Why being an ICE professional reviewer makes you a better engineer

When I first became a professional reviewer for the ICE, it felt very strange being on the other side of the table.

I’ll admit, I did suffer from a bit of imposter syndrome to start with, but I quickly found my feet and grew into the role.

It definitely helped that I’d sat my own in recent memory. I understood how the candidates were feeling and the work that had gone into preparing for the day.

And honestly, I couldn’t recommend it more.

A lot of the skills and knowledge I’ve developed through the role have helped me in all aspects of life. Plus, building connections across the industry is very powerful.

Find out what you need to become a reviewer

Obtaining new skills

My interviewing skills and critical thinking have developed immensely since starting the role and I have learnt to distil information efficiently and effectively.

I have to be mindful of the limited timeframe during the review. I ensure that I afford each attribute enough time to be able to gather the evidence I need to make an informed decision.

This has helped me in other meeting environments at my work, where it’s important to use the time effectively and to get to the heart of the matter quickly.

My note taking has improved dramatically as well. I need to make sure I capture as much information during the review as possible to better inform my write up post-review, but still remain engaged in the review with the candidate.

Expanding my network

I completed my first reviews online but then decided to do some in person, as I felt it would be a good chance to meet more reviewers.

I was also interested in seeing how the review day worked at the ICE.

In both of my experiences, online and in person, I’ve drawn great benefit from meeting fellow reviewers, especially being new to the role.

I learned a lot about some of the key skills required and got some great advice from some very experienced reviewers.

Broadening my engineering knowledge

I have gained a wide variety of knowledge from the candidates and my fellow reviewers.

It’s been insightful to hear about some of the wider projects happening that I wasn’t aware of and some of the challenges people are facing in the industry.

At the same time, it’s great to witness some of the ingenuity happening to overcome these difficulties.

As a Chartered Engineer conducting Technician professional reviews, I’ve earned a greater understanding of the diversity of backgrounds in the engineering technician community. Both in terms of job roles and levels of experience.

This variety provides interesting perspectives, though it also means we need to be thoughtful about how we assess each candidate.

While everyone is evaluated against the same set of attributes, it’s important to consider how different experiences – for example, those of an engineer versus a CAD technician – can each demonstrate these elements in unique ways.

It even helps my workplace

Being a reviewer has also given me great insight into how the reviewers operate and what they look for.

I’ve been able to pass on my key learnings to the apprentices I mentor at work, which has benefitted them when sitting their reviews.

It’s also helped with other mock reviews I do within my organisation.

How I prepare to do a review

I like to do a quick sweep of the candidates’ submission documents initially to understand their application and ensure it’s fit for purpose.

I then reach out to my fellow reviewer to arrange a meeting to get to know them a little better and also discuss early thoughts on the candidates’ applications.

I look over the submissions several times before the review day so that I can prepare some questions, with a focus on where I feel their attribute evidence may be weak.

Preparation is definitely a great enabler to an effective review!

I take my role as a reviewer seriously and I have to feel confident in my decision to pass or fail a candidate. I need to ensure that I can clearly justify the rationale for this.

Creating a positive environment

We try to create a friendly and open environment from the off with a candidate, which doesn’t come across as hostile.

We want the candidate to perform to the best of their ability and so presenting yourself as calm, open, and humble helps to inspire confidence in the candidates.

It’s good to ease them into the review by asking them some straightforward questions to start and to try and word questions differently if they appear to be struggling.

I feel this helps to settle their nerves.

To all aspiring reviewers

I wholeheartedly recommend becoming a reviewer!

It’s not a huge commitment but you can gain a lot from it, which can help you grow on a personal and professional level.,

I would strongly encourage anyone of any experience level or background to take up the role, as there is something in it for everyone.