On 13th January, Etone Exceeding Excellence welcomed our first lecturer for 2026, Prof Dr Gill Cooke from Warwick University delivered an inspiring talk about the breadth of engineering, her unconventional career journey and quality assurance engineering. 

Her talk was packed full of career advice and information, especially with regards to apprenticeship routes. Gill repeatedly reminded our pupils and carers of her roots in Nuneaton and the winding nature of her journey into academia. 

Gill left listeners with clear top tips for a career in engineering:

1) Be an early adopter to maximise training opportunities and to build your reputation.

2) Be reliable, collaborative and deliver when you say you will. 

3) Take every and all opportunities to build your transferable skills to maximise future options. 

4) Create a LinkedIn profile and follow people whose careers you aspire to to build a network and develop your career aspirations. 

5) If you’re not sure then research options.  

6) Be prepared to adapt and weave and wind through your career to find your niche.