by Solange Lopes | Feb 5, 2014 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
Career choices – atlantablackstar.com
Being a corporate sister is not easy, far from it…And being a corporate mama, as I like to call it, complicates matters even further. I remember being a young associate at one of the Big 4 Accounting firms, working until all hours of the night or day during busy season, going out for drinks with the team on Thursdays after work, and still showing up all perky on Friday mornings after only a few hours of sleep. Those were the days when you went hard or went home…The days when building your career was not just a matter of being excellent on the job, but also having the time, stamina and availability to be an all-around team player. For most of us in “Public” as we used to (and still) call it, that meant working week-ends, hanging out with the team, and basically not having much of a life outside of work…
Fast-forward a few years, and for those who did find a different life along the way, for all those who dropped out of the “Public’s” ranks, or just those who wanted a life outside of work, some of the career choices we made were many a time motivated by our families or significant others. There, you fell in love and wanted to spend more time with your partner on week-ends. Or you started having children and could not stand to be on the road while your children were taking their first steps or uttering their very first words. So you jumped ship, tried and found other more satisfying or “balanced” work alternatives. Or you chose to stay and forgo the experiences that others were embarking on, like motherhood, or marriage. And as you sit back and reflect on your professional progress, you cannot help but wonder if after all, your career choices were primarily motivated by your family (or lack thereof).
My dear friend N. asked me the other day: “If your life had been different, if you didn’t have to take into account all the family responsibilities and duties, do you think you’d have made different choices in your career? Do you think you’d have been further along or on a totally different path?”
After pausing for a few seconds, I had this truly inspiring, breakthrough response for her: “I don’t know!” And while I can certainly speculate on all the what-if’s, and would’ve or should’ve, the truth is I don’t know…None of us really knows what decisions or choices we would have made in different circumstances, of how far (or not far) along we’d be had our journey been different…All we know is the NOW, and all we can do is trying to better it…
In hindsight, I’m glad my family motivated some of my career choices. I’m glad that they helped me distinguish between what truly matters, like being there when your kid first pees in the toilet, and what matters less. Sure, there is also the reverse side of the coin, that many feel that life’s hardships and family duties possibly made them miss out on some opportunities…
Yet like my dear friend N. says, “No matter what, we are where we are supposed to be.”
Has your family motivated your career choices?
by Dorcia Carrillo | Nov 22, 2013 | Working Mom & Woman Tips
Chances are you are hosting Thanksgiving this year again, what with your usual workload, last week’s laundry still on stand-by, house-cleaning still pending, and your to-do list untouched as of yet…And you have not yet checked in with everyone to see what they are bringing, you still have to call your mom for her famous turkey recipe, and your hairdresser is booked until next Friday…What?!?
Or the entire family is gathering this year at your cousin’s this year, in which case you can breathe a sigh of relief. Except you still have to figure out what you’re bringing, what the kids are wearing, and how in the world you’ll fit in anything before or after the meal…And we’re not even talking about starting Christmas shopping, or how we’re going to even get anywhere close to a store on Black Friday…
As busy corporate sisters, we all know the holidays are also a hurried, even busier time of the year, and the single way to counter-balance all this madness is to have a plan…A sister with a plan is a sister on her way (the way up, not the other way)…
Write it down
Nothing like a visual aid to make it all real. So whether you’re doing the touch-tone thing on your smartphone, or like myself, you’re just digging out the old notebook and pencil, you’ve gotta write it all down…To-do’s, to-be-done, should-have-been-done, do-it-now’s, put it all on paper, look at it again…and reach for the nearest glass of wine! It ain’t real ’til it’s on paper, girl!
Use your lunch hour!
Yes, you heard right…this small alloted window of peace in the middle of your day is officially no more! Unless you are THE uber-organized corporate sister (or you just don’t believe in sleeping), take advantage of your lunch hour to make a few phone calls, check out some (quick and easy) recipes…and please, find a hairdresser before Wednesday…
Learn the art of delegating
The best leaders are great at delegating; and since you are honing your corporate skills, why not use your life as training ground…so get to delegating some of the shopping trips, and part of the prep work, and the key lime pie while you’re at it (it never came out quite right anyways) so you can have some time to figure out where you can get a last-minute turkey for the big day…
And yes, you can skimp on some details
Like baking the cakes from scratch, or even entertaining the thought of elaborate recipes..Browse the pre-made, pre-done, already-frozen aisles at the supermarket (the online supermarket counts too), and save yourself some pain and aggravation…And oh, invest in some slightly worn out baking pans and serving dishes, and don’t forget the key-lime pie scented candles too, the more homemade-looking, the better…
So there, as a corporate sister with a life and a plan, there is much to do as it is to make the holidays an even busier time…Plan, get help, and don’t forget to pour Aunt Martha more wine before she asks you if that pecan pie was store-bought or homemade…Really, Aunt Martha?
How are you counting down to Thanksgiving?
The Corporate Sister.
