After 30 years in the Civil Engineering Industry and 20 of those as a self-employed contractor, it is fair to say that I had somewhat lost focus on my development and advancing my career. When I was approached by my then employer to set an objective to become professionally qualified, I had some hesitation.

My initial three thoughts were: if I really wanted this then why had I not done this a long time ago? What are the added benefits? How difficult is it going to be?

Well firstly, times have changed and a long career with a lot of experience does not demonstrate that I am a competent Engineering Technician. It was nice to go back through my career and remember all the things that I had achieved and some of the prestigious projects that I had helped to deliver. Secondly, achieving a professional title enhances my employability and recognises all my hard work and skills.

It also demonstrates that I have achieved a level of proficiency in my specific field of Engineering. Thirdly, with the help of my colleagues and the Permanent Way Institution (PWI) I found the application process straightforward and intuitive. I had some queries with the submission and after a chat with the PWI Registration Team these were quickly resolved.

I would highly recommend that if you fulfil the criteria then you should apply to be professionally qualified.