Career Aspiration and Business Plan for a Professional Engineer

The writer aims to establish a business in the field of Structural Health Monitoring, combining civil engineering knowledge with wireless sensor technology and networking and information management. After completing their undergraduate studies in civil engineering and gaining four years of experience under the supervision of a Professional Engineer, they plan to establish their own company, focusing on employing dense arrays of wireless sensors that provide distributed real-time processing for efficient data transmission at an affordable price.

Innovation in Sustainable Engineering Design

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Chapter-1.........................................................................................................................................2
Developing your qualification.........................................................................................................2
Chapter-2.........................................................................................................................................3
Fulfill your career aspiration...........................................................................................................3
Chapter-3.........................................................................................................................................3
Developing your own career............................................................................................................3
Chapter-4.........................................................................................................................................4
Establishing business.......................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6
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Introduction
This paper presents an overview on the potential for development of the basic qualifications,
requirements for professional accreditation, the plan for the career pathways, and establishment
of a one’s own business. All this information will be assessed for summarizing the journey of the
civil engineer. The paper will begin from the basic qualification, professional accreditations
mentioning the history of career to the present scenario of the job and professional level and the
personal development plan. Along this line the achievements of learning samples, reflection logs
and tools etc. The paper will be discussed keeping civil engineering as the basic qualification in
mind. The career options for a civil engineering students will be explored along with evaluating
the option of higher studies in the similar field. Similarly, various courses related to career
development in the field of construction business will be explored in the study.
Chapter-1
Qualification Development
Having completed my bachelors in Civil Engineering from the University, with a clear
understanding on the new relations, new buildings and new perceptions. I will look for job in the
relevant field. I will aim to gain at least five years of experiences. Being bilingual (English,
Greek, German and Spanish) will help me in befriending people from every sphere and making
new and important contacts. My qualifications will form a foundation for me and the five year
experience will help me in enriching my knowledge in the field of pavement analysis,
construction process, maintenance of host and right of the way. Having done a project work on
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wireless sensor technology, I would be able to put right foot forward and amalgamate
construction industry with relevant and innovative technology. This will help my organization to
gain a competitive edge over the competitors and will strive to invent new technologies. Along
with the job, I will also enroll myself in National Council of Examiners for Engineering and
Surveying (NCEES) for the licensing as a professional engineer by the Accreditation board for
engineering and technology as it is highly reputed certification and educational course provided
to the engineers and surveyors (Kasuba, R., & Vohra, P., 2004). This will help me to shape my
future aspirations and will enable me to work with some reputed brands and construction
companies of the country. This program will be beneficial in gaining an insight on the
infrastructure and construction related projects and enables the interested candidate to become a
leader in the arena of professional civil engineering. My aspiration will be to clear the two-tiers
so as to gain the license and shape my career.
Chapter-2
Fulfillment of career aspiration
In order to fulfill my career aspiration, I will prepare myself for the National Council of
Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). The engineers are licensed by licensing
board of the United States at the state level and the P.E. license is conferred by the engineering
board on meeting the combination of the education, qualifications, exams and experience
requirements. A degree in civil engineering will put me one step forward towards achieving the
goal. The civil engineering student must have his under graduated degree completed from
ABET/ EAC accredited program (Johnston, D. W., Thomas Ahluwalia, N., & Gwyn, M. B.,
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2007). I will refer the supplied reference materials and will ask my senior for help in order to
clear this exam. NCEES scored the Structural Engineering (SE) exam, Principles and Practice of
Engineering (PE) exam and Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exams for the licensures of
engineering.
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam will be my first step towards becoming a
Professional engineer. This exam is administered via a computer-based testing and is designed
for the students about to complete their undergraduate degree is considered to be the foundation
for becoming a professional licensed engineer. The practice of the engineering profession is
tested by the PE and SE exams but one can take is only after gaining a four years of professional
experience. PE or the Practice of Engineering (PE) exam will test my ability of practicing
competently in civil engineering and will be my last step in processing towards becoming a
licensed Professional Engineer (Kelly, W. E., 2007). I intend to clear PE after gaining the
required experience in my field. During the four years after clearing my FE, I will try to gain as
much understanding and practical knowledge on designing, construction and related subject
matters. Once I clear my exam, I will be conferred a Professional Engineer and would be able to
establish my own business or join a reputed firm with a good salary package. In order to work in
different states, I will apply have to apply for the comity license. This will be an additional factor
providing edge to my career.
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Chapter-3
Career Development
I aspire to work for the Illinois Structural Health Monitoring Project (ISHMP) team and work
with the wireless sensor technology. I personally feel that the Structural Health Monitoring
Project is an emerging and revolutionary field that combines civil engineering knowledge
with the wireless sensor technology and networking and information management
technology. The amalgamation of both results in a reliable alternative to the traditional
structure (Li, H. N., Li, D. S., & Song, G. B., 2004). Being a civil engineering student and
