Where can one network with professional engineers?

[Steve]

I am an Atlanta-based software developer who is interested in
taking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's registration exam, so
that I will be qualified to work on certain aspects of the patent
application process. Unfortunately, a Computer Science degree does
not meet the requirement to sit for that exam unless you have a very
specific set of classes on your transcript, which does not match my
case.

The alternative method for qualification is to show a passing score
on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, administered at the
state-level to college students and recent grads as the first step
toward a career in engineering. I have reviewed the NCCE-published
material for that exam, and have little doubt that I could pass it
on the first attempt (if I could keep my brain going for 8 hours
straight!).

The new problem there is with the requirements to take THAT exam in
my state. I meet all the requirements, except for having three
signatures from licensed (in any state) professional engineers
vouching for my character. Unfortunately, I don't even know any
licensed PE's in passing. I contacted some old faculty from my
undergraduate years, but none of them are licensed PE's. The best
they could offer was to write a letter of recommendation, vouching
for me to any PE I may meet. I'm still at square one as far as
meeting engineers in the first place.

Can anyone suggest any professional groups (IEEE, etc) which hold
regular meetings, where I could meet and network with PE's in
person? I see that joining IEEE costs about $150, and I would pay
that if I HAD to... but they don't seem to meet much in Atlanta
anyway, and it somehow feels a little "creepy" to buy a membership
and show up for meetings that don't concern me just to solicit a few
character witnesses. That really brings me to my central question,
how DO I go about this process without looking like a flake or a
heel? Does anyone have any suggestions for how I should (or should
NOT) be approaching engineers once I do find a suitable venue for
meeting them? Thank you very much!

 

[operator jay]

I am an Atlanta-based software developer who is interested in
taking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's registration exam, so
that I will be qualified to work on certain aspects of the patent
application process. Unfortunately, a Computer Science degree does
not meet the requirement to sit for that exam unless you have a very
specific set of classes on your transcript, which does not match my
case.

The alternative method for qualification is to show a passing score
on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, administered at the
state-level to college students and recent grads as the first step
toward a career in engineering. I have reviewed the NCCE-published
material for that exam, and have little doubt that I could pass it
on the first attempt (if I could keep my brain going for 8 hours
straight!).

The new problem there is with the requirements to take THAT exam in
my state. I meet all the requirements, except for having three
signatures from licensed (in any state) professional engineers
vouching for my character. Unfortunately, I don't even know any
licensed PE's in passing. I contacted some old faculty from my
undergraduate years, but none of them are licensed PE's. The best
they could offer was to write a letter of recommendation, vouching
for me to any PE I may meet. I'm still at square one as far as
meeting engineers in the first place.

Can anyone suggest any professional groups (IEEE, etc) which hold
regular meetings, where I could meet and network with PE's in
person? I see that joining IEEE costs about $150, and I would pay
that if I HAD to... but they don't seem to meet much in Atlanta
anyway, and it somehow feels a little "creepy" to buy a membership
and show up for meetings that don't concern me just to solicit a few
character witnesses. That really brings me to my central question,
how DO I go about this process without looking like a flake or a
heel? Does anyone have any suggestions for how I should (or should
NOT) be approaching engineers once I do find a suitable venue for
meeting them? Thank you very much!

Have you gotten in touch with the professional engineering association in
Georgia? It may be worth your while to discuss your situation with them.

 

[george]

I am an Atlanta-based software developer who is interested in taking the
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's registration exam, so that I will be
qualified to work on certain aspects of the patent application process.
Unfortunately, a Computer Science degree does not meet the requirement to
sit for that exam unless you have a very specific set of classes on your
transcript, which does not match my case.

The alternative method for qualification is to show a passing score on the
Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, administered at the state-level to
college students and recent grads as the first step toward a career in
engineering. I have reviewed the NCCE-published material for that exam,
and have little doubt that I could pass it on the first attempt (if I
could keep my brain going for 8 hours straight!).

The new problem there is with the requirements to take THAT exam in my
state. I meet all the requirements, except for having three signatures
from licensed (in any state) professional engineers vouching for my
character. Unfortunately, I don't even know any licensed PE's in passing.
I contacted some old faculty from my undergraduate years, but none of them
are licensed PE's. The best they could offer was to write a letter of
recommendation, vouching for me to any PE I may meet. I'm still at square
one as far as meeting engineers in the first place.

Can anyone suggest any professional groups (IEEE, etc) which hold regular
meetings, where I could meet and network with PE's in person? I see that
joining IEEE costs about $150, and I would pay that if I HAD to... but
they don't seem to meet much in Atlanta anyway, and it somehow feels a
little "creepy" to buy a membership and show up for meetings that don't
concern me just to solicit a few character witnesses. That really brings
me to my central question, how DO I go about this process without looking
like a flake or a heel? Does anyone have any suggestions for how I should
(or should NOT) be approaching engineers once I do find a suitable venue
for meeting them? Thank you very much!

