Luisa Pardo
Mechanic
Tell us a bit about your current role or involvement in the automotive industry.
I am currently working as a Mechanic in a European workshop in Melbourne.
What was your first professional experience within the automotive industry?
My professional experience started in Australia in 2021 where I started working as an apprentice mechanic at a workshop in Tullamarine.
Do you think you have experienced challenges within the industry that your male counterparts have not?
Of course! I find heavy lifting to be the hardest thing I face because I am physically not as strong as some of my male colleagues. But I always find a way to do it.
What is your biggest achievement within the automotive industry, personal or professional?
My biggest achievement happens to be both personal and professional. Since English is not my first language, I have had to study a lot to be able to finish school and pass with a good score.
Do you have a favourite resource as a woman working in the automotive industry? Maybe a book, event, organization, mentor, or online platform?
My favourite resource is the first book I read in Australia called “A Spanner in the Works: The extraordinary story of Alice Anderson and Australia's first all-girl garage” about the first all-female mechanic workshop in Australia. It’s an inspiration to me as I would love to open my own workshop in Australia one day.
Who is your inspiration as a female in automotive?
My fellow female mechanics: Chelsea Bowers (based in Brisbane), Jenny Jang (based in Sunshine Coast) and Louise Azzopardi who was my career mentor when I was an apprentice.
What is the best piece of advice that you have received or that you could give to another woman working in the automotive industry?
Never give up. Keep up the motivation. Prioritise your physical health and mental health. Speak up about your good and bad experiences as it could help someone else that is going through the same situation.
