A purposeful journey

May 8, 2024

Name: Cat Chavez

Years at Deloitte: 6

First role at Deloitte: Campus recruiting specialist, Deloitte Services LP, supporting San Jose Audit & Assurance campus recruiting

Current role at Deloitte: Lead campus recruiting specialist, Deloitte Services LP, supporting national diversity, equity, and inclusion campus recruiting

In my current role I: facilitate opportunities to connect with diverse talent for campus-level roles throughout Deloitte via collaborations between my team, business leaders, recruiting leaders, and external organizations.

Share about your experience joining Deloitte as an expectant mother.

I was drawn to Deloitte after researching potential employers. I especially relied on reviews by current and former employees on the topics of work culture and benefits. I was pregnant with my first daughter and while I didn’t know what being a working parent would be like exactly, I knew that experienced parents could give me insight on what they found most valuable. I turned down a competing offer because I thought I’d be happiest at Deloitte. After I started, I shared that I was expecting with my extended team and leaders and I was immediately met with congratulations. It was confirmation that I had chosen the employer for me.


What were some of the challenges you faced early in your career as a working parent and how have you overcome/managed those challenges?

1. Feeling the need to prove myself: I worked four months at Deloitte prior to going on family leave and I wanted to contribute value in that short time. I felt this again after returning from each of my leaves because I had to reacquaint myself with some processes as well as learn new systems. I shared this feeling with my manager after my second leave and she assured me that I had nothing to prove because they already knew my value. She also reminded me to lean on her as I navigated these challenges and being a working mom of two kids.
   
   
2. Keeping track of my to-do list: It seemed to have doubled after adding on the responsibilities of caring for a child (e.g., tracking doctor appointments, buying diapers, daycare paperwork, etc.) but there were still only 24 hours in a day. I embraced Deloitte’s culture of flexibility so that I could intertwine how I carried out my responsibilities within the work week. Once I had some time to figure out the best schedule for myself and my team, I found that I was able to get through that to-do list in a way that made the most sense for me.

How have you been able to grow in your career at Deloitte over the years and make an impact in your role?

One of the great things about working at Deloitte is that we are encouraged to drive our professional growth and careers. For me, this meant expressing interest in supporting our DEI efforts at the local level which, through a series of opportunities, eventually led me to my current role. I also attribute my career journey to supportive leaders that I’ve met along the way. I’m energized by the work I do, the colleagues I collaborate with, and the candidates I meet.

What is some career guidance you regularly follow that has been effective along your career journey?

Someone told me that when I’m overwhelmed by competing priorities, think of them as balls that I’m juggling. Some of those balls are glass that will break while others are rubber that will bounce right back. This advice pushed me to see deeper into the nuances and potential impacts of my work, which ultimately took my prioritization skills to a new level.

The other guidance is to have a growth mindset. This means seeing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow rather than blockades.

Both have helped me in my career and as a mom.

What resources at Deloitte have been most helpful to you as you pursue your career goals, and why?

The resource that’s been the greatest aid in my journey is the culture. Specifically in two areas. One is the autonomy to define my growth plan, express interest in stretch projects, and the ability to sign up for learning opportunities on topics or skills-building that pique my curiosity.

The other area that stands out is the flexibility I have in my role. It gives me the opportunity, for the most part, to dedicate quality time for my family as well as time to pursue my ambitions without feeling as though I have to sacrifice one for the other.

What guidance would you give to an expectant mom navigating her career journey?

Accept that balancing it all will not be an even split. You will spend more energy serving clients than family on some days, and vice versa on others. You will have days where you accomplish a ton on both fronts, leaving you feeling superhuman, and unfortunately, some days, you’ll exert all your energy and feel like you still missed the mark. During it all, focus on your wins, big and small, and remember to take the time to serve your well-being too. You can’t be everything to everyone, especially if you have no energy left to give.

What guidance would you give to a working parent on how to navigate career and family?

1. Be present and intentional. If you created a block in your schedule to work, let that be your priority. If you created a block in your schedule to be with family, put your laptop and work phone away. Focusing on the priority at hand can allow you to be your best as needed.
   
   
2. Hold conversations with your coach about your career goals as they evolve.
   
   
3. During those busy seasons at work think of the time you spend with family in terms of quality over quantity.
   
   
4. Lean on your communities. If you have a supportive partner or extended family available, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The same goes for work, where time after time, I’ve seen my colleagues step in to help one another when needed. I have leaned on my teams and managers, and they have leaned on me.

You are a working parent—try as you may to compartmentalize the two roles, they’re nearly impossible to fully separate. When I embraced the two roles as one, I found that the skills I honed through motherhood made me a stronger contributor at work. I also found that I needed to be intentional about carving out time for myself—and thanks to Deloitte’s generous PTO, flexibility, and emphasis on well-being, I have been able to blend ’me time’ into my work week as well.

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