Influential Woman · Engineering

Megan Spirnak

Technical Sales Manager, CDMG Engineering

Pittsburgh, PA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Penn State

Her Story

About Megan

I've been in engineering for 5 years, and what drew me to this field was my love for the creative side. I always thought that engineers are the people who design everything that we use and live by in the world, so I wanted to use my creativity to design and make my mark. My journey really solidified when I was in college and ran into the Learning Factory, which was basically like a machine shop makerspace with any type of manufacturing - additive manufacturing with 3D printers, laser cutters, woodworking, welding. I went in there for the first time and kind of fell in love with hands-on making. I ended up being a teaching assistant there and taught a lot of other students and faculty how to do all that stuff on graduate projects. I actually started an organization for females in engineering where they came to the learning factory and built a different prototype that I had planned out once a month. It grew to be a pretty big group, and we brought in faculty to do fireside chats and got funded by a Fortune 500 company. That involvement and ownership of that group is really what solidified my interest. In my current role, I engage with clients daily, either visiting potential or existing clients, bringing them into our facility for tours, and having meetings with executives and engineering managers about the capabilities we can provide. I also do a lot of networking through business dinners and events with various organizations I'm part of. I strongly value my ability to communicate to both technical and non-technical teams - I can explain the technical side and make it understandable to someone in finance or another non-technical role who's a decision maker. I'm always the youngest individual in a room, and I remind myself that I've gotten to where I am while competing with people that are twice my age and succeeding at it.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Megan

01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

I've received two pieces of career advice that have really shaped me. The first one is that the worst thing someone can say to you is no. I got taught that at a young age, and I've always tried to live by that. I truly believe the worst thing someone can say is no. The second piece of advice is, if you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've always had. These have both been game changers for me in how I approach my career and opportunities.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

My advice is you don't have to fit any specific mold. There's no mold of what an engineer should be. There might be stereotypes or anything like that, but you don't have to fall into a stereotype. You don't have to fall into the comment that, oh, engineers are weirdos type thing. You can be a very social individual, and you don't have to fit the stereotypical engineering mold to be an engineer. You can be yourself and still be successful in this field.

03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think being in a male-dominated field is something I've always experienced, but I look at it more as an opportunity, especially as a young woman. There's so many opportunities that if there's something we want to do in our career, the possibilities are really endless for us. I view that as an opportunity rather than a challenge to capitalize on. Being a young woman in engineering means we have incredible potential to make our mark and pursue whatever direction we want to take our careers.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

On the professional side, I strongly value my ability to communicate to both technical and non-technical teams. I think that's why I'm really strong in my role - I can explain the technical side, I understand it, I enjoy it, and I can explain it to somebody who's maybe in finance or in another non-technical role but is a decision maker for the scope that's being worked on. I very strongly value that skill. On the personal side, it's kind of similar. I think that my skills and abilities to be able to talk to anyone and be able to really fit into any groups that I'm in is something that I really value. Being adaptable and able to connect with people across different contexts is important to me.

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