Jessica, QA Engineer | Choosing the right path for you

Jessica knows that the path to where you want to be is not always straightforward—whether in your career or in life more generally.

Hard work, dedication, and openness to new experiences got her through her years of study and entry into the engineering field, and now she is committed to helping others navigate their own journeys.
As the first woman engineer in her family, entering the industry was initially a daunting task. People surrounding her were supportive of her choices, but also cautious as to whether she would make it in a field with traditionally low rates of female participation. She always had a passion for science, but would she be able to make a viable career out of it?

Amid the cautions of those around her, and the normal concerns we all feel when starting a new career, Jessica also had a family to care for. Some may view a young child who depends on you as limiting career advancement, but Jessica found parenthood to be a source of strength and motivation to succeed. With the right mentorship, experience, and an unwavering passion, she was able to forge her own route into the industry, paving the way for others to follow, including perhaps even her own daughter one day. 

Jessica is a key member of the Quality Assurance Department, responsible for ensuring that specifications are upheld to the highest standard. Her details-first mindset ensures that commitments are met, goals are achieved, and the department’s manufacturing quality continues to shine.

From root-cause analysis to problem solving projects, Jessica works to ensure that both in-house and outside stakeholders can have confidence in the parts being produced. While deadlines have to be met, Jessica’s skills ensure that quality is never compromised.

Back when I decided that I wanted to be an engineer, my inspiration was my daughter. I wanted to do it for her, and she made me one! Now, I want to make sure that I can open doors for not only her, but also for other women to follow.

In my cultural background, there are certain careers that women don’t often seek, and I really wanted that to change. When I had my daughter, I knew that I didn’t want her to have the same barriers growing up as I did. By succeeding in my career as an engineer, I want to set a strong example for her in the future.

In college, I studied industrial engineering. Looking back, it was the best decision I have ever made! At the time, I was interested in so many topics within science, particularly aerospace and physics. The major that I chose let me learn a standard which I could then apply to any discipline that I wanted.

Industrial engineering encompasses lots of things that I like to do, from interacting with people to creating new processes. I saw my chosen field as mixing two worlds with one: handling the business and finance side with the theory of engineering.

Recently, I’ve transitioned from a role on the production floor into Quality Assurance. I focus a lot more on processes, people, equipment and goals, having to comply with customer requests and satisfy our commitments. Above all else, I need to make sure that we have a quality-first mindset.

Engineering definitely changes you as a person. It opens up your mind to a more logical, mathematical, and analytical way of thinking. At some point, you just cannot avoid trying to find the answers to everything in life. It makes you more curious: which I think is a good feature to have.

Being a woman, a mom and an engineer leaves me only a little bit of free time at the end of the day. I always devote that to my family. That’s my biggest project, and I love it! 

My advice to others thinking about a career in engineering would be: don’t be shy to make connections with new people. For the younger generation, it can be hard to ask questions or inquire about a topic. Just be hungry for more. Go outside and put your name out there, you will find the answers.

I’m looking to further my career in the future by planning for a master’s degree. Now that I have more experience in the engineering field, I’ve been able to develop better leadership skills and understand more of what a successful business requires. From now on I can give more back to the company and always work from the perspective of quality. I think I am ready for the challenge. 

Resilience is a very strong, powerful word because sometimes we feel we were not meant to be in a certain place. It takes a lot of courage, a lot of “not giving up”, and a lot of effort to accomplish something that others think was never meant for you.

I did a lot of things out of sequence, but I did it anyway, and it worked out perfectly. Now I understand that everything has timing for a reason.
That's something that I would like to put out there; it's never too late for you to achieve your goals and dreams.