Professional Development

Okay, time for a follow up on last night's post.

I swear, sometimes I feel like a have a crying quota my body thinks I need to meet.  If I haven't cried in a while, all of these emotions get built up and forgotten but it's like the associated tears are still there.  Remember the game Don't Spill the Beans? That's more or less how my tear "bucket" seems to work and yesterday it spilled; about four or give times.

I posted the big news about Ben's career move, but I too have an extremely busy three months ahead of myself in my career.  I'm an engineer and as a practicing engineer in my field, my company suggests that it's employees get their Professional Engineering license (PE). There are a few steps to obtaining a PE:

1. Take and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE; 8 hour exam): Luckily my university required we take the FE prior to graduation.  A review course was offered, I took both, and I passed the FE (which is on advantage to my coworkers who still need to pass FE).
2. Work as an Engineer-in-Training (4 years in your field): My four year anniversary is in July. I can take the PE prior to July (PE and FE are offered twice a year: April and October), but, assuming I pass, I will not be able to apply for my license until July.
3. Take and pass the PE (8 hour exam): For me, this means April
4. Apply for license in the state which you passed the PE: Each state a project is in requires its own PE license, although if you have your PE in one state, there is often reciprocity so that you don't have to take an exam in every state

Needless to say, this will be a big endeavor (and achievement) for my engineering career.  Review courses are offered (in fact several begin this week) and are typically two three-hour sessions twice a week for 6+ weeks.  The class I've selected to enroll is doesn't start until February, although I will begin studying as soon as I receive my class material.  Luckily my company also covers the cost of the review courses (and offers a raise once licensure is obtained).

As if that isn't intimidating enough for the next three months, I also was "asked to volunteer" to co-present my first professional paper at a state-wide conference in March.  However, in recent weeks as the deadline for the presentation approaches, it appears that co-presenter is turning more and more into presenter on a topic that I am no where near familiar with, let alone knowledgeable enough on to give a thirty minute presentation for the first presentation of my career.

I don't want to go into too much detail because I try to keep my work out of this blog, but both items are weighing heavy on my mind and yesterday I finally hit the tipping point when my boss sent out a request for an outline based on the approved abstract. An abstract which he wrote and I had no influence on.

Yeah, it was one of those days.  And in addition to that, I ripped my black tights on my desk and embarrasingly walked about with a hole above my knee all afternoon; when I went to take my coat off at home, the zipper broke off; and Ben gets to go to NYC without me later this month. (More on that later)