CDR for Engineers Australia: An overview

If you are looking to make a career in engineering in Australia, then you have to submit a CDR for Engineers Australia. CDR stands for Competency Demonstration Report and as the name suggests it showcases whether the immigrant is competent enough to work as an engineer in Australia. Engineers Australia publishes migration skill assessment booklet that contains all the guidelines and specifications required to write the report.

When to submit CDR?
Engineers Australia takes CDR from engineers in the following cases:
• When you are an immigrant and not an Australian native
• Your country of origin is not a signatory or a member of the Dublin Accord, Sydney Accord and Dublin accord.
• The engineering degree is not fully accredited to the signatory publishing listing or your qualification dates mismatches with the listed accreditation dates
Reasons why CDR is rejected and the right way to do it.
Many engineers with a bright career can see their CDR getting rejected due to some mistakes and it not matching with EA guidelines given in the Migration Skills Assessment booklet. Given below are some pointers on how to get the cdr report writers accepted:
• Using non-technical language can see your CDR getting rejected. Always use technical language while writing, especially career episodes, as you have to showcase your technical skills to the core.
• Not showcasing the challenges you faced can hamper your chances. You need to uphold the obstacles you have faced in your career. Try using designs and calculation details. Showcase the designs of your projects highlighting what you designed and how you did it.
• Don’t overuse the tables, diagrams and unnecessary images. If used too much they can hinder the assessor’s ability to judge your Competencies. Stick to the Guidelines by EA and follow it to the core.
• Write your reports in Australian English which is quite close to British English.
• Be careful while writing the career episodes and avoid using bullet points. According to the guidelines set by EA, the career episodes should be in the form of essays. The paragraphs of the career episodes are to be numbered as per EA norms
• EA has suggested the length of the CDR to be kept at 1200 to 1700 words. Try not to exceed it and mention all the necessary details.
• Check out the Australia New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) codes and select the right occupation category for your job. Upon choosing the appropriate occupation category, you'll be applying under you'll be able to write the CDR as per the relevant requirements.
• Never copy and lift from previously accepted reports or the internet. Once done proofread and edit accordingly to check for plagiarism.
• EA is very serious about plagiarism in CDR and puts them in a 12-month ban. To avoid the trap use good quality plagiarism software to ensure originality.
• Avoid spelling mistakes and grammatical errors at any cost. Pay extra attention to language flow and formatting of the CDR. As you are submitting an official document to EA seeking permission to work as an engineer, you need to have the CDR flawless and perfect.
CDR is an all-important document that you must get right if you want to migrate to Australia and work as an engineer. Writing a CDR might look daunting and compelling, but if you follow all the EA guidelines and use the tips and pointers given above, there's no reason why your CDR will not be accepted.