If you’re applying for skilled migration to Australia as an engineer, preparing Career Episodes correctly is essential for a successful Competency Demonstration Report (CDR). Engineers Australia uses Career Episodes to assess your engineering knowledge and skills, and any mistake in writing them can result in delays or rejections.
In this post, we’ll cover best practices for preparing Career Episodes that effectively showcase your professional competencies, backed by guidance from Engineers Australia.
Understand the Purpose of Career Episodes
Each Career Episode is a detailed narrative that highlights a specific period or project in your engineering career. The goal is to demonstrate how your work meets the competency standards outlined by Engineers Australia.
“Each Career Episode should be a narrative describing an engineering task or project you have undertaken. It should clearly demonstrate the application of engineering knowledge and skills in the nominated occupation.” – Engineers Australia, Migration Skills Assessment Booklet
Avoid generic or team-based descriptions. Instead, focus on your personal contributions and how they align with the occupational category you’re applying for.
Follow the Correct Structure for Your Career Episodes
A Career Episode should include the following components:
-
Introduction: Dates, duration, location, and the name of the organisation.
-
Background: Context of the project, your role, and the objectives.
-
Personal Engineering Activity: Detailed description of the work you personally did.
-
Summary: Your view on the overall project and its outcomes.
Make sure each section is clearly labelled. EA also recommends numbering each paragraph, as it helps when mapping competencies in your Summary Statement.
Be Specific and Technical in Your Career Episodes
When preparing Career Episodes, it’s crucial to include specific technical details. Engineers Australia is evaluating your engineering capabilities, so vague descriptions won’t suffice.
“You should clearly state what you did and describe how you did it, emphasizing your own role in the work.” – Engineers Australia
Include calculations, design processes, software tools used, and engineering decisions made. The more relevant and detailed, the better your competency demonstration.
Also Read: Choosing The Right Engineering Projects for Your Career Episodes
Align Your Content with EA’s Competency Elements
Every Career Episode should show how you meet one or more elements of the competency standards for your nominated engineering category (Professional Engineer, Engineering Technologist, or Engineering Associate).
Download the EA competency standard for your category and plan your Career Episodes to touch on key elements such as:
-
Problem-solving
-
Application of engineering theory
-
Team collaboration
-
Communication and leadership
Map each paragraph to these elements when writing your Summary Statement later.
Use the First Person and Active Voice
A common mistake in preparing Career Episodes is writing in a passive or third-person voice. Always use the first person and active voice to describe your actions.
Example:
✅ “I designed a water filtration system using AutoCAD and tested it using simulation software.”
❌ “A water filtration system was designed and tested.”
Using “I” makes it clear that you were responsible for the work and helps Engineers Australia assess your individual contributions.
Avoid Plagiarism at All Costs
Never copy content from sample CDRs or online sources. Engineers Australia uses advanced plagiarism detection tools. If any part of your Career Episode is found to be plagiarised, your application will be rejected immediately.
Write everything in your own words, even if you’re referring to commonly used engineering processes or methodologies.
Also Read: Plagiarism in CDR Reports: Risks and How to Ensure Originality
Proofread and Revise Thoroughly
Before submitting your Career Episodes, review them multiple times to ensure clarity, grammar, technical accuracy, and alignment with EA guidelines. You may also consider getting professional help from CDR writing experts.
Conclusion
Preparing Career Episodes properly is one of the most important aspects of a successful CDR application. By writing clear, technical, and honest narratives that reflect your own engineering experience, you’ll significantly increase your chances of a positive assessment from Engineers Australia.
If you’re unsure whether your Career Episodes meet EA’s standards, our team at CDRSample.com is here to help. We offer professional guidance, reviews, and writing support tailored to your specific engineering background.
