--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1988, before I'd written a word for a…" description: "\"In 1988, before I'd written a word for a car magazine or stood in front of a camera, I was a subeditor on 'The Engineer.'\" — James May" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/james-may-4243_camera_in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a_438745.png" --- # In 1988, before I'd written a word for a car magazine or… ![“In 1988, before I'd written a word for a car magazine or stood in front of a camera, I was a subeditor on 'The Engineer.'” quote by James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/james-may-4243_camera_in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a_438745.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/james-may-4243_camera_in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a_438745.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/james-may-4243_camera_in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a_438745.png) > “In 1988, before I'd written a word for a car magazine or stood in front of a camera, I was a subeditor on 'The Engineer.'” [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early career experience shaped his later media work, highlighting humble beginnings and skill development. **In simple terms:** Early jobs built his later success. Key Takeaway Leverage early roles for growth. Themes career media humility Mood reflective proud Type biographical inspirational When to use this quote - journalism - automotive writing - public speaking Key Concepts skill development career trajectory Questions to Reflect On - How did subediting influence his presenting style? - What skills transferred to TV? A Different Perspective Early roles may not directly translate to later fame. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) ## Related quotes > [You really have got lots of issues! Yeah, of 'What Car Magazine'!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/you-really-have-got-lots-of-issues-yeah-of-what-car-magazine/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [ A lawyer’s either a social engineer or … a parasite on society … A social engineer \[is\] a highly skilled, perceptive, sensitive lawyer who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hamilton-houston/a-lawyer-s-either-a-social-engineer-or-a-parasite-on-society-a-social/) [Charles Hamilton Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hamilton-houston/) > [I'm an engineer. I see myself as a toolmaker and the musicians are my customers... They use my tools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moog/i-m-an-engineer-i-see-myself-as-a-toolmaker-and-the-musicians-are-my/) [Robert Moog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moog/) > [I'm an artist and an engineer, which is, increasingly, a more common kind of hybrid. But I still fall into this weird crack where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golan-levin/i-m-an-artist-and-an-engineer-which-is-increasingly-a-more-common/) [Golan Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golan-levin/) > [You don't have to be a nerd or a programmer or a network engineer to make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-nerd-or-a-programmer-or-a-network-engineer-to/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Snowden is an orderly thinker, with an engineer's approach to problem-solving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/snowden-is-an-orderly-thinker-with-an-engineer-s-approach-to-problem/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [I never knew what an engineer did for a living when I was a kid. I still don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-never-knew-what-an-engineer-did-for-a-living-when-i-was-a-kid-i/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [I was a kind of a one-man army. I could solder circuits together, I could turn out things on the lathe, I could work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/i-was-a-kind-of-a-one-man-army-i-could-solder-circuits-together-i/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [I'm an engineer by trade, and what engineers do is they go and build, and they don't think a lot about storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/i-m-an-engineer-by-trade-and-what-engineers-do-is-they-go-and-build/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [I'm an artistic person and a creator. I'm not a scientific. I'm not an engineer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-laliberte/i-m-an-artistic-person-and-a-creator-i-m-not-a-scientific-i-m-not-an/) [Guy Laliberte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-laliberte/) > [“It was the engineer who determined what problems to investigate, designed the experiments, and defined the assignments for the mathematicians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-lee-shetterly/it-was-the-engineer-who-determined-what-problems-to-investigate/) [Margot Lee Shetterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-lee-shetterly/) > [When I do my music, I don't even go to the studio. It's just me and my engineer in a dark room somewhere, recording.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-wave/when-i-do-my-music-i-don-t-even-go-to-the-studio-it-s-just-me-and-my/) [Rod Wave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-wave/) > [I farm - there is something visceral about being attached to the land. I am a recording engineer. I do my own laundry most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-lerner/i-farm-there-is-something-visceral-about-being-attached-to-the-land-i/) [Sandra Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-lerner/) > [“I like to think of myself more as an outcome engineer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/i-like-to-think-of-myself-more-as-an-outcome-engineer/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) ## More by James May > [Men think that not being able to wire a plug somehow makes them more creative or intellectual. It just makes them morons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/men-think-that-not-being-able-to-wire-a-plug-somehow-makes-them-more/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I am actually a perfectly capable modern man who can cook, clean, wash, and find my way to places, but nobody believes it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-am-actually-a-perfectly-capable-modern-man-who-can-cook-clean-wash/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I don't have any quarrel with the BBC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-don-t-have-any-quarrel-with-the-bbc/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I can't stand the need to be fashionable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-can-t-stand-the-need-to-be-fashionable/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [A car isn't a classic just because it's old. To be a classic, a car has to tell us something of its time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/a-car-isn-t-a-classic-just-because-it-s-old-to-be-a-classic-a-car-has/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I love a bicycle, and I haven't been without at least one since I was three years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-love-a-bicycle-and-i-haven-t-been-without-at-least-one-since-i-was/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [There are very few things in real life on which I agree with Jeremy Clarkson, surprisingly few for people who have to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/there-are-very-few-things-in-real-life-on-which-i-agree-with-jeremy/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [As far as I can work out, no-one really loses out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/as-far-as-i-can-work-out-no-one-really-loses-out/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I'm only a freelance TV presenter and, in many ways, it's all just been a massive fluke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-m-only-a-freelance-tv-presenter-and-in-many-ways-it-s-all-just-been/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I'm conflicted because I like being in deserts. I find them sort of cleansing, but there's another part of me that hates dust. