Career change to Motorsport engineering....
Discussion
Afternoon all.
I am currently stuck in an IT job that I'm thoroughly bored of.
I want a change and want to move into the motorsport industry (not sure exactly what field yet)
I have a degree already in Computing Science, would be useful maybe on the systems integration side of things...
Anyway, I have no official qualifications around engineering or automotive, But I have working in and around the automotive and aerospace industries for a number of years, as well as restoring / building classics, previouslty racing Rotax Max, and currently looking to compete in a historic racing series.
Anyway - I thought the first stage to this may be getting some sort of qualification.
So I applied to "motorsport.nda.ac.uk" 's Motorsport Engineering degree course, for which I was very quickly declined despite explaining my experience etc.
And they suggested that I "Get an A-Level in an Automotive subject"
They clearly don't want my money....
I am a firm believer that real experience is far better than a bit of paper earned by a semi-interested teenager.
Ways forward? or just keep sitting at this desk reading Autosport...
I am currently stuck in an IT job that I'm thoroughly bored of.
I want a change and want to move into the motorsport industry (not sure exactly what field yet)
I have a degree already in Computing Science, would be useful maybe on the systems integration side of things...
Anyway, I have no official qualifications around engineering or automotive, But I have working in and around the automotive and aerospace industries for a number of years, as well as restoring / building classics, previouslty racing Rotax Max, and currently looking to compete in a historic racing series.
Anyway - I thought the first stage to this may be getting some sort of qualification.
So I applied to "motorsport.nda.ac.uk" 's Motorsport Engineering degree course, for which I was very quickly declined despite explaining my experience etc.
And they suggested that I "Get an A-Level in an Automotive subject"
They clearly don't want my money....
I am a firm believer that real experience is far better than a bit of paper earned by a semi-interested teenager.
Ways forward? or just keep sitting at this desk reading Autosport...
Depends how old you are. I am also in a unexciting IT job but it pays the bills and also allows me to race my car that i prepared myself. I enjoy the engineering side of my racing but is a bit knackering now i'm into my 40's!
If your young and fit enough then it could be an option as you will need to prove yourself on the spanners first, but I also suspect it will never be a well paid career unless your another Adrian Newey
If your young and fit enough then it could be an option as you will need to prove yourself on the spanners first, but I also suspect it will never be a well paid career unless your another Adrian Newey
Are there any teams local?
It might be worth volunteering for a local amateur team for some experience, then move up to something like a team in the Creventic 24H would be a good starter if you're looking to move eventually. As you say there's no replacement for experience.
That, or something like working for a bigger professional team in their IT department might be a good back door once you've been there for a couple of years.
It might be worth volunteering for a local amateur team for some experience, then move up to something like a team in the Creventic 24H would be a good starter if you're looking to move eventually. As you say there's no replacement for experience.
That, or something like working for a bigger professional team in their IT department might be a good back door once you've been there for a couple of years.
Krikkit said:
Are there any teams local?
It might be worth volunteering for a local amateur team for some experience, then move up to something like a team in the Creventic 24H would be a good starter if you're looking to move eventually. As you say there's no replacement for experience.
That, or something like working for a bigger professional team in their IT department might be a good back door once you've been there for a couple of years.
Not that I'm aware of, despite living about 2 miles from Donintgon Park, the Formula E HQ is a closed system, no way in. I've tried.It might be worth volunteering for a local amateur team for some experience, then move up to something like a team in the Creventic 24H would be a good starter if you're looking to move eventually. As you say there's no replacement for experience.
That, or something like working for a bigger professional team in their IT department might be a good back door once you've been there for a couple of years.
I have called various local companies over the past years saying that im looking for a change and that I'm willing to work my way up from the bottom, no bites.
Hence looking to prove myself with qualifications... and even being rejected for that.....
Krikkit said:
That, or something like working for a bigger professional team in their IT department might be a good back door once you've been there for a couple of years.
I was going to mention something along similar lines - think transferable skills so you can enter the industry and be immediately useful, earning a crust in the process, and then take it from there.foggy said:
I was going to mention something along similar lines - think transferable skills so you can enter the industry and be immediately useful, earning a crust in the process, and then take it from there.
Indeed that would be a good foot-in, but I dont know of anything in the area...I did work at Norton Motorcycles for a while as the IT manager, which was fairly good, but the company was such a complete financial and managerial mess that I decided to walk away before I ended up being a scape-goat for something.
User name said:
foggy said:
I was going to mention something along similar lines - think transferable skills so you can enter the industry and be immediately useful, earning a crust in the process, and then take it from there.
Indeed that would be a good foot-in, but I dont know of anything in the area...I did work at Norton Motorcycles for a while as the IT manager, which was fairly good, but the company was such a complete financial and managerial mess that I decided to walk away before I ended up being a scape-goat for something.
Part of the reason I took an engineering job at Honda Swindon a few years ago was to get an in into the factory race team, they were glad of the help and it was like leaning on an open door from there. Great fun too, although extremely time intensive both evenings preapring the car and kit, and weekends away racing. I’d never be able to do it nowadays with a young family, great bachelor lifestyle though!
See if https://www.the-mia.com/ these guys can help, they put on or publicise some education sessions, probably not enough to be honest.
It's a shame no one puts on part-time or weekend courses in or out of season, i'm sure clubbies or aspiring 2nd careerists, would sign up in order to up their standards, learn new skills or network with other local talent.
