these skills by meeting with a designated Mentee, at minimum four times per annum, can claim 1 days CPD per annum as a Mentor Volunteer work for a charitable organisation Engineers/technicians who volunteer to assist with the work of a registered charitable organisation, at home or abroad, can claim up to a maximum of 3 days CPD per annum, provided the volunteer work is of a technical nature and involves imparting technical skills and know-how to aid workers, local citizens etc

1.7

1.8

1.9

1.10

1.11

1.12

Important Note: In considering a broad approach to CPD, we recommend that individual engineers / technicians should ensure that a minimum of 3 days of CPD per annum is achieved under headings 1.1 to 1.3 inclusive. This is particularly relevant where individuals are pursuing professional titles, such as Chartered Engineer, or inclusion on the International Register of Professional Engineers, where specific requirements relating to training activity apply.

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7.

THE ENGINEERS IRELAND CODE OF ETHICS

The backbone of our professional organisation is our Code of Ethics. Every member pledges to adhere to these and should at all times in their professional practice, be cognisant of their meaning and content. Membership of Engineers Ireland gives you rights and privileges. In return, you must meet the standards of ethics and conduct set by Engineers Ireland in its Code of Ethics. The Code applies to all categories of Members of Engineers Ireland. It is the duty of each Member to comply with the provisions of the Code. Download the Code of Ethics booklet from our website: http://www.engineersireland.ie

8.

FUTURE PROFESSIONALS PROGRAMME

Irrespective of your training environment, the primary concern of Engineers Ireland is that training should enable the engineering graduate to learn how to apply engineering principles to the solution of problems in the workplace. The Engineers Ireland Future Professionals Programme offers structured training and advancement to graduates through two strands of intense and challenging professional development. For further details see our website

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Engineers Ireland 22 Clyde Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4. Tel: 00 353 1 668 4341/6090234 Fax: 00 353 1 668 5508 www.engineersireland.ie