Firstly, to back up Richard and James: Advice I was given and worked really well was to go for an undergraduate apprenticeship, which in my case was also followed after my degree with another job at the BBC where I got excellent hands-on and theoretical training. A mix of practical and theoretical experience is invaluable.


What I wish I'd know was that very few engineers need advanced matths skills - by advanced I mean second order differential equation level. At uni I was, like James, fascinated by audio electronics, but because of my (relatively) poor maths skills concentrated on digital rather than analogue electronics (this was the 1970s/80s when digital audio was almost non-existant). I then spent the next 11 years working in analogue audio equipment design, in fact most top selling recordings of the late 80s / early to mid 90s were recorded through equipment I designed! What I had learnt from a couple of fantastic industry mentors was that innovative engineering design is about often about arranging the right parts in the right order - the maths then helps optimise it.


The other thing I wish I'd realised, and a point I emphasisie more strongly than any other when I talk to schools about careers in engineering. is that engineering is a team game. No one person has all the skills you need for truly great designs, you need a mix - not just of technical abilities but also of personalities. The best teams have both ideas people and "slog through until we get to the end" types.

Firstly, to back up Richard and James: Advice I was given and worked really well was to go for an undergraduate apprenticeship, which in my case was also followed after my degree with another job at the BBC where I got excellent hands-on and theoretical training. A mix of practical and theoretical experience is invaluable.


What I wish I'd know was that very few engineers need advanced matths skills - by advanced I mean second order differential equation level. At uni I was, like James, fascinated by audio electronics, but because of my (relatively) poor maths skills concentrated on digital rather than analogue electronics (this was the 1970s/80s when digital audio was almost non-existant). I then spent the next 11 years working in analogue audio equipment design, in fact most top selling recordings of the late 80s / early to mid 90s were recorded through equipment I designed! What I had learnt from a couple of fantastic industry mentors was that innovative engineering design is about often about arranging the right parts in the right order - the maths then helps optimise it.


The other thing I wish I'd realised, and a point I emphasisie more strongly than any other when I talk to schools about careers in engineering. is that engineering is a team game. No one person has all the skills you need for truly great designs, you need a mix - not just of technical abilities but also of personalities. The best teams have both ideas people and "slog through until we get to the end" types.