Influential Woman · Aviation

Sarah Jefferson

QA Auditor, GAT Airline Ground Support

Atlanta, GA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's in Mass Communications from Norfolk State University Degree Master's in Public Relations from Full Sail University

Her Story

About Sarah

I have been in aviation for nearly 5 years, starting in March 2020. I currently work as a quality assurance auditor for a ground handling company. My career began in customer service, where I was fast-tracked to supervisor within just 3 months. I spent about a year and a half doing TDY travel, going to different airports to support their operations when they were short-staffed or needed extra assistance. After that, I joined our consistency team as an auditor for about a year before advancing to become the safety manager for our company in Atlanta, which is one of the busiest airports in the world. After almost 2 years in that role, I realized that being in the everyday operation wasn't exactly for me. My previous director reached out about an opening on the consistency team, and I returned to that role. July will mark a year of me being back on the consistency team. In my current role, I conduct station audits where I watch ramp operations from the window initially, then spend the next few days on the ground coaching and correcting the team. I work with contracts covering customer service, wheelchair service, cargo operations, and many other focus areas within aviation. My goal whenever I go to any airport is to let them know I'm here to help, not to get them in trouble. I'm proud that my peers acknowledge how I conduct myself professionally, which is especially important as an auditor since it's tough to be received in a good light in this role.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Sarah

01What do you attribute your success to?

I would have to say my success comes from the fact that acts of service is a love language of mine. I value the time and effort that someone might sow into me, or that we might spend together. I believe that you get what you give, and I have a high expectation of anyone that I run into. Being able to serve at my highest level is what brings satisfaction to me, to make sure my team goes home at the end of the day, to make sure that they know how to operate within their role to get home at the end of the day. That has really served me, honestly, because I give it my all and I serve the people that I support.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

When I was transitioning to another role within the company, I was told by my peers to gain the trust and respect of your peers, and everything else will fall into place. Initially, I took that as I need to gain the trust and respect of the managers I work side by side. But honestly, as time went on, the trust and respect that I truly needed to earn was from our frontline employees who actually are out there doing the work. Granted, I do need to have great relationships with the other managers, but gaining the trust and respect from our team on all levels, from an agent to a lead to a supervisor, was probably the greatest thing that I could have done as a safety advocate, especially for a station that's very high risk.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

I would have to say be ready to make a sacrifice, and be willing to make a sacrifice. Honestly, when I first took my customer service job, it was well below what I was making when I first graduated from college, and I just took a sacrifice because I needed another source of income. And so, that wasn't the only sacrifice I would have to make, though. But at the end of the day, all of the sacrifices that I made were for my greater good, and so I would just say, don't be afraid of them, and be willing to make a sacrifice.

04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Absolutely, being prepared. That would probably save anyone from anything, like, your preparation. Whether you have this big project coming up, and sometimes we'll do a slideshow, just make the slideshow and close it, and never truly go through it and make sure that you understand the information that you put in there. So, just being prepared, it has gotten me so far. And when I fail to prepare, there's a lesson, or a reminder, that I should have prepared.

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