A Journey Not A Destination - 6dec21

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© Ian Phillips 2021
https://ianp24.blogspot.com
A Journey Not A Destination
... Tales from a Career in Engineering
Virtual Seminar at ...
Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics
University of Liverpool, UK.
6dec21
Prof. Ian Phillips CEng, FIET, FIMA, SMIEEE
Retired 2016
Formerly: Principal Staff Eng’r. @ ARM Ltd, UK
Member of Council at the IET
1v0
Visiting Prof @ ... Formerly Visiting Prof @ ...

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How Can I Help You?
I retired as Principal Staff Engineer of ARM Ltd 5yr ago ...
... after a 52yr Career in Electronics
But 5yr is a long time in this technology, so I won't be talking about that today ...
I will tell of my Electronic Engineering Career and the things I learned which could help you ...
▪ A little about what I did in my Career
▪ The reality of Engineering (& Research) work
▪ The importance of Managing your own Career
▪ Some of the things that I did well ... Some of the traps not to fall into
▪ And the importance of knowing yourself
... I will try to touch on all the important bits; but with just 45 min to cover a Lifetime,
I am inevitably going to miss a lot ...
... For that reason, the slides are wordy, and should be readable without my help
... my email address is on the References slide

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And to do it Virtually ...

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My Beginning ...
▪ I failed my 11+ exam and went to Secondary Modern school
▪ I was pretty 'handy' so did well at physical subjects, woodwork, metalwork, maths and physics.
▪ My first electrical projects started about that time with my fathers guidance ...
▪ Electromagnet Buzzer ✅
▪ Crystal Set. Gift from my cousin ... Didn't work ❌
▪ ... But dad introduced me to "Dave", a Radio-Ham
▪ I listened to the radio traffic and Dave talking to people all around the world ✅
▪ I wanted a Shortwave Radio, so Dave found a circuit and components ...
▪ Learned to bend and cut aluminium, and solder ✅
▪ Got my first 300vdc electric shock ❌
▪ The radio didn't work after I had built it ❌
▪ But Dave changed the value of one resistor and it worked ! ✅
... I realised that he actually understood how it worked! ✅
▪ I wanted to know how it worked too ✅
▪ So I bought a set of Basic Electronics Technician Training books
and read (and mostly understood) what they said ✅
I knew that "this" was what I wanted to do ...

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My First Steps ...
▪ I wasn't being successful at school, my father spotted a 4yr M.O.D. Craft Apprenticeship in
Electronics in the local paper. I applied, and won a position ... 4 out of 50 applicants.
▪ Left school in 1965, without qualifications, 3 months before my 16th birthday
▪ Apprentice: 1yr Workshop; 3yr Supervised (MOD electronic maintenance, repair and installation)
▪ Achieved Ordinary National Certificate (ONC) with Distinction in Electrical & Electronics (Day release)
▪ Worked as an R&D Engineer for one year before leaving to go to University ...
▪ Entered University at 21 in 1970 (University of Wales, Swansea)
▪ Four year course, because I didn't really have enough entry qual's
▪ Left with a 1st class Honours Degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering (Just 2 in the year)
▪ So 47yrs ago I was 'here' ... Taking my first step on my Engineering Career
▪ You will have had your own point of inspiration
▪ You will have been enthusiastic enough to pursue higher qualification
▪ Your education was probably muddled, and you have doubts about your abilities
▪ You will have learned a little about life, motivation, independence and hard work
▪ Hopefully you will still be as excited about Engineering/Science now, as I was then ...
... I would love to known something of what to expect

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So What Exactly is an Engineer ?
▪ Scientists investigate that which already is.
Engineers create that which has never been. A. Einstein
▪ So the Engineer Creates things that have Never Been; out of Chaos!
▪ Researcher: Identify and quantify valuable 'Components'; from a Chaotic Universe
▪ Technician: Uses What is Known to replicate, install and maintain Commercial Systems
▪ Modellers: Mathematicians & Programmers, create predictive Models of
Physical phenomena for use in these contexts.
▪ As an Engineer or Researcher, sorting-out Chaos is your job; so don't feel bad because you
don't know what to do ... Finding out and doing it IS your job.
▪ A Technician is Highly Skilled practitioner of what is Known. They are much better at this than
Engineers and Researchers; though not so good at Chaos ... They are a vital part of the Team.
▪ Modelling is an important part of all these roles ... Mathematical, but also Mind Modelling
▪ From time to time you will do all these roles
... But you will do one more than the rest ... That is who you are (today)!