It's a shame no one puts on part-time or weekend courses in or out of season, i'm sure clubbies or aspiring 2nd careerists, would sign up in order to up their standards, learn new skills or network with other local talent.
Where are you located? I know that the Staffs University Motorsports Engineering Course is well recieved and (I think) available to do part time. They used run their own team which was (presumably) part of the course but have links with other teams also.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/motorsport-engineer...
I'd be surprised if there isn't some common ground from your IT Degree giving credits towards a BSc (Hons) in Mech Engineering. If at the end of it you find that Motorsports is not the career you were after then there is the world of Automotive Engineering open to you. Think of JLR, Aston or Bentley etc. I think the Staffs course is an accredited degee with IMechE or IET.
Hope this helps?
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/motorsport-engineer...
I'd be surprised if there isn't some common ground from your IT Degree giving credits towards a BSc (Hons) in Mech Engineering. If at the end of it you find that Motorsports is not the career you were after then there is the world of Automotive Engineering open to you. Think of JLR, Aston or Bentley etc. I think the Staffs course is an accredited degee with IMechE or IET.
Hope this helps?
brucie321 said:
Where are you located? I know that the Staffs University Motorsports Engineering Course is well recieved and (I think) available to do part time. They used run their own team which was (presumably) part of the course but have links with other teams also.
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/motorsport-engineer...
I'd be surprised if there isn't some common ground from your IT Degree giving credits towards a BSc (Hons) in Mech Engineering. If at the end of it you find that Motorsports is not the career you were after then there is the world of Automotive Engineering open to you. Think of JLR, Aston or Bentley etc. I think the Staffs course is an accredited degee with IMechE or IET.
Hope this helps?
Hi, I'm in Derby, and actually went to Staffordshire Uni (10+ years ago) http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/motorsport-engineer...
I'd be surprised if there isn't some common ground from your IT Degree giving credits towards a BSc (Hons) in Mech Engineering. If at the end of it you find that Motorsports is not the career you were after then there is the world of Automotive Engineering open to you. Think of JLR, Aston or Bentley etc. I think the Staffs course is an accredited degee with IMechE or IET.
Hope this helps?
I may investigate that course, although I will probably be rejected (how they can afford to reject anyone is beyond me)
The other issue is money - degrees are now completely, horrifically cripplingly over-priced.
Well, I think someone with your IT systems experience would have little problem in either electrical systems integration or datalogging, particulary in EV or Hybrid Automotive technologies. Have a look at contract opportunities out in Automotive Engineering, that could be your springboard into Motorsports with a bit of time under your belt.
It already sounds like you are already getting up to speed mechanically, you just need the relevant experience in a specialist niche, that (for me) is where you need to be. Just my opinion, but as a starting point use your known computing skills as leverage.
It already sounds like you are already getting up to speed mechanically, you just need the relevant experience in a specialist niche, that (for me) is where you need to be. Just my opinion, but as a starting point use your known computing skills as leverage.
I did pretty much this OP, although I went straight automotive rather than Motorsport.
I had a BSc in Computer Information Systems (basiscaly Comp Sci with the option of a couple of management units which I didn’t take), and did a Masters in Automotive Product Engineering at Cranfield.
Cranfield is one of, if not the top place to go for Automotive and Motorsport. In my case the course director invited me for a chat, we went through a few things and he was satisfied I would be OK so offered me a place.
It was hard, they work you very hard anyway but on top of that I had to fill gaps in my knowledge, although my IT experience (particularly coding) made things easier in some areas and gave me some breathing space to catch up. I graduated (did better than my CIS course too!) and walked straight into a job in simulation at Lotus. I then went on to Ride & Handling there (although it was partly off the back of my racing experience), and I’ve worked in brake development for the last five years with a developing focus on active and electronic systems.
I’d say that I still lack some areas from a complete Mech Eng knowledge base but 10 years later I still learn it as I go along and broaden my knowledge base, plus my IT experience still gives me a significant advantage in some areas of analysis, simulation and coding.
If you’re going to sell yourself to a course then definitely go armed with as much electric and hybrid Motorsport knowledge as possible, and aim for that area. Even if you don’t end up there it might open a door and once through it will give you a platform to build your engineering knowledge.
I had a BSc in Computer Information Systems (basiscaly Comp Sci with the option of a couple of management units which I didn’t take), and did a Masters in Automotive Product Engineering at Cranfield.
Cranfield is one of, if not the top place to go for Automotive and Motorsport. In my case the course director invited me for a chat, we went through a few things and he was satisfied I would be OK so offered me a place.
It was hard, they work you very hard anyway but on top of that I had to fill gaps in my knowledge, although my IT experience (particularly coding) made things easier in some areas and gave me some breathing space to catch up. I graduated (did better than my CIS course too!) and walked straight into a job in simulation at Lotus. I then went on to Ride & Handling there (although it was partly off the back of my racing experience), and I’ve worked in brake development for the last five years with a developing focus on active and electronic systems.
I’d say that I still lack some areas from a complete Mech Eng knowledge base but 10 years later I still learn it as I go along and broaden my knowledge base, plus my IT experience still gives me a significant advantage in some areas of analysis, simulation and coding.
If you’re going to sell yourself to a course then definitely go armed with as much electric and hybrid Motorsport knowledge as possible, and aim for that area. Even if you don’t end up there it might open a door and once through it will give you a platform to build your engineering knowledge.
Edited by The Wookie on Tuesday 3rd April 21:07
Gassing Station | General Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff