Her Story
About JESSICA
Jessica Karolak serves as a procurement buyer in the refrigeration HVAC industry in California. With more than 10 years in the field and about 15 years in her current role, she collaborates closely with technicians who service supermarket job sites. Her responsibilities include reviewing diagnostic reports for refrigeration and HVAC issues, determining part needs, obtaining pricing, preparing quotes or making purchases under NTE guidelines, tracking deliveries and installations, and closing out calls for billing. She became a go-to person in her department for parts and materials, often using FaceTime to guide technicians through identifying needed components. Karolak entered the field accidentally after interviewing for a receptionist position that turned into purchasing, where her mechanical inclination from helping her mechanic father and self-study via videos helped her excel. She did not graduate high school yet rose to become the top purchaser as the newest person in her department by being organized and streamlining processes. She credits her success to lessons from childhood about hard work and accountability, reinforced by becoming a young mother. Among her recognitions are monthly shout-outs and an outstanding work paper. Karolak values honesty, hard work, and learning from mistakes in both personal and professional life. She advises women entering the male-dominated industry to ask questions without fear and combine organizational skills with technical knowledge.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with JESSICA
01What do you attribute your success to?
I learned as a kid that if you work hard you can get where you want to go and if you take accountability when you mess up and learn from it that's gonna get you really far. My parents instilled that with me. I had responsibilities like chores growing up and then I became a really young mom so I had to take care of my son and just kind of had to do really well and I just really enjoyed working really hard and being really good at my job.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't take things personally.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To not be afraid that just because it's dominated by men that they're all going to treat you like crap. If you ask questions they're more than happy to answer. They want to teach you. Don't come in thinking you're doomed because you're a woman. Come in and ask questions and bring the softer side of being organized and combine it with the men's side and it can work really well.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The hardest part was when you were trying to move up depending on who's working above you it could be taken as threatening like you're trying to take their job. Trying to work with people without them thinking I'm trying to take their job and get over that uncomfortableness.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
In my personal life my family making sure that people stay honest and that we all work hard and we take accountability. When it comes to work working really hard and learning from your mistakes is really important. If you are so hard-headed and you don't want to listen to anybody that tells you that you did something wrong you can never do better and not to take everything so personally.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.