By: Becky Estep
Hello. My name is Becky Estep. I work at Kistler Ford in Toledo, Ohio, as a tech in the Quicklane department. I am a 34-year-old mother of three, two girls Hayley (17) and Lily (11), and one eight-year-old son Roman. I started my current job last winter as my re-entry to the workforce after spending eight years as a stay-at-home mom.
My previous employment consisted of customer-service-based positions, but my love of vehicles began as a child, through my dad. I took automotive technology in high school at a local vocational school, but after graduation, any automotive work I did was strictly on my personal vehicles (which also saves a lot of money!) or with my dad on his 1985 Mustang GT (including a motor swap, which facilitated building up my husband’s 1983 Mustang GT that the three of us got to work on together). Since then, a 2003 Cobra has been added to my dad’s collection.
My goal, as I continue to work on obtaining my various Ford certifications, is to advance to becoming a master tech. For now, since I’m essentially starting from square one in terms of professional experience in the field, my responsibilities include inspections, oil changes, tire rotations, repairs and replacement.
In addition to being out of the workforce for so long, I am also a recovering addict. My hope is that I can show others that starting over is possible and let people know that being a woman doesn’t mean you are limited to stereotypical women’s work. Even in scenarios where brute force can be quite helpful, sometimes “working smarter, not harder” is what can ultimately get the job done.
Although it is uplifting when a customer takes note of the fact that I work in a not-so-traditional field, I suppose I don’t feel it’s remarkable that I have the job that I do because I’m simply doing something I enjoy. And I’m a firm believer that working in a field you enjoy not only keeps you happy, but it allows you to do your job better. It truly benefits everyone involved.