Her Story
About Desiree
Desiree Caballero is a detail-oriented administrative and project coordination professional with experience in operations, scheduling, payroll, and project documentation across engineering and plumbing industries. She has been in the engineering field for about 7 years and currently serves as Administrative Project Coordinator at HDR, where she supports transportation projects including roads, highways, and bridges by managing schedules, tracking milestones, coordinating deliverables, preparing risk assessments, proposals, and safety plans, and running project meetings. Prior to HDR, where she has worked for about 4 months, she spent over 5 years as Office Manager at Pattison Engineering handling payroll, human resources, invoicing, permitting, and project closeout documents, and held office management and dispatch roles at plumbing companies including Rooter Hero, Silverado Plumbing, and Fifteen Dollar Sewer and Drain after 10 years in the Bay Area plumbing industry. She holds an accounting certificate and studied outreach and worship arts at Victory Bible College. Her career reflects a strong commitment to operational efficiency, organization, and project support, and she assists at a faith-based recovery center.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Desiree
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, continuous learning, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities. I believe that showing up consistently, staying positive, and being open to growth can take you a long way in any career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was, "Be willing to learn from everyone." No matter someone's title or experience level, everyone has something valuable to teach you. Staying curious, asking questions, and remaining open to feedback have helped me grow both professionally and personally.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't be afraid to speak up, ask questions, and take on challenges. Confidence comes with experience, and every opportunity is a chance to learn. Work hard, stay curious, and remember that you belong in the room just as much as anyone else. Most importantly, remember that your perspective and contributions are valuable. Confidence often comes from experience, so keep showing up, keep learning, and trust that you belong. The opportunities are there for those who are willing to work hard, stay resilient, and continue growing throughout their careers
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is balancing competing priorities while adapting to constantly evolving processes and technologies. At the same time, those changes create exciting opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen collaboration, and find new ways to support teams and clients. I believe that staying flexible and continuing to learn are key to succeeding in today's workplace.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me, both professionally and personally, are integrity, reliability, and kindness. I believe in following through on my commitments, treating others with respect, and always doing my best to support those around me. These values help me build strong relationships and create a positive impact wherever I am.
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