The Importance of Professionalism and Adherence to Rules in Engineering

The importance of my professional career would be to become a Project Manager after a few years of being in the field. I have gone back and forth on whether or not I would like to take the F.E. Exam. Knowing my strengths and weaknesses has made me consider what would be beneficial to me. I have considered what exam would benefit me years from now, however, I am not sure that this is something I would like to pursue. Taking the F.E. would mean more opportunities as well as the possibility of working for bigger companies. One certification I have considered taking is the Project Management Professional Certification (PMP). This would be something that I know I can succeed in. I consider myself to be organized, to be a planner, to budget my spending carefully, and to be accountable for my actions, whether they are right or wrong. Not only will this will help me expand on job opportunities as well look into bigger projects for companies. It will benefit me to expand my knowledge in different career paths. I have been considering that both licenses fit really well in working with bigger jobs.

There are many benefits that would help me have a PMP or an F.E. license; It Establishes and recognizes that I have met a standard that makes me equal with other professionals, it is setting me apart from other engineers in my profession, and it would essentially increase my responsibility and authority when making big decisions. Knowing what the benefits are for a professional license would ensure it becomes an easy decision to take the F.E. and the PMP. The question arises when I ask myself what exam to take, Interdisciplinary or Civil. Being an Architectural student, I have the "advantage" of learning a little bit of everything from different fields. When attending the "Texas Board of Professional Engineers Professional Licensure," it became apparent that the benefits of having these licenses' would help me become responsible and more involved into my work field. This credential will help me throughout my entire career, establish myself and keep me learning new things that will essentially help me further my career to grow into new projects within a company.

There are many interesting incentives when considering taking the F.E. exam during my senior year of college. The exam has been modified into 100 questions being open-ended, multiple choice, etc. This became harder to consider knowing my strengths and weaknesses in different classes. Having the informational background to move forward with taking the exam is something everyone should consider and take seriously. Texas A&M University-Kingsville is fortunate to have accredited majors to take the exam before graduation and have a license to become an EIT. With the EIT, I know I am able to pursue my career in the field before considering a P.E.; however, I am not concerned about the P.E. till a few years down the road.

Overall, taking both would essentially benefit me when looking for a job, stability in a chosen career, the ability to travel where work would take me, and being financially stable. Even though I know I will not go into the field of structural design, it can open doors of opportunities to expand my knowledge in the field as well as in the office. Researching the criteria, I need to get my license brought up valid working points for my career.

NSPE has a lot of fundamental canons that are used for successful engineering practice;

1. Perform Services only in areas of their competence
2. Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner
3. Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees
4. Avoid deceptive acts
5. Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession" (Texas Board of Professional Engineers., October 2018)

Utilizing all these fundamental canons will help me in my profession every single day. The most important NSPE fundamental for me would be to make myself honorable, responsible, to be ethical, as well as use my knowledge in a professional way. This is also would be the most difficult to practice. I believe a person must have integrity in the workplace and the ability to keep doing the right thing in a difficult situation. Working for a big company carries a lot of different responsibilities that will make me want to take an easier route. I have learned to work smarter and not harder on the task given to me at school.

Being responsible has taught me to prioritize my work for my different classes. This would mean having equal time to study each subject and have a social life. Prioritizing each subject demonstrates my responsibilities in what event happens first. Having a set planner with the projects or deadlines you have to meet, I believe, sets you apart from the rest. Becoming self-aware of my work and finishing it in a timely manner would benefit me when trying to meet a deadline. I have learned that setting a due date a week before it is due gives you time to work on the project sooner and not wait till the last minute to finish it and turn in an unfinished assignment. Keeping my work area clean is another way of showing that I am responsible in the workplace. This would help my boss or superior know that I am organized and ready to handle multiple tasks at once. This would also show that I know where each project I have worked on is located in a specific spot, otherwise, I might make a mistake and approve something that otherwise has not been set in stone.

Ethically, I would want to be practicing good morals that would also help set me apart. While having work experience, I would begin accumulating multiple similar projects for different companies that would be asking me to do the same thing; however, it would be morally wrong of me to send out an old packet to a new client so that I could finish the project and move on to a new one. When working with a new client, they might be asking for the same plan, but it is best for you to draw up new ideas and create something better than the last. This also would mean confidentiality with a client, trusting them as they trust you to create something different for their project. Having good morals in the workplace would help me expand my creativity in working with new designs and improvements to the community. Having my license while working on projects builds my reputation and networking with other companies to show what I have done during my work experience.

My reputation and how I carry myself in the workplace are important. I am able to show my coworkers and supervisors that I not only carry my responsibilities with my clients, but I am able to give new ideas that are not being carried over from past accounts. Putting my stamp or name on any work that has been approved or worked on by me shows that I am taking full responsibility for my actions. The reputation to uphold while carrying a high position would make me want to expand my knowledge and growth within the company.