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Ok Work-World ... Here I Am!
▪ 1974 my first Graduate job. A company called (TMC) Telephone Manufacturing Company.
▪ I joined them as an R&D Engineer, but they put me into Pre-Production where I was making test
equipment for a factory making Strowger Telephone Exchanges and Dial Telephones (Not sexy).
▪ I wanted to Design Electronic Products, so this wasn't what I hoped for!
▪ Actually, I was soon designing and programming some very interesting test equipment, with a CPU built
from discrete TTL ... But I didn't notice that, because it wasn't 'Proper Design'!
▪ I heard that the Design Department in London was closing and movings to where I was.
▪ So I requested an internal transfer ... And was soon designing one of the first custom Integrated Circuits
in the UK (1977). Tiny by today's standards, it used 4-Phase dynamic logic (which I had never heard of)
with pencil-paper and slide-rule as EDA.
▪ I was quite good at it; and even wrote and presented a training course for other engineers.
▪ Invited to join a team designing a Small Business Telephone System ...
▪ I was immediately in at the deep-end with everybody ...
▪ There was lots to do ... and lots I didn't know (digital, analogue and discrete)!
▪ It was chaos ... But we were a team and somehow we muddled through ...
... It took nearly 4yrs but it was successful in Production and in the Market!
... Wow, Brilliant! (Easy!)

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But Failure Happens Too
▪ My first failure: 1984 in TMC. My team of 3 designed what was then a large complex chip.
▪ It didn't work ... Ever!
▪ The product missed its market window and was abandoned ... An expensive mistake
▪ I had failed in Management as well as Technology ... I felt very bad about it
▪ It was a failure of methodology and knowledge ... Lack of Research and Preparation
▪ My Bosses noticed! My next assignment was not Management but in a roll
more suited to my skills ... To lead a new Research Group (of just one person!)
▪ Reporting directly to the Technical Director
▪ Supporting the evaluation of his ideas and business opportunities
▪ It was exciting, and I did much better at this! ... And soon had a small team again.
▪ Through the years Failures Happened, and 100% success proved Evasive!
▪ Occasionally I lost my 'department' when this happened (and it hurt)
▪ But (looking back) every time I failed I got a chance to focus more precisely on what I had been good at
▪ Chaos does not always resolve into Product Success, but businesses expect it to.
▪ Businesses prefer people who are lucky (who can blame them). But need people who are brave.
... But if it wasn't difficult they wouldn't have employed an Engineer to do it!
... Budget rates for an Engineer is about £250,000/yr

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Working Alongside Moore's Law (1) ...
▪ Moore's Law was 'coined' in 1965 and set the pace for a Si ICs till around 2010-15
▪ As Logic Transistor count/die progress from 8 to around 100,000,000
▪ Coincidentally: I started my Apprenticeship in 1965 and Retired in 2016.
▪ My Working Life started in 1975 @ TMC (Later taken over by Philips) ... as R&D Engineer
▪ Designing ever more complex electronic telephony systems, all involving custom IC's ...
▪ Became a Specialist in the unusual: Switched mode power supplies, integrated analogue, static logic,
CRT drivers, LCD Displays, MODEMs. I liked Challenges and Uncertainty.
▪ Others visibly lead projects/teams. I invisibly did unusual electronic designs within the teams.
▪ In 12yr. TMC evolved from Electromagnetic, to a leading UK Electronic Telephony company.
▪ Then 13 years @ Plessey (Later taken over by GEC) ... as MOS Design Manager
▪ Responsible for bringing 2um CMOS technology out of the Research Labs, with in-house Gate Array and
ASIC technology and computer EDA tools.
▪ My role evolved and I ended up handling the unusual again. Needing a way to differentiate our ASIC
capability I found and licenced the Advanced Risc Machine (subsequently ARM), from a 12 person
spin-out of Acorn Computers, use in a an IP Based Design Methodology ... The First Licensee.
▪ Established the IP Design Methodology in both companies. It was very difficult in those days ...
▪ Though successful for ARM ... it was a failure for Plessey! (Interesting!!)

