Her Story
About Claudia
I was born and raised in Mexico and completed my bachelor's degree in business there. My parents sent me to Canada to learn English, and even though I didn't know it at the time, that would become essential when I eventually moved to the United States. I started my professional career in purchasing, working for major companies in Mexico including 7-Eleven and Cemex, one of the biggest companies in Mexico. I wanted to close the cycle from purchasing by making sure payments were accurate and on time. After getting married, I came to the U.S. and didn't work for 13 years as I became a mom and wife. Three years ago, I went through a divorce and became a single mom with a mortgage and three daughters ages 8 to 15. I was a resident back then and became a U.S. citizen last year. I returned to the professional field 3 years ago, starting as a temp in purchasing. My boss believed I would be a perfect fit for accounts payable, even though I had no experience in that specific area. I was hesitant, but I listened to her advice and stepped outside my comfort zone. Within 2 months I became permanent, a year later I was promoted to senior, and a year and a half after that I became the Accounts Payable Supervisor. Now I manage my team through daily 9 AM meetings, create procedures so they can work independently, and ensure we pay all vendors on time. I work 100% from home, which allows me to be there for my daughters. My biggest achievement has been being acknowledged for my professional experience from a different country, with a different language and culture, and growing from a temp to supervisor in just 3 years while navigating life as a single mom in a new country.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Claudia
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to believing in myself - knowing that I am capable and that I can do it. I studied for a reason, I have the knowledge and experience, even if it's not in this country. I worked for major companies like 7-Eleven and Cemex in Mexico, so I knew that if I did it before, I could do it again. Everything goes back to believing in yourself. When you have a negative thought like 'this is too much' or 'I won't be able to do it,' you have to let it go and say 'I'm here for a reason, I know that I can do it, I'm the best in everything I do.' I'm a very good listener, so I listen to everything, I learn, I take notes, and I'm a very perfectionist as well. I want everything to be perfect, so I always push myself to be the best version of me on a daily basis. I'm also grateful for everything I have achieved and take it step by step. That's how I went from a temp to a supervisor in 3 years.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I ever received came from my boss when she told me I would be perfect for accounts payable, even though I had no experience in that field. She saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. The advice was to listen and be open to new opportunities, and to not be afraid of the challenge or the change. I was in my comfort zone doing purchasing since that was the only field I had experience in, but she encouraged me to go outside my comfort zone, even if I was afraid. She told me to believe in myself and believe that I can learn anything and achieve anything. I'm so glad I heard what she said and followed her advice, because now you can see where I am. If I had been closed to that and said 'no, purchasing is my field, and you hired me for this, I'm not gonna do that' because I was afraid and didn't have experience, I wouldn't be where I am today. I was open and humble enough to learn and listen and do my best, and that's how I achieved it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that everything is possible. You have to be humble. Even if you know a lot about the field that you're going into, every company works differently, and you have to be humble enough to improve and to learn from others. You're not alone, even if you feel it, especially in the States where we have so many cultures from all over the world. You have to trust in yourself and know that you can do it. You can make it work, even if you have dependents or even if the situation looks very scary. If I did it, anyone else can do it as well. Don't let fear stop you - even if you're afraid, still do it.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in the accounting field is understanding how each vendor works and being very detail-oriented in everything you do. In accounting, everything is for yesterday - you're already late. There's a lot of stress, pressure, and workload. You have payroll, end of month every month, end of year, audits, and all the work you do will be reviewed somehow. You have to be very careful with everything. Everything needs to have support, and I always attach it to the invoices so when you go back, you know what you did and why you did it. When you work in a big company and work with so many vendors, you need to understand each of them because some you can work with very friendly, and others will charge you late fees if you're late by even one day, and nobody wants to pay late fees. You have to treat that money like it's your own and think about how you can prevent issues. You have to put the company's shirt on all the time and see how you can improve and do better with each vendor or situation to prevent events like COD or vendors cutting you off. It's as simple as not paying water or electricity - if you don't pay, how are we going to operate? So you have to be on time.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are integrity, loyalty, being brave, and being respectful. You also have to love what you do. These are the base of the pyramid for me in both my work and personal life.
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