done various projects on wireless sensor technology, I think I will be a suitable candidate in
the field. In order to be eligible for attempting PE, I will undertake the supervision of a good
professional engineer working in this particular field who will help me set my career
pathways. After clearing my FE, I will undertake supervision of the professional engineer
and work with him for four to five years and try my attempt in clearing PE. I aspire to
become a part of the Structural Health Monitoring Project of my state and perform
revolutionary research in the field.
Additionally, the working experience under Professional Engineer will help me gain added
knowledge and will help me understand the criticalities and deep understanding of the topic.
A four years’ experience under the supervision of Professional Engineer will help me in
understanding the work and basics of Structural Health Monitoring and its link with civil
engineering helping me learn the learning samples by understating the working of this
particular department to fulfill my job aspirations. Once I am acquainted with all the
necessary knowledge and information, I intend to establish my own business which deals
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with employing dense arrays of wireless sensors that will be designed to transit and record
high-fidelity data efficiently at an affordable price. I will try to employ wireless sensors that
provide distributed real-time processing for overcoming the limitations that the industry has
been facing in this field.
Chapter-4
Establishing business
On completing my four to five years of experience in Structural Health Monitoring, I will aim
towards establishing business in the same field. After undertaking supervision of a Professional
Engineer, I will get the license and would be able to connect to reputed brands and firms. This
four year experience will lay out a foundation for establishment of my business and will help me
managing the various aspect of my field in the most efficient manner. My previous experience in
wireless sensor technology and four year experience with a FE and PE license, I would be able to
attain a high position among my competitors and will help in generating sustainable profit for a
very long term to my business. This will be my ultimate objective to fulfill career aspiration. In
order to establish this business I will take loan from the bank. The aim for establishing business
is to question the traditional centralized approach for the structural health monitoring which is
highly disconnected with the number of sensors. Additionally, the difficulty in installing the
wired networking, amount of data to be sent to central station and introduction of single point of
failure have been encountered. My firm will help in deploying solutions to come up with a
wireless sensor minus such issues. The sensors will be utilized by the civil engineers without any
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background or information in the electrical background or the computer science. These wireless
sensors will be deployed on infrastructure like cable-stayed bridge etc. (Balageas, D., Fritzen, C.
P., & Güemes, A. (Eds.)., 2006). I came up with the idea of company while doing my research
on the wireless sensor technology and believe that this type of firm will have distinct product and
innovative thinking thereby providing an edge to the company and to stand out from the
competitors and researchers within the same space. The innovation is the prime motive behind
selecting this field as it provides me to strive further and contribute to the economy of my
country in the most innovative manner.
Once I am done with my under graduation and clear the FE along with gaining four year
experience from a Professional Engineer. On clearing PE, I will be given the license as a
Professional Civil Engineer and will put all my knowledge, information and hard work in
establishing my business. This will help me in getting my career aspirations straight. I will start
saving money after getting the license ad develop my own financial plan for determining the
financial requirements in order to establish the business. Once I clear both the exams and get the
license, I will start promoting my business and the innovative thinking and will share the ideas
with reputed and established construction business and companies. My business plan will have
an efficient marketing plan and will aim to deliver efficient products to the clients and customers
for growth of the company. Additionally, I will make sure that I build a cordial relationship with
my clients. Further I will make sure that all the deliveries are done at the right time and my
business follow best ethics. I will start my company at a local base and if able to attain success in
the field I will try to expand my company on a worldwide level.
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Conclusion
It is my ultimate career aspiration to establish the business in Structural Health Monitoring. This
whole career plan will require me to complete my under graduation in civil engineering and
attain the license as a Professional Civil Engineer. The licensing will be performed from the
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying and will require me to clear two
exams. On completion of my studies I will aim to clear FE and then I will work for four years
under the supervision of a Professional Engineer and will appear for PE again.
I will start a job in the Illinois Structural Health Monitoring Project (ISHMP) and will learn
about the various facets of the Structural Health Monitoring to gain experience and
knowledge on various aspects. After gaining a five year experience under the Professional
Engineer, I will establish my own company for which I will start saving and funding with
the employment phase. I will also take loan from bank in order to fulfill the additional
financial requirements. My company will design wireless sensors and amalgamate it with
the civil engineering infrastructure and will prove out to be a revolutionizing firm of its own
kind. I will start with a small consumer base and will aim to attain a high consumer base in a
specified period and aim to generate sustainable profits. I will try to collaborate with the
reputed construction business and firms to help me with my project. My professional goal is
to establish a successful infrastructure and wire sensor firm which is known for its quality of
work and innovative designs that ultimately helps to generate higher revenue which is my
personal aspiration.
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References
Kasuba, R., & Vohra, P. (2004). International mobility and the licensing of professional
engineers. World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, 3(1), 43-46.
Johnston, D. W., Thomas Ahluwalia, N., & Gwyn, M. B. (2007). Improving the professional
engineering licensure process for construction engineers. Journal of Construction Engineering
and Management, 133(9), 669-677.
Kelly, W. E. (2007). Certification and accreditation in civil engineering. Journal of Professional
Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, 133(3), 181-187.
Li, H. N., Li, D. S., & Song, G. B. (2004). Recent applications of fiber optic sensors to health
monitoring in civil engineering. Engineering structures, 26(11), 1647-1657.
Balageas, D., Fritzen, C. P., & Güemes, A. (Eds.). (2006). Structural health monitoring (Vol.
493). London: ISTE.
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