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Working Alongside Moore's Law (2) ...
▪ Then 18 years @ ARM till 2016 (Later acquired by SoftBank) ... as Principal Staff Engineer
▪ I had started the IP Based Design Methodology in ARM, whilst in Plessey. It was very difficult to do it on
the EDA of the time, and (in particular) the AMBA Bus methodology I proposed made it possible.
▪ Recognising the role I had played in Plessey, ARM wanted me to continue it for them.
▪ Reporting to the Technical Director (Exec.). I did and oversaw many things ... But I successfully defined
the need for Industrial Research and sold it to higher management. And I oversaw its development to
over 200 Researchers in the company, with close relationships to over 40 top ww Universities.
▪ Also became a regular speaker/consultant to Government, EU and Industry. A Visiting Prof at Uo.Bath,
Uo.Plymouth and Uo.Liverpool ... Where I have given an Annual Seminar since 2009.
▪ Finally Retirement in 2016
▪ The END of my Career

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A New Day - A New Challenge
▪ New challenges excited me ...
▪ 'Every day' something new, something I didn't know how to do. Some of them were my choice, some
were forced upon me; some worked out well, others didn't. But in the main I succeeded often enough
for ARM to keep employing me.
▪ And in the main, I was doing what I liked most ... identifying technical issues and working to smooth
them out for the benefit of my Employer. And yes it was challenging and stressful, but that was my
choice. By now I had little management responsibility (Reviews, budgets, staffing, coaching, etc)
▪ Was I an Engineer yet? ... Still not sure!
▪ But at 68 the pressure of keeping-up was telling ...
▪ So my final Career Choice was to Retire.
... IT SEEMS Engineering had become a huge part of me, because stopping left a big hole!
... Maybe I had been an Engineer all along?

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"Engineer": A Journey not a Destination
▪ 1965-1970: MOD Apprenticeship ... Declared an R&D Engineer at 20
▪ 1975: Joined TMC who declared me an R&D Engineer ... Was my Degree worth nothing?
▪ 1977: Became Member of the IERE (aka IET) ... Who called me Engineer
▪ 1979: Registered with Engineering Council ... Who called me Chartered Engineer
▪ 1985: Became a Senior Engineer ... because my boss said so (?)
▪ Throughout known as an Engineer, it didn't change when I was doing; management,
methodology, research, marketing, even sales (etc) roles
▪ It all seemed rather informal for my liking. So I concluded ...
... "Engineer" is just a Title. And being Professional and Ethical, a personal choice
... I learned that being respected by my peers was the most highly valued
... But lacking a Public Image, Engineering will never have Public Priority!

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Specific Lessons ...

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Hope you're still with me ...

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Knowledge Fades ...
When you leave education (BSc, MSc or PhD) you have acquired basic scientific knowledge, some
limited specialist knowledge and have limited application experience ...
▪ Without applying your knowledge you never get familiar with its use
▪ Without reinforcement what you have learned becomes less usable
▪ Without developing (taking it further, CPD) what you have learned doesn't keep up
▪ What you learned but don't use, fades ... I estimate a Half-Life of 2-3yrs
▪ What you learned but do use, consolidates and grows
▪ As what you know expands, it Specialises you ... Become the Specialist you want to be!
▪ Specialist training does this ... But so does working in a Team on real challenges
▪ The alternative to Engineering Specialisation is ... Technician, Marketing or Sales (All honourable)
... But Continued Professional Development (CPD) means a lifetime commitment

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My Most Persistent Knowledge
▪ Engineering Fundamentals are still the same today as they were in the 1970's [1]
▪ They served me well: As I moved with electronic technology from Valves, to discrete transistors, to
integrated circuits. With IC's from 10tr to 100 Billion tr/die; the methods and tools to exploit them.
▪ I expect they will be as valuable to you
▪ Though 1970's curriculum ...
▪ Valves were still on the curriculum
▪ Nothing about Integrated Circuits or FET transistors
▪ Calculations used Log Tables and Slide Rules
▪ Nothing about PCs, numeric methods, LEDs or LCDs
▪ The skills I used Again and Again ...
▪ Formal+: Maths, Physics and Materials, Electrical, Electronics and Magnetics, Programming
▪ Acquired: Manufacturing and Test, Workshop, Presentation, Analytic & Logical Skills

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The Engineering Team
So Albert Einstein defined Engineer and Scientist, to identify himself as a Scientist ...
“Scientists investigate that which already is ...
... Engineers create that which has never been.”
To which I add ...
"Technicians; install, operate and maintain technical systems"
"Modelers; (includes Mathematicians and Programmers) create predictive
models for physical components and products"
... These skills create the Engineering Team, who together
Manipulate the 118 elements to create the functional objects that
humans desire; and with a high degree of predictability and confidence.
... All other disciplines are envious of our certainty!
"Everything not invented by God, is invented by an Engineer"
HRH Prince Philip