This will help me become a professional in the work environment to help me succeed in the work I do. Trying to keep good moral standards while working is something I know I would need to practice daily, not only for the good of the company but for the liability of my professional license. To have integrity in work, I put in and be confident to put my name on every project given to me. One guest speaker: Francisco Flores, was able to come and talk to the ASCE members about his experience with the F.E.
Mr. Flores works with commercial, industrial, paperwork, and design. His day job consists of bid processing, closure on projects, and field reports. He graduated from Texas A&M University- Kingsville with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and is currently enrolled to take his master's in civil engineering. ASCE helped him network and find a job after college, he knew getting into the organization would eventually help him meet new people, be hired full-time, and work alongside professionals that would lead him into the work field he wanted to do. He gave us a background of his job, from working 8-5 every day or working till the job is done. He mentioned important times to set concrete which would be his earliest days, as well as learning new programs for his jobs.

He took the time out of his day to discuss the importance of taking the F.E. He began by letting us know how we could use our engineering degree wisely. We impact our society by designing, building, maintaining, and the use of transportation. As an engineer, we have a design process we must always follow:

• Identify the problem
• Research the problem
• Specify requirements
• Develop solutions
• Select the best solutions
• Construct a prototype
• Test and evaluate
• Redesign

This would essentially help me in the future when coming across a problem. It is important to know our STEM skills, know each background, and study them consistently after graduating.

When thinking about the F.E., Mr. Flores let us know what to expect before taking the exam. We would need to know: professional ethics, creative mind, managing skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills. Each section is different from what F.E. we would want to be taking. He recommended different websites, books, and courses to help guide us with prepping for the F.E., as well as preparing us for the day of. This would include not sleeping late the night before, a calculator that is F.E. approved, and taking a jacket for a long cold day. Interestingly he mentioned how many times he had taken and failed the F.E. exam. He had been taking it since he graduated from Texas A&M University-Kingsville two years ago with a bachelor's degree. He mentioned taking it a couple of times and is still striving to pass and get his license. His outcome has been positive, considering he has failed it and has always strived never to give up until he passes. What kept him motivated was that his job was investing in him to pass and successfully take the P.E. once he had passed the F.E. Another professional came to speak with us and encouraged us to not only succeed but to be the best we could be in our field of work.

Mr. Veteto set our minds to think about what we wanted to do or where we should be after graduating and how we can only succeed from there. Mr. Veteto mentioned different firms and practices with different paying salaries and how an F.E. and a P.E. could not only be beneficial when working with new and different companies but would probably pay you more than they would if you just had a degree. We each set a career path for ourselves, whether or not we a doers, a manager, a leader, or a mentor. We should be able to be all those by the time we reach our retirement age. Encouraging us to look and dress for the job we want, to never stop learning, to practice our skills in our own downtime, and to never look for excuses. Be organized as possible, be professional in any setting, become informed not only through our social media but to learn more about our own surroundings, and be involved with every project you can. These guest speakers have taught me to never give up and to continue striving for greatness. Encouraging students to study and put their best foot forward in our career paths. To be able to apply NCEES model laws in our everyday life. This would be having obligations to our company.

One aspect of the NCEES model law that is liable to my job would be disciplinary actions that take place if I do not follow my obligations to my license and to my job. Being part of the board, they have the power to issue, restore or renew, and place on probation any licensee that is found guilty of certain acts. (National Council of Examination for Engineering and Surveying, October 2018). The board has the right to make decisions based on the acts of the licensee on different accounts. Knowing these disciplinary actions, I am aware that each action has a consequence, whether it be good or bad. I hope to follow these rules carefully in order to keep my license as an engineer, the law for being a licensed engineer is to help me build a community, serve as a platform, to be a teammate, a leader, and a creative individual. Certain laws that the board holds are meant to follow a certain disciplinary action. To ensure that my rights as an engineer are kept, I must always follow the rules and read carefully what my license can uphold. Criminal offenses, fraud, and expirations on a license is an action the board must take into account for when or if I was to break protocol.

Applying the rules carefully to my profession will help guide me in knowing the fundamentals of the NCEES. I believe it is important to follow not only the rules for the NCEES model law but to follow the laws of an engineer at any firm as well as the rules you set for yourself to succeed. Being guided in the right direction, to be truthful, responsible, trusted, and ethically professional when working with a company and important clients. This will ensure my success anywhere I go with any company as long as I put my best foot forward. By knowing the consequences of each action taken to help me expand my knowledge, grow and become the best engineer, I can be.

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