FOR years, men and women have been pigeonholed into certain occupations that are traditionally considered a woman’s or a man’s.
Today, more women are stepping up to break the norms and going into careers while navigating various challenges specific to their gender.
The change is also happening in the automotive aftermarket industry with more female entrepreneurs taking up roles with Bosch Automotive Aftermarket (AA).
Among them are Wong Hoi See, Beh Seng Ping and Michelle Yong, whose passion for cars and drive to build their careers in this field as strong, reputable workshops and retailers for auto parts.
Wong Hoi See
Bosch Authorised Workshop
Citibenz Auto Care, Petaling Jaya
Wong.
With 20 years of experience in the automotive industry, Wong has owned her car workshop for the past 12 years and has witnessed the shifts in the industry as more women take on unique roles that were uncommon previously.
Being a Bosch authorised workshop owner, Wong is excelling in her field by serving customers, managing their expectations, and offering them peace of mind through durable, reliable and quality Bosch products, giving them the assurance, they need.
“When I started off in this field, I realised I had to work harder to accelerate my success and adapt to changing conditions more readily. I was inspired to strive harder and made sure to adopt a detail-oriented approach to ensure my success,” adds Wong.
“I decided to be an advocate for myself and independently grow my knowledge base on vehicles.”
Beh Seng Ping
Bosch Authorised Retailer
PH Auto Enterprise, Petaling Jaya
Beh.
Beh also aspires to be a role model to other women joining the industry.
With over eight years of experience in the industry, Beh manages her family businesses successfully.
“My advice for other women starting out in the automotive field or considering making a transition into the industry is to always have passion and a self-starter mentality – this will position you for success.
“Regardless of gender, we are capable of doing anything we put our minds to. Our strengths like attention to detail, networking and empathy enable us to overcome any challenges that come our way,” she says.
Michelle Yong
Bosch Authorised Workshop
Kam Meng Auto Suppliers & Trading Company, Petaling Jaya
Yong.
Yong has 15 years of experience in the field, starting out with the intention to help her husband manage his automotive part retail shop.
It has then become her full-time career growing the business together with her husband to what it is today – a car retail cum workshop in the centre of Petaling Jaya.
“As a mother and a person running a business, time management plays an important role in my life. In order to balance my responsibilities at home, I manage my time properly so that I am able to attend to my family’s needs and at the same time take care of the business”, says Yong.
As the automotive sector undergoes changes, society is now changing the way things have always been done.
With diverse backgrounds and experience, it is certainly a plus to achieve a greater height.
This particularly shines through in the automotive industry as they pave the way for themselves and a future generation of female auto mechanics and workshop owners.
Finding success in an industry where women make up a smaller percentage of the workforce is definitely something worth celebrating, especially this International Women’s Day.
Keyword: Women entrepreneurs making headway in automotive aftermarket business