“Success Isn’t About Gender, It’s about Hard Work…”

Maria McNamara, Applications Engineer at Procad 

In honour of International Women’s Day 8th March, we are very proud to feature Maria McNamara, Application Engineer at Procad (now Symetri) who joined the company a year ago and specialises in BIM and the AEC sector.

Traditionally the engineering industry was typically male dominated. However, over the past number of years women have made a huge shift to the industry. Maria expressed that she has never experienced any challenges in this industry because of gender and describes her colleagues as being extremely encouraging and supportive. Maria, who recently obtained her Autodesk Certified Instructors Badge explains the focus in Procad (now Symetri) is on the person rather than on their gender.

Maria decided to study, as a mature student a Diploma in Interior Architecture in Limerick College of Further Education. Upon completion, she then moved to Cardiff and completed her degree at the University of Wales. In Maria’s own words, “it can be comfortable to ruminate in a career, but I like change, continued growing and learning along with new experiences, which is exactly what a career in Architecture offers as it’s an ever-evolving industry.”

Maria’s advice to other women who hope to work in the engineering industry is to remember that women bring different experiences and different perspectives to the industry, so use that to your advantage. Success isn’t about gender, it’s about hard work and being confident and brave by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.

The people who inspire the Application Engineer are her parents who returned to college late in life due to the recession in the 80’s, proving it’s never too late to learn, grow and change. Born and reared in Ogonnelloe East Clare, Maria describes her growing up in an inclusive household with shared responsibility rather than male/female roles. Maria’s parents show no sign of slowing down either as they made the decision to travel the world instead of easing into quiet retirement. Their qualities are ones that Maria tries to adopt every day in both personal and work life.

Now living in Limerick City, during her spare time Maria knows how important it is to clear your head and recharge at the end of the day so attends regular exercise classes in the city and loves to go home for walks around the numerous scenic routes in Ogonnelloe while catching up with her much loved family. A girl of many talents, Maria is a member of the East Clare Community choir and the East Clare Musical Society.