In my mind, I don't see WHY you feel the need for PE licensure (especially
considering your background). About the only place (that I've ever seen)
where anyone gives a whit if you're a PE is in civil projects...power
plants, commercial and residential construction, etc. It is totally a
non-issue for R&D and manufacturing of commercial, medical, and military
products. So, why do you feel that you need this? (I think it'd be
difficult "cultivating" character witnesses by showing up at a few
meetings...I think you'd be talking about AT LEAST a year.)

George

 

[Steve]

In my mind, I don't see WHY you feel the need for PE licensure (especially

considering your background).

I'm not sure how licensing works in your state, but I'm certainly NOT
interested in being a licensed PE (that's my point!). In my state, you
must fill out an EIT (engineer in training) application just to sit for
the FE exam (that's "F", not "P"). The FE is just the entry level test
taken by students and recent college grads as the first step toward PE
licensing way down the road (after taking additional tests and earning
work experience). I have no interest in any of that whatsoever, I just
wanted to take that silly FE exam so I would qualify to take a totally
unrelated exam from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

At any rate, I did some careful analysis of my undergraduate transcript
yesterday afternoon. I would qualify based on the merits of my
transcript if only I had ONE more class in physics. I am thinking it
may perhaps make more sense to simply take an easy summer night class at
the local junior college, rather than chasing after signatures so I
could have the "privilege" of taking an 8-hour FE exam that I would have
to spend alot of time studying for anyway.

 

[operator jay]

I'm not sure how licensing works in your state, but I'm certainly NOT
interested in being a licensed PE (that's my point!). In my state, you
must fill out an EIT (engineer in training) application just to sit for
the FE exam (that's "F", not "P"). The FE is just the entry level test
taken by students and recent college grads as the first step toward PE
licensing way down the road (after taking additional tests and earning
work experience). I have no interest in any of that whatsoever, I just
wanted to take that silly FE exam so I would qualify to take a totally
unrelated exam from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

At any rate, I did some careful analysis of my undergraduate transcript
yesterday afternoon. I would qualify based on the merits of my
transcript if only I had ONE more class in physics. I am thinking it
may perhaps make more sense to simply take an easy summer night class at
the local junior college, rather than chasing after signatures so I
could have the "privilege" of taking an 8-hour FE exam that I would have
to spend alot of time studying for anyway.

Thermodynamics is interesting and would probably be suitable for someone
headed for Patent work. It is a 'grand-daddy' sort of science and deals
with some of the basics, energy, conservation of energy, cycles and
efficiencies, etc. A lot of stuff in a lot of varied fields will fall back
to considerations rooted in thermodynamics.

j

 

[george]

George,

In my state (California), unless you fall under the industrial exemption,
even calling yourself an engineer requires a license. Most of my life, I
fell under the industrial exemption anyway. After retiring, I did do a bit
of consulting (electrical) and called myself a PE. You also need a PE if
you
do work considered to be engineering except when there are exemptions. For
example, design of wiring for your own single family home, IIRC, is
exempt.
As an aside, my son bought a home where a previous owner had "upgraded"
wiring and locked in a few potential death traps. A PE is always needed if
the health and safety of the Public is at stake.

In my case, although I could pass the FE easily, I qualified for the PE
exam
without meeting that requirement. I did, however, have trouble getting
signatures from PE's. I was working in fields that did not have many PE's.
The licensing board did accept forms from supervisors and colleagues.
Contact the State licensing board to find what substitutions might be
acceptable.

Bill

-- Ferme le Bush

Bill,

Thanks for the info...I was an engineer in California for 20 years and NEVER
met a PE...of course, I was doing the type of work you specify as qualifying
for an industrial exemption. In the whole time I was there, not only did I
ever meet a PE, I never met anyone who said they were studying to become one
or even anyone who said they wanted (or "should") become one.

Your example on your son's home sounds familiar. When I bought my first
home there I found some pretty screwed up wiring that left me amazed that
the place hadn't burned to the ground. (It was nice that I found it before
purchase so I could have the previous owner pay an electrician to straighten
it out...and it was before I closed.)

George

 

[george]

With all the trouble in the aerospace industry in terms of overruns and
not
meeting specs, it would be to the advantage of the country to require
proposals being signed off by PE's. There should be no allowance for an
industrial exemption on proposals. PE's you who lie in the proposals would
be guilty of malpractice and not be allowed to work in the industry again.
When one's personal reputation is on the line, there would be less
puffery.

Bill

-- Ferme le Bush

IF the exam has changed from when I graduated (last time I saw content info
as I was considering the EIT portion back then), it could have merit. But,
back then, it was virtually all power systems stuff with a very small amount
of analog circuits, nothing on digital circuits, modulation techniques, or
any sort of software or firmware. Of course the reason for cost overruns in
aerospace (and all defense-related) doesn't have anything to do with
incompetence, but instead with the culture the government cultivated with
its "cost plus 10%" allowance in pricing...of course, 10% of a BIG number is
much better than 10% of a little number (the 10% is the company's allowable
profit).

George