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Products and Teams
▪ A Product is what is sold to an end-customer for money ...
▪ It is more than just the 'Electronics & Software' in the center of the system
▪ It includes the design of the Factory, Test Environment, Packaging, Mechanics, Optics, etc.
▪ All of which can have genuine Engineering challenges ... All of which are on the critical path
▪ Engineers (etc) seldom works on their own ... You are almost always part of a Team
▪ You will seldom have just one challenge at a time
▪ Your purpose is to help get the Product out, functional, on-time and on-budget ...
▪ It's not enough that 'your part' was on-time/budget ... A Product is Teamwork !
▪ Succeed, and everybody keeps their jobs! ... No special rewards; it is what you are paid for
▪ Anything significant takes 12 months; usually 36 months; frequently a Decade
▪ Your team helps you to learn, but also learns from you...
▪ 'Be in the Room' to learn; 'Stay in the Room' by contributing [2]
▪ But if you do work on your own, make sure to go on courses

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Failure Is Part Of The Job
▪ If it wasn't difficult 'they' wouldn't have employed an Engineer to do it
▪ So 'they' expect failures to happen ... they want 'this one' to succeed
▪ Nobody loves failure
▪ It is hard to avoid blame, recrimination and self-doubt
▪ But Failure allows you to sharpen your skills ...
▪ There was something that you did or didn't do ... learn from it
▪ There was something that you did especially well ... improve that
▪ They are not going to dismiss you for failing ... their investment in you is too high!
▪ You learn much less from success!
▪ Research is a mechanism to reduce the probability of failures in Design
▪ Design is often a difficult and expensive process ... It should not start till the process is understood
▪ Research is finding out what needs to be done and how to do it, before it has to be used in anger
▪ To spot fundamental problems, whilst the cost of failure is low

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It's Your Career
▪ Work is primarily about making money for your Employer ... Don't forget it
▪ Your Employer is interested in the best for the Company; your best interests will come second
▪ Be aware of how you are being developed; and where you would like to be in 3-5yrs
▪ Use the training opportunities you will get to prepare for your future
▪ But be realistic in your plans; Know yourself!
▪ Do you really know what a person doing the job you seek actually does?
▪ If you are not the right personality, then you will not suit certain jobs?
▪ Your Degrees (BSc, MEng, PHd) are just entry ticket to an Engineering/Scientific career
▪ What you are doing (after 5yrs) depends on how you used them
▪ Doing a job that does not need your qualification to enter wastes your potential.
▪ Degrees fade; they only maintains their valuable for 3-5yrs!
▪ The older you get the more difficult to change track (Partners, children, friends, house, etc)
▪ Titles are just Titles ... What you are doing, is what you are!
▪ If that is Mostly Engineering then you are an Engineer
▪ If that is Mostly Science then you are a Scientist

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Know yourself
Do you feel an Impostor?
▪ Do you feel that you are not really as clever as other people seem to think?
▪ A side effect of knowledge ... The More You Know; the Less You Know!
▪ It makes you feel sub-standard and be unnecessarily reticent
▪ Impostor Syndrome is common in Scientific Professionals
Are you Technically able, but a Social failure?
▪ Aspergers: A Mildly Autic person, with an IQ >70; no learning difficulties; a surfeit of
quantitative and a deficit in qualitative (social) skills. (ASD L1: Asperger Profile)
▪ Aspergers is 4x more prevalent in Scientific Professionals than in general society
▪ ~5% of the population is on the Autism Spectrum; which means 95% of people will find you 'odd'.
▪ You are born Aspergers, there is no 'cure' because it is not a defect ... a variety of Normal!
▪ Autism occurs around half as frequently in Females ... but is less noticeable.
▪ It is independent of race, upbringing, and era. It is not a genetic failure.
▪ It is common in families where one or more parents are Autistic.
▪ But it is also known as The Genius Gene (which technically it is not)
... Many Universities offer free tests to students; take one, they cost a lot privately.

