22 Professional development Will Reynolds, a Senior Simulation Engineer at McLaren Applied Technologies, has become our youngest member to achieve chartership (CEng) at the age of 26. We spoke to him to find out why he wanted the Engineering Council’s formal recognition of his knowledge, skills and commitment – and how he went about achieving it. Why did you apply for CEng? I was initially interested because of the professional respect associated with the status – and the letters after my name! After starting the process, however, I realised that it is actually a very helpful framework to assess your abilities, figure out the gaps that need filling and come up with a plan to turn yourself into a well rounded engineer. Ultimately going through this process of self- reflection and personal development is the reason why I’d recommend becoming CEng. How did you achieve CEng so early in your career? It is definitely down to the level of responsibility I’ve been given at McLaren. I’ve had ownership of significant work packages and planning my project areas, and more recently I’ve been able to build on my people management skills. All this gave me enough evidence to apply for chartership. I also pushed myself hard to get the recognition as soon as I could, and when I came across any difficulties, I had the invaluable support of a mentor at McLaren. What did you find difficult about the application process? The hardest part was trying to figure out what was meant by the competence levels. The language is quite generic, so it’s not immediately obvious what the assessors are looking for. Luckily, my mentor helped me to translate the generic terminology into objectives which I understood clearly and could work towards. How did you demonstrate that you met CEng criteria? I discussed two projects during my interview; developing a vehicle dynamics simulator and developing models for the company Specialized Bicycle Components. In the simulator project, I was responsible for its low-level control system, ensuring that all the intelligent electronic components were working in unison and that there was a smooth shutdown procedure if anything went wrong. This was a high value, innovative project with a diverse team and it demonstrated a time when I had significant technical responsibility. The other project involved simulating a road bike accurately, so that we could optimise its design without spending time and money on building anything. I saw this through from customer discussions to presenting at a press launch, so it was a good example of being involved in the full lifecycle of a project. Any advice for applicants? Get a supportive mentor to push you in the right direction and kick you into action if your development is too slow. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your boss for opportunities to learn in areas where you lack expertise. How I became a Chartered Engineer at 26 Will Reynolds CEng MIET, Senior Simulation Engineer at McLaren Applied Technologies Want more support as you work towards professional registration? You can find information, guidance and even a mentor at theiet.org/mn-profreg Already registered? Support and encourage applicants by sharing your professional registration experience using #EngineeringRecognition. Find out more at theiet.org/engineering-recognition About Will Will creates virtual models of real dynamic systems to work out how to make them faster, cheaper or more accurate. He’s built vehicle dynamics simulators, mountain bikes, even health devices, and as Control Squad Lead, he specialises in optimal control of these systems. Member News March 2019