The 22 competencies are a critical part of applying for the P.Eng., and a good demonstration of your proficiency as an engineer. You need a lot of skills and confidence to be able to safely say that your work is correct, you won’t cause harm and your calculations are accurate. It’s important for you to be able to speak to your skills, but that doesn’t mean writing about 22 of them for your P.Eng. application isn’t frustrating!
The frustration can compound if you realize at some point in your journey between graduating and applying for your P.Eng. that your current role won’t fulfill all 22 competencies. But don’t panic! There are many ways you can go about gaining experience for your missing competencies.
The competencies are very structured, and need to have an outcome that is related to YOUR contribution.
Why Am I Missing Competencies in my Experience?
Even if you’re in a traditional, highly technical engineering role, you might not satisfy all of the competencies. You might get through 4 years of work and never touch a budget or make financially impactful decisions, or maybe you feel your work experiences had no environmental component.
If you aren’t looking ahead, there is a chance that you will complete 4 years of work and not qualify for your P.Eng.!
What if I can't fulfill the competencies in my current role?
If you find that you can't fulfill all of the competencies in your current role, don't worry! There are other ways to gain the experience you need. The good news is, because you’re planning ahead you have time to fulfill your missing competencies.
1. Leverage a rotation through an E.I.T. program: If your company has one, you likely already know about it or are involved in it. Use the program to strategize where they will send you, and how you can gain relevant experience for the competency you’re missing. It will be easier to identify what you need if you go in with a plan.
2. Make your own rotation: Internal cross-training is a cost-efficient way for companies to develop their resources. It’s beneficial for you AND the person who is mentoring you. They can claim the experience as continuing professional development hours, mentoring is a great learning experience, and you can bring something you know to a new group while you’re visiting. You can seek to support a team that needs an extra hand, or identify a problem to solve with an initiative.
3. Take on a side project: If you can’t set up a rotation, or just can’t be away from your role for an extended period of time, discuss taking on a side project with your manager. There is likely work being done at your company that would satisfy each competency, get creative and pick up a small project or task with your manager’s support without the admin work and time away from a rotation. You can also look into taking courses or attending workshops to gain new skills and knowledge. The key is to be proactive and take control of your own learning and development.
Remember, the P.Eng. application is a reflection of your career journey and the skills you've gained along the way. Don't be afraid to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to fulfilling the competencies.
I still don’t have all my competencies. Is it bad to job hop as an E.I.T.?
It’s not going to look great if you are leaving a job every 6 months. On average, it takes 1-2 years to become fully productive in a role. Moving too soon means you aren’t mastering much, if any of the role. However, if you find yourself working with a company and it’s not a good fit or a toxic environment, don’t be afraid to leave. Consider if you’re falling for the sunk cost fallacy and make an exit strategy for a job you won’t want to leave. If you aren’t completely in love with your work, find what you are able to get out of it and focus on developing the skills you’ll need for the job you want.
If you do find yourself in new roles frequently, prepare for interviews down the line as you may need to address the concerns to HR.
The P. Eng application is also important to consider when moving jobs. You’ll need a reference for each job for it to count towards your 48 month total. If you’re job hopping frequently it may be difficult to keep tabs on every reference, doubly so for any validators if you use that job to demonstrate a competency. While there are no restrictions on how many jobs you can have before applying, do yourself a favour and keep it simple, or be prepared to keep in touch.
There are many ways that you can build up your experiences to fit any of the 22 competencies in your role, but you may need to strategize early.