I have been around electronics for most of my life. My dad started his career as a biological research scientist, but he has always been passionate about electronics and computing. As computers became more and more essential in his workplace, he began fixing things and helping people learn, to the point where they offered him the job of IT manager of the lab.

As I grew up, there were always projects, spare parts and a general encouragement of tinkering. I spent a fair part of my adolescence fascinated and passionate about electronics, but never quite made a solid choice on what I wanted to do with my own career.

Now, some 30 years on, after starting a role as a computer repair technician, I find myself coming back to electronics, and electrical engineering. The same passion I had for learning and tinkering has been re-awoken, and I am taking every opportunity to learn more. I’m currently taking myself through a course on Khan Academy, watching hours of YouTube videos (where I learned about Keysight and a LOT about oscilloscopes!), and getting a workbench together for myself.

It’s very modest, a DMM borrowed from my dad, a soldering station and related equipment, but it’s a start. I feel like the next step for my learning would be helped along by leaps and bounds by some equipment to really get to grips with how circuits work, how to power them and how to design.

I feel like I’ve finally found a career I can be passionate about, get excited about and really throw myself into. So contest or no, I’m very excited to see what the future holds from here!