The Importance of Having Your Own Seal

For those who are unaware, I am a civil engineer. Civil engineering, like most professions, is a "guild," where there are three layers to being a civil engineer. I am currently in the "apprentice" level, which is (of course), the lowest level of engineer. As an "apprentice" engineer, my job is to increase my knowledge, start trying to pass some exams (like the FE/EIT in October, more on that later), and move up to the next stage. After passing the FE/EIT (Fundamentals of Engineer/Engineer-In-Training Exam), one becomes a "Journeyman" engineer. As a journeyman, the wages get better, the skills are more easily transferrable, and there are more tests to take. During this level engineers often take other tests in various minor specialties and seek to further increase their own personal marketability. Often graduate school (an MBA or some other degree) comes into play during this stage (I'm shooting for at least one degree during this stage), as well as a host of other certifications (like GIS, Building Inspector, and so forth) which are transferrable personally as well. After at least four years of being an FE/EIT, one moves on to the ultimate level of the profession, which is the professional engineer.

And what's so big about being the "master," or the "professional?" Well, for one, you get the cool initials P.E. after your name, which mean you can sign your own drawings. You have CEU (continuing education unit) requirements, but the ability to be recognized for your work is a good one. One of the fringe benefits of being a professional engineer is the seal. The seal is the sign of reaching the level of competence to being a professional. Until you have the seal, you are not truly an engineer. Perhaps such a lesson is applicable in other areas of life as well. The seal cannot be bought (though it costs a lot of money). It is earned through hard work, practice, knowledge, wisdom, and character, and is maintained through continual effort. In many ways, the life of a Christian is much like that of an engineer, even if most Christians aren't as "nerdy" as engineers tend to be, nor is engineering a particularly religious profession (though as designers there is certainly some comparison between engineers and those who strive after the divine in their spiritual lives). Anyway, it's something to think about, at least.