A team effort produces impressive results for the research, product development and manufacturing of rapid non-destructive thermal testing for products ranging from aerospace components to refrigerator insulation.
|
| Q. |
You both have your P.Eng. licences. What made you decide to get your professional licences? Why was obtaining it important to you?
|
| A. |
Chris
Obtaining my P.Eng. was the true goal all along from the beginning of my engineering education. My only indecision at the time rested with which discipline - Mechanical or Chemical. I knew back then that, endorsed with the legitimacy of the professional licence, I was permitting flexibility in my career path.
Nancy
The P.Eng. is the accepted goal in an engineering student's path. Going through the process of obtaining your licence is the next logical approach for a well-rounded engineering background.
|
| Q. |
How has the P.Eng. made a difference in your careers?
|
| A. |
Chris
A big difference right from the start, with my P.Eng. is that I have been able to successfully operate my own professional research and manufacturing firm. As a young entrepreneur, you need every bit of leverage you can get to demonstrate to your colleagues that you indeed have something significant to contribute. Not everyone is sure about your credibility at the start and this gave me an opportunity to refer to a recognized standard.
Nancy
The licence and its standard are widely recognized outside of Canada and have permitted me, during my career, to solidify international contacts and initiate conversation time and time again.
|
| Q. |
What does the P.Eng. licence mean for you both personally?
|
| A. |
Chris
The licence definitely means more in terms of long-term security. The P.Eng., together with my practical experience, guarantees opportunities to work on various types of engineering challenges and to work for as long as I want while providing important solutions to people. Having my P.Eng. strengthens and confirms the direction I took in all my studies.
Engineering is probably the best background to have in running a high-tech business - it comes down to ease of making decisions and managing your resources, and of course solving problems for your customers.
Nancy
It means that I have been authorized by my peers, through due course of education, practical training and certification, to take all responsibility for my work and for the work generated by my staff. Deep down, the licence is an affirmation of just how far I can take something.
|
| Q. |
What does it mean to you both to be a professional?
|
| A. |
Chris and Nancy
We feel a certain commitment to uphold a high standard within our profession. Unless we do so, we feel unworthy of the privilege of holding the licence.
|
| Q. |
If you wanted to encourage students to recognize the value in obtaining their P.Eng., what would you say to them?
|
| A. |
Chris
Go for it! It will be worth a lot to you for the rest of your career and be no end of value to your life both personally and professionally. It is a very flexible profession and adds up to giving you a broad range of jobs to choose from in the long term.
Nancy
As an employer, I would feel that an engineering graduate without a P.Eng. has demonstrated a lack of ability to complete a project or task, to not take responsibility for their work. By not reaching this goal you would be sending out the wrong impression. In school you learn the core material but it is the mentoring process that strengthens one's aptitudes and puts them to the real test. That's the stuff employers look for.
|
| Q. |
Do you have anything else to add?
|
| A. |
Chris
I think students sometimes let indecision with the type of engineering they should take interfere with their realization that the basics for solving problems and working on technical-based solutions comes out of each and every discipline. If they look more to what it is that they enjoy doing, and talk to practicing engineers and professors, they will find the right fit for both their interests and aptitudes. It is really important to enjoy your work life.
Nancy
If a student chooses not to pursue his/her P.Eng. they will be missing out on a perfect opportunity to further polish their abilities not just by academic fortification but through practical experiences. Having a P.Eng. ensures a life-long learning process.
|
