Her Story
About Xiomara
I moved from Puerto Rico at age 22, 26 years ago, with barely little English. I've been in human resources for over 10 plus years. I hold a bachelor's degree in management and human resources, which I completed in 2020. My journey to that degree was deeply personal - I'm a two-time breast cancer survivor, and I was doing my bachelor's degree in between treatments. Finding out I was sick for the second time, five years after the first occurrence, gave me the strength I needed not only to beat that cancer but to finish that professional goal I had. For the last 8 plus years, I've been working with legal absence by designating FMLA and accommodation. I started my career with Home Depot corporate, then moved to Amazon during the pandemic to expand my knowledge of short-term disability and accommodations. Amazon made me stretch and step out of my comfort zone and solidify my knowledge. Now I work for OneDigital as a third-party administrator, where I have my own clients. I'm certified with the DEMEC as a Certified Leave Management Specialist and am currently preparing to take my PHR exam. I grew up in a single-parent household with my mom, who was always a hard worker and a positive influence in my life. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be who I am now.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Xiomara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I grew up in a single-parent household with my mom, and my mom was always a hard worker, and she always instilled us to do the best that we can. My mom was a determined factor. She was a positive influence on everybody, a positive influence in my life. If it would have been for her, I would have been who I am now. She's the reason I've been able to achieve what I have.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to be flexible and adapt. The quicker you adapt, the quicker you can progress, and do not set up limits for yourself. This advice has guided me throughout my career and helped me grow from Home Depot to Amazon to OneDigital.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise them to set a goal and stick to them. Set up attainable goals and stick to them. And if there's anything that you want to achieve, anything that you can think of, anything that you can imagine is achievable. You just have to stay focused. Don't limit yourself - stay focused on what you want to accomplish.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest opportunity in my field right now is putting the human in human resources. Sometimes I have encountered experiences with dealing with clients that work for human resources, but we don't have empathy. We're not human. We always have to assume positive intent until proven differently. So, to say it nicely, just putting the human in human resources - that is the biggest opportunity right now.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The value most important to me in both my work and personal life can be described simply: do the right thing when no one's watching. I apply that to my personal life, and I apply that to my career. Just always do the right thing. When it seems right, do the right thing. This guides everything I do.
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