Mary Wurst is a lighting designer and electrical engineer DLR Group. Her design philosophy revolves around seeing light, whether natural and artificial, as the soul of any space. A chance encounter with a cadaver arm ended up steering her toward getting an engineering degree, and she’s now a Senior Associate at DLR Group.  We discuss the importance of exposing high school students to different careers, the challenges that mid-level professionals face, how she balances her work life with her home life, and why firms should be less focused on the rigidity of the 9-5.

Show Recap:

• How Mary ended up going to engineering school
• Why it's important to expose students to different career options
• What made her join an integrated design firm instead of working for a strictly engineering firm
• How she decided to become an electrical engineer
• What it was like advancing from Intern to Senior Associate at the same office
• On having independence at work
• What she loves most about being an engineer
• The biggest challenges that mid-level professionals face
• On struggling with what your career aspirations are
• How she balances working full time and having two young children, and whether or not she ever considered not working
• Taking her son to the grand opening of a project
• Why firms should be less concerned with employees working strict 9-5 hours