Her Story
About Jackeline
I have a bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in healthcare management, and I also have a financial management certification. I started in the government as a front desk clerk and worked my way up by learning what I needed to be in business administration. I worked in different areas of the hospital setting, learning the skills I needed to get to where I'm at today through new jobs and experiences. I finally made it to finance, and that's where I've been for the last 2.5 years. My goal is to keep growing within this field. Today, my main area of expertise is managing funds within a hospital setting and prioritizing where these funds need to be first based on what's needed for the community. A typical day for me involves patient care, trying to get the funds where they are needed without delaying that patient care and getting things on time. We handle everything from surgeries to normal patient care to specialty clinics. Our goal is to not delay any process in terms of funding issues and have everything set up and ready for our patients. One of my most notable achievements was during a rough time when we didn't have any leadership because they were gone at the same time due to promotions and other reasons. My co-workers looked up to me for issues and getting answers, and they trusted me in that role. That's when I learned I'm ready to take on a leadership role, even though I thought I wasn't before.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jackeline
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say it's the hardworking, the fact that I'm a person that I thrive for challenges, and I like to learn. When I learn something, I want to learn the yes and no of everything, and I want to be able to also extend that knowledge to other people, because I don't like to be a gatekeeper where people have to come to me and ask all the time. I would like to show others how to do the job as well, so we're all on the same page, and we can all help each other. I have a great team over here, and to me, it's just that drive of learning and the challenge.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When you face a challenge and things don't go the way you thought, just take a step back, think about it and try a different approach. Sometimes it will be the approach that you're trying that's not working, and maybe you need to try a different one, and things might work, and if not, then try again. If you get a no for an answer, just ask what makes it a no. Don't just accept the no. Ask what makes it a no so you know, and maybe you can work it out to make it a yes sometime, or in the future.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that don't always shoot for a position name or monetary benefit. Sometimes you have to learn from zero and build up all the way. That will help you to also understand when you're in a higher position, if you started from zero, that helps you to understand the people below you, the challenges that they face, because you were there. And it makes you more down-to-earth.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
We faced the longest government shutdown, which was very stressful. We were so resilient because we kept working here in the hospital setting, so we had to come to work even though we were not getting paid at the time. That was very challenging. But seeing the military community giving back to the civilians, because usually it's a civilian giving to the military, it was the other way around. It was very comforting knowing that the same way we are there for them, they are there for us. And then just with everything within my setting, it's having funds available when we are needing them. Across the board, there's a lot of areas that are short-staffed. We are one of them, and we're getting more work, more work, more work, and not getting the people or the bodies that we need. It's very challenging. But it's doable when you know how to prioritize.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honestly, honesty. Accountability, transparency, and teamwork.
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