Electronics Engineer

In this video Esmee from Plexus answers questions about her role as an electronics engineer

What You'll Do in This Job

Your Role as an Electronics Engineer

Electronics engineering combines technical expertise with creativity to develop and test products across various industries. Esmée is completing a graduate apprenticeship at Plexus while studying for an honours degree in design and manufacture with specialisation in electronics engineering, working on industrial, aerospace/defence, and medical products.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

  • Product Testing & Debugging: Functional testing of new products and debugging technical issues

  • Network Systems: Cable termination, network troubleshooting, and security systems work

  • Customer Interaction: Regular meetings with customer focus teams and direct customer-facing calls

  • Programming & Coding: Hand-typing codes, working with C/Arduino programming

  • Problem-Solving: Quick thinking under pressure when production issues arise

  • Quality Assurance: Ensuring products meet strict regulatory standards across different sectors

"I think a lot of people don't realise that once you go in the field doing engineering, every day is different. That's what drew me to it. You're never doing the same thing twice."

Technical Skills You'll Use

Programming & Software

  • Programming languages: C and Arduino (with different syntax requirements)

  • CAD software: SolidWorks (industry standard), Autodesk (university)

  • Circuit design: LTspice for circuit simulation, Proteus for PCB design

  • Visualization tools: TinkerCAD for circuit design visualization

  • System tools: Command prompt, PowerShell, network diagnostics

"If you're definitely going electrical, C++ or Arduino would be good to have a bit of background knowledge. I was always a BBC micro:bit kind of gal and they're a bit below university, so it was a bit of a shock to actually have that level of coding."

Essential Engineering Skills

  • Problem-solving: Not being afraid to experiment and learn from mistakes

  • Quick thinking: Handling urgent production issues under pressure

  • Computer proficiency: Working across multiple operating systems

  • Trial-and-error mindset: Comfort with experimental approaches

"I think my main skills would be to not be afraid to do it wrong. Honestly, a lot of people are like when your grandparents get a new bit of tech - they're like, 'Oh, I don't want to touch it.' With this you just have to do it. Worst that could happen is you're going to blow it up. Everybody's done it."

Industry Sectors & Standards

Three Main Sectors at Plexus

  • Industrial products: High standards but less regulatory burden

  • Aerospace & Defence: Strict cleanliness standards, security clearance requirements

  • Medical devices: Highest regulatory standards, FDA approval required

Sector-Specific Requirements

  • Medical: "Tolerances are like tiny. Everything has to be spotless and you've got to be doing it in a correct way and there's so much documentation"

  • Defence: Background checks required, different security clearance levels

  • Industrial: "It's got to be good, but it doesn't have to be clean room clean"

How Much You'll Earn

Electronics Engineer Salaries (2025 UK Data)

Entry Level & Graduate Apprenticeships

  • Graduate apprentice starting: £23,190 (Esmée's starting salary)

  • Entry level: £24,200-£27,075

  • Early career (1-4 years): £30,133-£33,603

Experienced Electronics Engineers

  • Average salary: £40,000-£44,000

  • Mid-career (4-9 years): £42,300-£48,800

  • Typical range: £27,170-£67,611

Senior/Specialist Roles

  • Senior electronics engineers: £50,000-£65,000

  • Lead/Principal engineers: £70,000-£90,000

  • Highly experienced: Up to £115,000 in specialized roles

Location Impact

  • London: £46,878 (significantly higher than national average)

  • Cambridge & Tech Hubs: 10-20% premium over national average

  • Scotland (where Esmée works): Competitive salaries, often lower cost of living

Graduate Apprenticeship Benefits

  • Earn while you learn: No student debt unlike traditional university route

  • Regular salary increases: Annual progression throughout apprenticeship

  • Government funding: Education costs covered by government/employer

  • Job security: Companies typically retain apprentices they've invested in

"When I started I got offered £23,190.00 a year. So obviously that has actually gone up. The year after me, they obviously put everybody's wages up in line with the government. The average is about £21,000 a year. So I did know I was getting a good deal."

Career Progression Routes

Esmée's Graduate Apprenticeship Path

Current Route: High School (S5) → Graduate Apprenticeship → Honours Degree + Electronics Engineer Role → Senior Engineer

Graduate Apprenticeship Model

  • Work-study balance: 1 day per week at university, 4 days at work

  • Duration: Typically 4 years to complete honours degree

  • Work-based learning: University projects directly linked to workplace

  • Assessment: Coursework rather than exams in early years

  • Progression: Continuous development in both academic and practical skills

Traditional Career Progression

  • Graduate/Junior Engineer → Electronics Engineer → Senior Engineer → Lead Engineer → Engineering Manager

  • Specialization options: Embedded systems, PCB design, test engineering, quality assurance

  • Cross-functional moves: Project management, customer-facing roles, R&D

Alternative Pathways

  • University route: Traditional degree followed by graduate programs

  • Standard apprenticeships: 4-year technical apprenticeships

  • Career switching: From other technical fields with additional training

  • Further education: HND/HNC leading to engineering roles

"It is very much, do you want to live the uni lifestyle or do you want to go straight into work? There's no right or wrong answer. In hindsight, I wouldn't change anything personally."

