Meet Caroline Hacikyaner: Always in motion
Caroline is in her late thirties and has a little 2-year old girl and a young 5-year old boy. She lives in Montreal with her spouse and their third “fur baby” Nanook, an American Eskimo.
A recent career change and a network of support
“I am a CPA with several years experience in audit and other related accounting positions, but discovered along the way that I really enjoy working collaboratively with people not just numbers on an excel spreadsheet. After two maternity leaves and during Covid, I decided to make the shift to work in post-merger integration which I absolutely love. It really satisfies my desire for continuous learning and also working on high-functioning teams. I am not quite sure where my path will take me next, but I have a very supportive manager and colleagues so I am confident it will be somewhere exciting.”
Fun for Caroline is…
“I really enjoy being outdoors and keeping active. I like to run to clear my head and focus on what is top of mind. I also love travelling and recently have started to visit new places again like Vienna and Prague this year. I think the shift to motherhood has made me more of a morning/daytime person so I don’t have as many evenings out anymore which has been a change in my life. I sometimes miss it, but I am so tired from being fully on during the day that I really appreciate sitting down and reading or watching a good series (I am obsessed with Scandinavian crime shows and am working on organizing a trip to Iceland soon).”
Having children has made me more focused on achieving my career aspirations. They were my motivation to take a chance and start a career in a different department.
“It’s funny because when I talk to other mothers and compare my experience to theirs, it seems different for me. I fully enjoyed my time off on maternity leave with both of my children. I made sure we always had something fun to do practically everyday, even during the pandemic. But having children has made me more focused on achieving my career aspirations. They were my motivation to take a chance and start a career in a different department. I suppose it fits with my personality as I am someone who prefers to remain in motion. While I enjoy my work and celebrate my achievements professionally, I always reserve quality time with my kids in the evenings or on the weekends. I think it’s really the quality and not just the quantity of time we spend together. I sometimes feel guilty when I am away on business trips but to be honest, I always think if I were a man, how would this be viewed?”
Scheduling everything in my calendar makes my life easier
“I don’t think there is one magic bullet or secret that will suddenly make everyone’s life easier. What works for me is keeping all of my personal and work commitments in my calendar with alerts. I schedule breaks, lunch and even going to bed. I prepare as much as I can beforehand, including my kids’ clothes, snacks etc. Not everything will go as planned, but at least I have a plan to help me get through the day. What truly helps me the most - and I realize this may not be possible for everyone but seems to be more widely accepted now is working remotely and having a flexible work schedule. I am really most productive and fulfilled (and a better employee/mother) when not “chained to my desk” from 9am-5pm. During the pandemic, this was proven to be true in many industries and professions. If you give people the space they need to accomplish their work, there are higher chances they will fulfill and even outperform.”
Caroline is happy to collaborate and connect with other mothers who want to share their experiences or even to meet for drinks! THANK YOU CAROLINE :)