Can I Claim EIT if I'm Certain I passed?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the ethical considerations and implications of claiming Engineer in Training (EIT) status on a resume before official results from the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam are received. Participants explore the appropriateness of representing exam status and qualifications in job applications, particularly in the context of upcoming graduation and job opportunities.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that it is acceptable to indicate "EIT, expected certification: date" on a resume, as it reflects the anticipation of passing the exam.
  • Others argue that claiming EIT status without having received official certification is misleading and could lead to serious consequences, including application rejection.
  • Several participants emphasize the importance of ethics in professional qualifications, noting that the EIT status is easily verifiable online.
  • One participant advises against including subjective phrases like "did well," as perceptions of performance can vary and may affect credibility.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that claiming qualifications not yet awarded is unethical and could harm one's professional reputation. However, there is disagreement on how to phrase the representation of exam status on a resume.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the ethical implications of resume claims and the potential consequences of misrepresentation, but does not resolve the nuances of how to appropriately communicate exam status.

willibre
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I took the FE exam last weekend and I'm sure I passed. However, the results won't come back for ~12 weeks. I am graduating in 2 months, and some of the jobs I'm interested in say, "EIT preferred", so it would be nice if I could put EIT on my resume. I guess the best thing to do would be something like, "EIT, expected certification: date". Thanks for the input.
 
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It would be untruthful and therefore completely wrong to claim that which has not been awarded. You could write "Exam taken, did well" or words to that effect. But to claim that the EIT status has been conferred when it has not could land you in real trouble, particularly if you did not pass.
 
Putting down expected dates for graduations and certifications on a resume is an accepted practice.

Claiming to have a certification that you don't, isn't. :smile:
 
I sympathize, but no matter how certain you are that you aced the exam, you must not claim anything you do not have evidence of. The EIT is too easily checked online.

One of the big issues behind the PE certificate is ethics. You must not have ethical lapses like this, or your application will be that much harder to justify.
 
Claiming qualifications you haven't got is an absolute no-no. In the company I work for it would be an automatic "reject application" if it was found out (and as others said, it's easy to check).

You can certainly put the date you took the test and when you expect the results. Personally I would leave out the "did well" comment. You won't gain anything if it is true, but you will lose some credibility if it isn't. And different people might have different ideas about what score counts as "done well", when the results are out.
 

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