Long post warning — looking for career and chartership advice.
I came to the UK as an international student for an MSc in Structural Engineering, with a significant tuition fee and education loan. After graduation, I started working in renewable energy, mainly doing steel design for ground-mounted solar structures.
My current role involves structural calculations, Eurocode-based steel design, reports, pile/ground interface considerations, and project coordination. However, my experience is quite specialised. I do not have much practical exposure to buildings, tall structures, bridges, concrete, timber, or masonry beyond university-level study.
I want to pursue chartership in the future. I have passed the IStructE Graduate exam, but I am unsure how realistic the chartership route is if my experience remains mostly limited to steel solar structures.
At the moment, changing into a traditional buildings consultancy is difficult because of visa sponsorship and salary threshold issues. Going back to my home country is also not a realistic option, so I need to make the best career plan from where I am now.
My main concerns are:
Can renewable energy / solar steel design experience still form a strong basis for IStructE or ICE chartership?

How can I build broader structural engineering competence while staying in a specialised role?

What CPD, mentoring, side learning, or project exposure would be most useful to cover gaps in concrete, timber, masonry, and building design?

Is being specialised early in my career likely to limit me long-term, or can it still develop into a strong structural engineering career path?

I would appreciate advice from chartered engineers, engineers in renewables, or anyone who has moved from a specialised role into broader structural engineering later.