From Paralegal to Engineer: Maria Gonzalez’s Epic Career Relaunch

Real-Life Relaunch Story

Maria Gonzalez, Electrical Engineer:

“Engineering seemed like the hardest thing I could do. But if I wanted to do something, it had to be epic. ”

Maria Gonzalez’s story shows that career reinvention is possible in your 40s and beyond. In May 2024, Maria graduated from North Carolina State University’s rigorous engineering school with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. It was the culmination of a six-year journey that started when Maria lost her paralegal job and finally started listening to her inner voice.

Q: How did you know it was time for a career change? 

I was an office manager/paralegal at a law firm and they laid me off. And immediately, my first thought was, ‘This is my chance to go back to school and do something that I really want to do.’

But reality set in, and I started looking for jobs in the legal space. When I wasn’t getting interviews, those thoughts about going back to school came back. I emailed NC State, where I had graduated in 2001, and they told me that my classes were not going to transfer. I decided I needed to start over. Starting at a community college gave me an advantage to relearn a lot of skills I had forgotten.

Q: How did you choose engineering?

I wanted to do something that was in high demand and something that I could easily grow into, with financial security. I didn’t want to reach a ceiling as quickly as I did in my prior profession. 

Engineering seemed like the hardest thing I could do. But if I wanted to do something, it had to be epic. 

I’ve always loved math and science. I've always taken things apart.  Years ago, when DVR’s were a thing, I had a Tivo that stopped working. I took it apart and noticed one of the components was kind of poofy looking. It looked wrong. I went on the internet and figured out that the piece was a capacitor, and that I needed to order a new one and put it in. I got the Tivo working again and if we had TV like we used to, it would still record shows today.

Q: What challenges did you have to overcome to make such a dramatic career change? 

After getting my associates at community college, I transferred to NC State. But when I got there, Covid hit. I had a really hard time getting into online classes. It was hard.  Eventually, when we did go back to campus, I felt like I was so behind.  That was also the time that I decided to change my major from computer engineering to electrical engineering. The first couple of years at NC State were a blur.

Thankfully, I have such a great support system. I have friends and my sister who were just the best. They supported me. I waited tables every single weekend during this whole thing. I didn’t do an internship. I probably should have been looking for a job earlier in the semester when more entry-level jobs are posted, but I was either doing homework at night, going to classes during the day, or working on the weekends.  

Now that I’m finished with school, I have more time. I still see jobs posted that are looking for recent graduates. I'm not worried. 

Q: What would you tell someone else who is thinking of going back to school and starting over in a new field in their 40s?

There's no time like the present. It really is life-changing, and the best feeling in the world to be able to accomplish something you didn’t think you could. It doesn’t have to be a six-year commitment. It could be a master’s degree or a Ph.D. 

If there’s something that you think you want to do, just do it. Just do something epic.