Balancing Caregiving with Career Advancement: Women at MAT Share Their Stories

While the pandemic has pushed us through challenges, it has also helped pioneer a growing representation of women in management and new priorities for organizations. We have reached a global milestone of women in senior positions across the corporate landscape, but balancing careers with caregiving has become an even greater challenge.

To uncover how women perceive and balance roles across their fields and families, we asked working moms at MAT to share their experiences and insights into their career advancement journeys. 

Talent Acquisition Specialist Angela Strickland represents the ability to not only take on new opportunities, but to support a family while doing so. Before Angela began engaging, hiring and onboarding employees, she served as the Executive Administrative Assistant to the CEO and President, managing international assignments while gaining exposure to numerous women in leadership across China, India and the UK. 

Through this eye-opening observation, Angela was inspired to re-evaluate the belief that changing her career after 20 years would prevent her from “giving her all as a mother,” a challenge many working moms face. 

“MAT provided support, leadership and believed in me as a working mom who wanted to go back to school and become a stronger asset to the company.” Angela shares. “Along with the diversity and inclusion that MAT continues to honor, it speaks volumes to me and continues to shape my desire to find talent that will rise in this element, just as I did.”

Vianca Navarro, HR Business Partner, is also familiar with juggling workload and family priorities as a single mom, but has fully equipped herself with strategies along the way.

“You get creative and learn how to master the art of prioritization and what is important. You also give yourself the grace knowing that something may be missed and that is okay. I believe the most important lesson is raising that little human to see that mistakes do happen at times and you correct it as needed. Trust that you are more than capable and very much qualified.”

Just as we learn skills within the workplace, we learn essential lessons from raising families and managing households. “I believe that the skill of being fully present and having empathy for my child transfers into every interaction and I have that same model of being fully present and having empathy for others in the workplace,” Vianca says. “My hope is that I continue to not only learn but to be able to lead in skills to help magnify care in the workplace.”

While single mothers still face barriers and the stigma that career advancement is elusive due to family priorities, such as needing time away for child care, school issues, or other responsibilities, Kim Ponce, Import Lead and Documentation Specialist, believes communities are going in the right direction to overcome barriers. 

“In my opinion, time has evolved with how women and mothers are treated within the workplace. Women are now seen as equals and receiving opportunities to pursue new careers,” Kim says. To continue breaking bias and encouraging women to take on their chosen fields, “we need to listen to employees, request feedback, be transparent, and allow everyone equal opportunities.” 

Kim emphasizes that balance between home and work priorities must be supported by a company with clear values for family. “I have found those qualities within my role and department, which have allowed me to be more successful not only with my personal family but also my professional family here at MAT.”