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-m-conflicted-because-i-like-being-in-deserts-i-find-them-sort-of/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I was a car journalist when I started on 'Top Gear.' It was all about cars. And then it all spun out of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-was-a-car-journalist-when-i-started-on-top-gear-it-was-all-about/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I've never quite trusted water; I don't think it's entirely healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-ve-never-quite-trusted-water-i-don-t-think-it-s-entirely-healthy/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I think women, especially, are bored of blokes being useless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-think-women-especially-are-bored-of-blokes-being-useless/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [I always found it hard to motivate myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/i-always-found-it-hard-to-motivate-myself/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) > [“Now, thats a pie!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/now-thats-a-pie/) [James May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) [Explore all 113 James May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/) ## More Camera quotes > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [When I made my debut as an actor in 'Rock On!' I was confident to get in front of the camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farhan-akhtar/when-i-made-my-debut-as-an-actor-in-rock-on-i-was-confident-to-get-in/) [Farhan Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farhan-akhtar/) > [Since a camera is something too heavy for women and initially made for men, you need a good cameraman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitra-farahani/since-a-camera-is-something-too-heavy-for-women-and-initially-made/) Mitra Farahani > [To be honest, I don't know... something about the camera like turns me into such a diva. Like when it's on and I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bretman-rock/to-be-honest-i-don-t-know-something-about-the-camera-like-turns-me/) [Bretman Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bretman-rock/) > [When the camera is on, I am an actor; otherwise, I am an ordinary person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nana-patekar/when-the-camera-is-on-i-am-an-actor-otherwise-i-am-an-ordinary-person/) [Nana Patekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nana-patekar/) > [“A camera is an opening in a box: that is the best emblem of the fact that a camera holding an object is holding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-cavell/a-camera-is-an-opening-in-a-box-that-is-the-best-emblem-of-the-fact/) [Stanley Cavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-cavell/) > [It's such a weird thing, because you have a whole crew of people standing over there, on the other side. There's a camera pointing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-faist/it-s-such-a-weird-thing-because-you-have-a-whole-crew-of-people/) [Mike Faist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-faist/) > [“The camera lets me see things in a different way. It's like I finally have perspective. I can't always say stuff right in words.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-cook/the-camera-lets-me-see-things-in-a-different-way-it-s-like-i-finally/) [Eileen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-cook/) > [I was so green, and my background was mostly in theater. The only thing I'd done in front of a camera, besides an infomercial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-britton/i-was-so-green-and-my-background-was-mostly-in-theater-the-only-thing/) [Connie Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-britton/) > [As far as lighting and blocking, camera angles and facial expressions, all that stuff that has to be very specific in film, as opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/as-far-as-lighting-and-blocking-camera-angles-and-facial-expressions/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-the-photographer-not-the-camera-that-is-the-instrument/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't like to move the camera that much anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/i-don-t-like-to-move-the-camera-that-much-anyway/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) > [I feel like 'Preacher's Daughter' was my Trojan horse, in a way. I'm excited to pull back, be behind the camera instead of in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/i-feel-like-preacher-s-daughter-was-my-trojan-horse-in-a-way-i-m/) [Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/) [Browse all 2,026 Camera quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In 1988, before I'd written a word for a car magazine or stood in front of a camera, I was a subeditor on 'The Engineer.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James May" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a-car-magazine-or-stood-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Camera" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a-car-magazine-or-stood-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/james-may-4243_camera_in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a_438745.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/james-may-4243_camera_in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a_438745.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/james-may-4243_camera_in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a_438745.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In 1988, before I'd written a word for a car magazine or stood in front of a camera, I was a subeditor on…” — James May", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James May", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-may/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In 1988, before I'd written a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a-car-magazine-or-stood-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-may/in-1988-before-i-d-written-a-word-for-a-car-magazine-or-stood-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```