Returning to our Spotlight series, today our focus is on our Get to Know You Session program, which offers a casual, fun way to learn more about the people behind the usernames. Today, we're featuring an EngineerZone (EZ) member whose journey from a secondary school physics class to marketing engineering showcases the unexpected paths that passion can create. Whether you're an engineer, a student, or a career professional, these profiles will inspire you and deepen your connection with our community.
Get to Know Margaret Naughton
In our continuing effort to spotlight the incredible individuals who make our community thrive, I sat down with an EZ engineer whose approach to technology and life might surprise you. Here's what I discovered about the woman who prefers plot twists over character development and still dreams of flying cars.
A profile picture of Margaret
The Unplugged Engineer
In a world where most of us are glued to our smartphones, Margaret takes a refreshingly different approach. "I treat my smartphone like a button phone," she admits. "All the apps are just standard to the phone. I'm a very unplugged engineer outside of work." It's a philosophy that speaks volumes about work-life balance and intentional use of technology, something many of us aspire to but few achieve.
When it comes to entertainment preferences, she's firmly in the good-plot-twist camp and solidly Team Marvel. But perhaps most intriguingly, she's neither a coffee nor a tea drinker, bucking the stereotype of the caffeine-powered engineer. And as for that fictional tech, she'd love to own? "I'm still waiting for the flying car that the Jetsons' cartoon series promised me." Aren't we all?
Hidden Talents and Creative Sparks
Behind every engineer is a story that shaped her unique perspective. Growing up with a seamstress “mam”, Margaret developed "very handy skills for make and do" from early days spent helping in the sewing room. It's the kind of practical, hands-on upbringing that naturally translates into an engineering mindset, seeing how things fit together and understanding construction from the ground up.
Her reading preferences reveal another layer of creativity. "I love disappearing into a good fantasy book. The more magic and dragons, the better." This isn't just escapism, it's fuel for innovation. "That creativity then comes out in work with how to visualize technical concepts for customers," she explains. The connection between imagining fictional worlds and communicating complex technical ideas isn't accidental; it's the same creative muscle at work.
Breaking Down Misconceptions
Ask her about the biggest misconception in her field, and she'll challenge you immediately: "That engineering is hard. If you like a topic and you get it, it's not hard." It's a simple statement that carries profound implications for how we think about technical careers and who belongs in them.
A Career Born from Curiosity
The origin story of her engineering career is beautifully straightforward. During a secondary school open day, a physics teacher brought out an electronics kit. "She asked if anyone wanted to try and get it working. I said I would, and my career in engineering was born." That single moment of raising a hand or saying "I'll try " set the trajectory from electronic engineering to computer engineering to marketing engineering.
What made the difference? "I loved building the circuits, debugging them, and I never looked back." It's a reminder that passion often begins with permission to simply try something new.
The Unexpected Joy of Impact
Perhaps the most revealing answer came when asked about unexpected self-discoveries. She learned that real-world problem-solving, creating software that engineers use daily, far exceeded anything experienced in college. "Having something you develop from scratch, deploy, and train people to use and evolve allowed me to see how much I like interacting with others," she reflects.
It's not just about writing code or designing systems. It's about "working out a solution to a problem, or getting people on board with new ideas and initiatives." This human element of engineering, the collaboration, the training, the evolution of ideas, brings her back daily to appreciation for her chosen field.
Final Thoughts
From sewing rooms to circuit boards, from fantasy novels to customer visualizations, this engineer's journey reminds us that the best technical minds aren't just problem-solvers; they're communicators, creatives, and collaborators who understand that technology's true purpose is serving people. And while she waits for those flying cars, she's building the future one real-world solution at a time.
Read all the blogs in the SpotlightSeries.