CARLENE JACOBS

There’s no doubt about the fact that Carlene is one of the friendliest faces working at Atlantis Seafood Products (ASP). Having started as a scrubber on the production line, Carlene made an effort never to shy away from a challenge and, as a result, managed to work her way up into the role of a supervisor in just six years.

She speaks fondly about her co-workers and explains how most are hard-working women who are all striving to achieve the same goal – to give their children a better life and better circumstances. She strongly believes that without ASP, many would find it impossible to accomplish this.

“There aren’t a lot of job opportunities in Atlantis. But, for as long as I can remember, ASP has been offering employment and relief to residents. It’s also one of the only companies that has continued to operate right through the pandemic,” she says.

“The company made sure that there was work for its employees so that they could take home a salary when times were tough. ASP cares about its workers.”

It’s evident that Carlene is proud to work at ASP, and she was excited to have the opportunity to talk about her career path. She mentions how she had a tough manager initially, someone who constantly sought to challenge her – although she wasn’t aware that this is what he was doing at the time.

“I thought he was just always picking on me, and I didn’t know why. Only now do I realise that he was pushing me to reach my full potential.”

Initially, she had dreams of stepping into the role of filleter – one of the most esteemed and difficult positions on the production line – and was told that she would never make it, which only worked to spur her on even more.

“I love a challenge, and this comment was my driving force. Within one year of the person saying this to me, I was promoted to filleter and, of course, I was extremely proud of myself!”

As a leader, Carlene works hard to ensure that she treats everyone equally and with respect.

“My superpower is talking to people and being friendly. I always try to treat people equally. Even though you may be in a different position professionally, we are all human. Treat people how you want to be treated. Boost your team’s confidence. If everyone feels confident, they believe in themselves more,” she concludes.