Carole Martinez has a lot of firsts to celebrate during her career at Gentex. The company was her first full-time job after she graduated from Zeeland East High School.
“My goal was to become a first-generation college student in my family. I knew Gentex had a tuition reimbursement program and a lot of opportunities to grow within the company, so I applied for a production team member position,” explained Martinez.
Carole accomplished her goal to become the first in her family to earn a college degree with an associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College. She is currently working toward her bachelor’s degree in business administration.
During her eight years with the company, she has had several promotions including team member support, job coordinator, and her current role as a safety administrator. She supports personal protection equipment programs, setting up training when needed, creating safety communications, and supports the new on-site safety footwear store at NRC 3.
“Growing up in Honduras, I realized safety wasn’t commonly used in the workforce,” she said. “I saw and heard plenty of terrible stories that could have been avoided through safety regulations that really stuck with me. I’ve always wanted to make a different and now I can promote personal protective equipment to help eliminate safety issues in the workforce!”
When Gentex launched the English Limited Proficiency Program (LEP) for people who primarily speak Spanish, Carole was one of the first to raise her hand to help. She used her bilingual skills to help recruiting and onboarding when the program was piloted and continues to support LEP team members when they have safety questions.
“I didn’t know English when my family first moved to the United States. At the time, the school systems didn’t have English Second Language programs, so I was on my own. I am so thankful the Gentex LEP program is removing language barriers. Helping LEP team members learn about our safety programs has been my favorite part about working at Gentex.”
Carole is an active member of the Women@Gentex Business Resource Group and has attended several events over the years. She said International Women’s Day is always her favorite because it brings women from all walks of life together to acknowledge common struggles and lift each other up.
She encourages anyone who has never attended an event to sign up for their first one.
“If your schedule allows it, make time for it. It’s so important to invest in yourself. You will meet women that will be there for you and provide support when needed!”
And when asked what she tells people who are thinking about applying to Gentex for the first time, her advice is to go for it.
“Opportunities are almost endless here! You are always unintentionally networking. I have been blessed with an AMAZING team, so I always talk about my experience here at Gentex.”
If you or someone you know is interested in starting a career at Gentex, we encourage you to explore our open positions on our job portal. Click below to get started!