Stephanie Martinez
SEMA Garage
Diamond Bar, CA USA
"If a woman can follow her passion, do it, be successful in it, and live her dream, that’s success."
Career Roadmap
Stephanie's work combines: Engineering, Technology, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I was first interviewing for positions in the auto industry, I was constantly "tested" because I was a woman. People assumed I didn't know anything about this industry or that it would be too hard to learn. This pushed me to prove them wrong. Plus, the women that are in this industry are really willing to help you succeed and that gave me the support structure I needed.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Medical Office Assistant/Specialist
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Currently serving as the Senior Coordinator at the SEMA Garage in Diamond Bar, CA where she is in charge of overall logistics.
2.
Originally wanted to become a cosmetologist, but after getting pregnant at a young age, she felt she needed a more steady paycheck.
3.
She started out by bouncing around different companies in their customer service departments, until she eventually landed a job at Yokohama Tires.
4.
With that job, she says she “fell” into the auto industry—worked her way up at Yokohama for the next ten years learning everything she could about cars.
5.
Encountered a lot of gender bias early on; for one interview, she was blindfolded and tested on whether she could identify tires by their tread, which was not something they did to male applicants.
6.
Viewed it as a personal challenge to see if she could do it—ended up feeling empowered by the fact that she was the only woman in her department.
7.
Says that first impressions have often worked against her—she constantly struggles to gain people’s trust and prove that she does know what she’s talking about.
8.
Believes that women interested in going into the auto industry are lucky because they have the benefit of a growing pool of women who are genuinely interested in helping you succeed.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Your interview is going to be harder because you are woman, but we need to know you can handle this job.
How I responded:
When I was first interviewing for positions in the auto industry, I was constantly "tested" because I was a woman. People assumed I didn't know anything about this industry or that it would be too hard to learn. This pushed me to prove them wrong. Plus, the women that are in this industry are really willing to help you succeed and that gave me the support structure I needed.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I never graduated college.
Being a woman in a male dominated field for over 10 years has sometimes been a struggle. I felt I always needed to go above and beyond to prove to employers that I know what I know and I can do what I was hired to do.