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The Value Of Knowing
I am an Aspie [3] with Impostor Syndrome [4] ...
▪ I have known about my Impostor Syndrome for a long time
▪ The more you know about a subject; the more you realise how little you know
▪ It helps you to understand when people introduce you as an expert or say how clever you are.
▪ There is no cure; so you never really believe it!
▪ I was diagnosed an Aspergers Profile 3 years ago ... I wish I had known much earlier
▪ Good Logical, Spatial and Technical abilities; Good IQ and no learning difficulties; And special interests
... but poor Socially. I was destined to do well in STEM jobs ... but I was not directed that way!
▪ Had I know earlier, it would have helped in my Family, Social and Work life
▪ It was hurtful to be the last person to discover that I was 'socially awkward'
▪ I could have done a lot more compensating (Masking) ... Though it has its limitations

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Membership of Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs)
▪ Registration with the Engineering Council or Science Council is the Gold Standard [5]
▪ Lists you as a Professional conforming to certain ethical and professional standards
▪ EngTech, IEng, CEng and ICTTech; RSciTech, RSci, CSci or CSciTeach post nominals
▪ Policed by 39 Professional Engineering Institutes (PEI) and 35 Professional Bodies(PB) in the UK.
▪ The PEIs and PBs accredit academic programs. Membership endorses attainment.
▪ Is it worth paying ? ... I really don't know!
▪ When I was a student, I believed it was a necessary thing in my Professional Journey
▪ Throughout my working career peers have told me it was a waste of time/money
▪ The PEIs don't seem to take actual Professionalism seriously.
In 46yr there should have been some change to this ... but there has not!
▪ Today, few Employers require it. Though most will pay your subscriptions.
▪ I am still a Fellow of the IET and the IMA; a Chartered Engineer; and also a SMIEEE (USA)
▪ Since retiring I also sit on the Council of the IET ... so I should think it's worthwhile!
▪ Of the many great engineers I have known ... very few are Members or Registered
... I feel, Registration should be obligatory to Practice Engineering (Scientist etc); it's not!

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End Notes
Employment
▪ Be enthusiastic and committed ... If you like your job that should be easy
▪ You will usually be employed for 37.5 hr week ... But will be judged by completing the work
▪ Dress appropriately (Mirroring) ... It's just a uniform, but important for business relationships
▪ On business trip or training course; you are never off duty ...
▪ Be professional and composed day or night
▪ You are paid to be there ... so be sure to contribute and make you allegiance known
▪ Businesses need Cautious engineers, but it also needs Bold ones ... But not Too Bold
▪ Innovation is suppressed by over Caution ... It causes Market Failure
▪ Over Innovation (elevated predictions) ... Leads to Technical Failure
Domestically
▪ Your family and friends will never understand what you do for a living!
▪ Your family will expect you to work 37.5hr week!
▪ Your family will expect you to have other interests and topics of conversation

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Conclusions
▪ Businesses are about Making Money ...
▪ A fully loaded Engineer cost £250kpa (£1,000/day), they are a Cost to be Minimised
▪ But they Find Problems ... and because they are ingenious, (mostly) Fix Them
▪ You Are What You Do ... And What You Do is your CV for your next job
▪ Your Career is yours; Look after it carefully ...
▪ Expect your Career and Roles to evolve with time
▪ You may choose to evolve towards Management, Specialisation or Technician roles
▪ You will never do just-one role; and if you are in a Startup, expect to do every role that needs doing
... Remember, to succeed you need to Be In The Room
▪ Did I achieve my goal of becoming an Engineer?
▪ I did what I was able, as honestly and ethically as I could
▪ I was continuously employed by reputable people because of my Engineering Skills
▪ My background didn't hold me back in any way
... So the answer must be YES ... Though as an Imposter, I still have my doubts!

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References
1. Feb21: "Not Making Smaller Atoms". EEE&CS Virtual-Seminar, Uo.Liverpool (COVID-19)
2. 12feb18: "Staying In-The-Room". EEE&CS Seminar, Uo.Liverpool
... Video's and Slides for both (and more) at my "Index of Presentations" https://ianp24.blogspot.com/
3. Asperger's Syndrome -
▪ aka: Level-1 ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), Asperger Profile. (DSM-5)
▪ "Asperger's Syndrome for Dummies". Gomez and Mason. Wiley
▪ https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-asperger-s-syndrome-5075606
4. Impostor Syndrome -
▪ https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469
5. Professional Engineering Institutions, The Engineering Council & The Science Council -
▪ https://www.engc.org.uk/about-us/our-partners/professional-engineering-institutions/
▪ https://sciencecouncil.org/about-us/our-members-and-licensed-bodies/
6. ianp24@gmail.com

A Journey Not A Destination - 6dec21

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