How to Get Started

Educational Requirements

Graduate Apprenticeship Entry (Esmée's Route)

  • Academic requirement: 4 B grades (much more accessible than university)

  • Essential subjects: B grades in Maths and Physics, plus 2 other subjects

  • Advantage: "Much nicer than a university would be offering you. Universities are quite cut-throat, it's very much like you need 3A's and an A/B star"

Traditional University Route

  • A-levels: Typically AAB-ABB including Maths and Physics

  • Alternative qualifications: HND/HNC in electronics/electrical engineering

  • Degree subjects: Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related fields

Subject Recommendations

  • Essential: Higher Maths and Physics

  • Beneficial: Computer Science, Engineering Science, Design & Manufacture

  • For pure electronics: "I wouldn't stress about design and manufacture. You're maybe better doing graph comm if that's the kind of thing you enjoy"

Application Process & Tips

Graduate Apprenticeship Applications

  • Long process: Applications typically open for extended periods

  • High competition: "Hundreds of people down to just three" positions

  • Multiple stages: CV submission, interview process (often multiple rounds)

  • Conditional offers: Based on achieving required academic grades

"So obviously you have to wait for the interview process. That is absolutely tedious. I will not tell you it's not horrible. You sit and wait by the phone every day."

Building Your Profile

  • Work experience: "Go and get work experience somewhere. Even if you do uni first, but then you want to get a job"

  • Networking: Attend careers fairs, company events, open days

  • Persistence: "I went to every single thing I could. To try and be sure, and also so people knew my name"

  • Show genuine interest: Research companies and demonstrate specific interest

Essential Qualities

  • Willingness to experiment: "You just have to do it... you've got to be quite quick thinking"

  • Problem-solving mindset: Comfortable with trial-and-error approaches

  • Time management: Balancing work and study requires discipline

  • Drive and determination: "It's definitely not for the faint hearted"

  • Adaptability: Every day brings different challenges

Interview Success

  • Be authentic: "Be true to you. It sounds so cheesy, but a lot of people are like, 'Oh, if I put on this persona of somebody else, I'm going to get the job.' Actually, no. They just see straight through it"

  • Show interest: Demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the company and role

  • Don't panic: If something goes wrong, stay calm and show resilience

  • Prepare thoroughly: Research the company and understand their products/services

Additional Information

Graduate Apprenticeship Reality

The Challenges

  • Intensive workload: "A lot of us do end up booking holiday to do uni work or we're doing it on a weekend"

  • Time management: Four hours of protected study time at work often isn't enough

  • Balancing act: Managing full-time work responsibilities alongside university coursework

  • Conditional pressure: "My whole job, my whole university offer, everything was conditional"

The Rewards

  • Best of both worlds: University education without debt + practical experience

  • Financial security: Earning while studying

  • Career progression: Clear pathway from apprentice to qualified engineer

  • Professional networks: Building industry connections from day one

"I always wanted my degree... I got the best of both and I can't argue with that. It was like a dream come true when I found out you could do this. I can have the job I want, I can get the degree, I can just have it all."

Work-Life Balance

  • Early career demands: Balancing work, study, and personal life requires sacrifices

  • Long-term benefits: Short-term intensity for long-term career security

  • Different lifestyle: "Do you want to live the uni lifestyle or do you want to go straight into work?"

  • Personal growth: Professional environment from a young age develops maturity

Security Clearance & Specialization

  • Defence sector opportunities: Background checks required for certain projects

  • Career progression: Different clearance levels open up advanced opportunities

  • Sector mobility: Skills transfer between industrial, medical, and defence sectors

  • Global opportunities: UK electronics engineering experience valued internationally

Technology Skills in Demand

  • Programming: C/C++, Arduino, embedded systems

  • Design software: CAD tools, circuit simulation, PCB design

  • Testing & diagnostics: Network troubleshooting, system debugging

  • Quality systems: Understanding regulatory requirements across sectors

Esmée's Key Advice

On Choosing Graduate Apprenticeships "The apprenticeship is the ultimate - you can have it all and you get paid for your troubles. I mean, you just can't go wrong."

On Work Experience "Ask for work experience before you go and apply, because then they're like, 'Oh, you already know!' Or they're like, 'We've already sussed you out.'"

On Persistence "I went in, people were like, 'Oh, hi. How's it going?' And I'm like, I don't even work here and people know who I was."

On Managing Expectations "I would say that it's definitely not for the faint hearted... I know you have to sacrifice to do these things and it is hard work. It is definitely doable, but you've just got to really have the drive to do it."

On Subject Choices "If you wanted to do electrical, I'd just stick with the physics and the maths and then they're the main two. Maybe do like one other science and then just do what makes you happy."