“I wish more young people knew where you could go from just starting out in a role with Bridgestone!”
Before finding the way to her Bridgestone family, Jemma was feeling pretty lost. With no idea of what she wanted to do (and no clue that an incredible career in the tyre industry awaited her), she decided to take a chance and pursue a role with Bridgestone. Fast forward to today, and she’s never looked back!
Since launching her career, Jemma has already been promoted from production operator to technician’s assistant: pretty impressive, right? However, the best part is yet to come; to encourage other young adults to pursue the same rewarding path, Jemma is sharing all the info you need to follow in her footsteps!
Tune in to our latest interview to discover:
- Jemma’s exciting journey from production operator to technician’s assistant (and what could come next)!
- How life’s most unexpected turns can ignite an unexpected passion
- Her tips and tricks for those looking to launch their Bridgestone career
- Bridgestone’s family-like environment and the potential to meet tonnes of new friends
And much, much more!
Find Out More
With their yearly investments into research and development reaching over 8 million, it comes as no surprise that Bridgestone is the world’s number one tyre brand (and the brand that we Aussies continue to turn to and trust for their automotive needs)! The Bridgestone team constantly strives for excellence, and their passionate team does too. The best part? You can totally get in on it, and we’re about to show you how.
We know what you’re thinking; starting your career with a global powerhouse like Bridgestone seems totally fantastical. However, with their insider advice, it’s completely possible! They have positions across all areas of the business and allow junior team members to build their careers from the ground up. If you ask us, a career with Bridgestone looks a lot like a dream job!
Start a career in the fast lane by heading to their employer profile and checking out their vacancies; there’s no better time than today to launch an incredible career!
Interview Transcript
I wish that more young people knew where you could go from just starting out in a role in Bridgestone. My name is Jemma Norkunas and I work at Bandag Manufacturing as a technician’s assistant.
I came to work at Bridgestone because my father has worked for Bandag for over 25 years. During a particularly busy season last year, he suggested I get a role with him, and I started as a production operator.
In my time at Bandag, I have moved through a couple of different roles. I started as a production operator and I’m currently a technician’s assistant. What I enjoy about my current role is just the progression that I have made in the short period of time I’ve been there.
As a technician’s assistant, that can lead into a fitter position, and that can then further into a career as a fitter intern if that is what I choose. I like that that door has been opened up for me.
One of my favourite aspects of working for Bandag is that it’s a very small factory, and so everybody knows everybody. A lot of the people have been working there for a very long time, and I have known a lot of them for a long time because my father has worked there for so long.
Everybody is very welcoming. It’s like a family there, and I really enjoy that very close-knit aspect. One of my favourite parts about working at Bridgestone is the new people that I have met through the job. They are people that I would have normally never met outside of work, and I have made some really close friends working there.
There’s some really great people, and I really appreciate the doors that have been opened up for me. Before starting at Bridgestone, I didn’t know anything about the tyre retread industry, and so it’s been really interesting to learn a lot about the process from start to finish on how they’re made and all the different little things that go into it.
Being a part of that process has been very interesting, and I’ve learned a lot about the industry and come to appreciate the awful lot of people who work there.
I wish that more young people knew where you could go from just starting out in a role in Bridgestone. While you may start out as a production operator doing the hard work and the hot work, you can always move on, and they are very open to progression and opening doors for you.
I wish that people weren’t scared of doing a little bit of the hard work at the start to get to the better jobs at the end. If I could go back to my high school self, I would tell them to find something that they’re passionate about.
I was lost for a long time before I came to Bridgestone, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I didn’t know what I was passionate about, and after starting here, I have gained a very large respect for people in the industry.
I have found a new love for the job that I’m in, and while it may not have been something I was interested in a long time ago, it is something I’m now very passionate about. I try to work hard, and I would tell my younger self to also just work really hard and never give up.
