Electrical Construction Project Manager - Looking to Get PE - Need Advice

[elec-eng768]

Hello!
I am a construction management professional with 8 years of experience in electrical construction. For almost all of my career, I have worked for an electrical contractor on design-build projects in the United States. I have a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering. Recently, I decided I wanted to pursue my PE license in Electrical Engineering.
So far, I do not have any experience where I have worked under a PE and/or gotten a PE to sign off on any work. Some of my work is engineering-related, but I have never done any of my own design work. For example, I work on design-build projects and often manage other engineers or subcontract engineers, I analyze their designs, I review submittals, I review code, etc. However, the designs have never been my own, so I cannot say I have actual design/engineering experience.
In my current role, I am a Project Manager with a salary well into the 6-figures (I live in the Washington DC area).
In pursuit of my PE, I have begun applying to several engineering firms, and so far have not had much luck. I have had plenty of interest in my experience, but no company so far is willing to pay me what I make now. Unfortunately, a pay cut is not an option.
The best offer I have gotten so far is about 75% of my current salary, which I just cannot make work with my current situation (nor do I want to spend several years working to get back to my current salary).
Here are the options I have been able to identify:
1. Take a pay cut as a entry level / junior electrical engineer - not a viable option.
2. Work at my current company and try to convince them to help me with my PE / get engineering experience. Also not a good option as we don't have any engineers in our department, and they laid off the engineering group a few years ago.
3. Work for an owner's rep, general contractor, or consultant in some sort of engineering capacity. However, to get paid what I make now, I would need to do a lot of what I do now, and not get as much engineering experience as I would like. I have found some companies that strongly encourage professional development and may pay for exam fees, courses, etc.

So my question is then, are there any other good options out there? If you've been in a similar position as me, what did you do? My ideal situation is:
1. Take a job with at least my current salary
2. Take a job that offers me engineering mentorship and training, and can sponsor me to get my PE.

Any advice you have would be great! Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[SWComposites]

So, you want a PE because …………?
You want to get into design work? If so, then yeah, you might need to take a pay cut to get the relevant design experience.
You want to get into consulting? As a design engineer? Or project management person? Or?

 

[elec-eng768]

I am primarily looking for my PE as a way to better myself & skills. I think it helps future-proof me, it allows me to work for myself one day, and it makes me more attractive to other employers.
I am not sure what kind of role I want for my next job. All I know is that I want that role to support further learning and development, particularly in getting me PE.
I don't see myself becoming a design engineer for the rest of my life, I see getting that experience as getting an added skill.
Ideally I want to be in consulting as some capacity - likely project management.

 

[GregLocock]

So, you want to do a less senior job, yet be paid the same. I want a pony.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[elec-eng768]

@GregLocock
No, I would take a senior-level job if they were willing to make engineering training & development a part of the job, I would take it.
I don't have transferable skills when it comes to engineering. My skills are project management, procurement, estimating, cost management, etc. on construction projects.
Maybe preconstruction/estimating manager may involve engineering more?

 

[AZPete]

Go find a professional association where the EE PEs hang out and get to know them well.

They will be your mentors, and if you pursue your objective with competency, they will also be your backers.

 

[IRstuff]

Seems like there's an unspoken elephant in the room. Why did you not stay in engineering in the first place?

I would also dispute the notion that you have no transferrable skills; it's been my experience that there's always dearth of good program managers in engineering companies since engineers aren't specifically trained to be managers of any sort, much less program/project management.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[HVAC-Novice]

Don't over-estimate the training or mentoring you get in a different job. That may just be on paper and you still have to figure out everything yourself. If possible, You can incorporate small design in your current job?

Check with your licensing board. Here I needed 5 professional references and 3 of them need to be PE in my state. You can petition to use different refences (i.e. from out of state). I know a PG (Professional Geologist) who moved here from a different State. He petitioned to use PG references from his previous State and also use PE references from in-State since he was the only geologist in the company. The people giving reference need to know you professionally and your work. But they don't need to be a person who sits with you in a cubicle and mentor you all day. They also can be someone from a different company as long as they are in a position they can judge your work. Or they can be higher up in your company and don't work with you daily (as long as they know your work well enough).

You also can start with the EIT license to pass the FE test. That gives you some practice to find out what the licensing board accepts and you can do it any time you fulfill the refence an education requirements. I bet for the PE you can use some of you existing experience to meet the 4 year experience requirement. At some point you just send it all in and let them decide. There is a good chance you can get the EIT license in your current job. That also helps you to find a different job if needed since an employer sees you are serious about the PE and not just talking about it.

 

[CWB1]

Anything is possible but I foresee several issues:
1. Junior engineer is typically more than a full-time role, not part-time. Many start and quickly leave the profession bc they're unwilling to put in long days and regular evenings studying.
2. Without a decade of engineering experience its unlikely that you have the necessary experience to be a PM at a company with a decent engineering dept. Wordsmithing to inflate your current position and experience might get you hired but failing to perform will quickly get you fired and hurt your reputation. It should be a big red flag to honestly reassess before ego harms your career.

I work on design-build projects and often manage other engineers or subcontract engineers

we don't have any engineers in our department, and they laid off the engineering group a few years ago.

JMO but I would forget about PE licenses, consulting and other 10+ year possibilities to focus on 3-5 year goals like becoming an engineer competent in a niche or two.

 

[Heaviside1925]

I had a friend in a similar situation.
-Have you taken the FE? If not, take it.
-Unless you are in a state that requires electrical drawings to be stamped, most firms aren't particular which state you are licensed in.
-Find a state that requires the least amount of experience required for your PE and get licensed as an FE in that state. I think my friend got licensed in California, but you'll have to check each states individual requirements.
-I do not know a way around the experience requirement, but my friend negotiated his work contract to provide for a fairly hefty raise once he was licensed.
- Again, this is a state-by-state requirement but as soon as you are allowed to, take the PE exam. Some states let you take the exam prior to getting the experience. If you can show a future employer that you're only lacking experience but have passed the PE, on top of your previous experience, it gives you a lot of leverage in negotiating your contract.
-Firms are desperate for PEs and I have seen many ads that say they require a PE but if you dig down into the job description, many times you'll find wording like, "PE preferred or be able to obtain one within (xx) many years"