Maternity and Career: a true story about reconciling, learn and move forward

Kátia's trajectory shows, in practice, that career and motherhood can go together, even when the path demands difficult choices, pauses and restarts.

Much of his professional life took place at KLINGER Brazil, where he entered very young, to the 19 years, initially to cover holidays. What was temporary turned into a five-year cycle and it was during this period that personal life also gained new chapters: Kátia got married and had her first child, becoming the company's first employee to go on maternity leave.

At that time, the environment was still mostly male. With few women on the team, the perspective was that every woman, after having a child,, would not return to work. Contrary to these expectations, she followed building your professional history while building your personal story.

 

Choices that are not always easy

After maternity leave, which at that time was 4 months, Kátia was already back to her routine at the company and this phase was not simple:

“To be able to better deal with returning to work, I decided to stop breastfeeding before returning. It wasn't an easy choice, but it was what made sense at that moment.”

The routine gradually adjusted. Between work and motherhood, she continued doing what was necessary, always with the aim of ensuring the best for the child.

Kátia continued working at KLINGER for more 3 years, but after this period, found herself without a support network to help care for her child, and then chose to step away from work to dedicate himself to it.

 

Reinvention and resilience

During about 10 years outside of KLINGER, Kátia never stopped working. During this period, lived intense moments. Got pregnant again, faced the loss of the baby, moved house and found a way to remain active professionally, even if in a different way.

Got a job that allowed him to work from home, something rare at the time. And that's how she reconciled everything when she had her second child. Often, working with him on my lap, turning awake nights, organizing demands in the middle of the routine with children:

“It was a difficult phase, But stopping was never an option. Working has always been part of who I am.”

 

The fresh start

Over time, demands have increased. What was once part-time began to transform into something more intense, and the routine became even more challenging. During the day, the children, at night, the work. Until a moment came when that job no longer made sense., and dissatisfaction appeared.

And that's when life brought one of those unexpected encounters that change everything..

Kátia found Arlete, HR manager at KLINGER Brazil, and commented that he was available for a new job and shortly after, came the invitation to return to the company.

“Coming back after so many years was like starting over. I needed to relearn a lot of things, update myself and reconnect with the industry environment, But in this transition I had a lot of support from the company and my family, which made a total difference.”

 

Well-defined roles, inside and outside the home

At this stage, the children were already older and, in a very special way, they both had the opportunity to work with her at KLINGER Brazil, a fact that has always had enormous value for Kátia. Even so, She made a point of making it clear that, inside work, the roles were different. Ali, I wasn't a mother, but professional:

“I always found it very amusing to hear them calling me “Miss Katia”, when he bumps into me in the company corridors.”

This stance helped to build not only respect within the company, but also a new form of recognition from children.

Throughout this entire journey, husband's support, Of course, made a difference in consolidating my career and building such a structured family, but there is an even stronger reference in her story: the mother. Kátia grew up watching her mother work, at a time when this was not so common. And this was never seen as an absence and was always a reason for admiration.

“My mother went to work and spent some time away, but when she returned, all her time and love was ours alone, mine and my sister's. I don't even remember the amount of time she spent with us, but I remember exactly how good the time we were together was.”

 

A legacy of dedication and love

When you look back, Kátia doesn’t feel like changing her trajectory, because she understands that motherhood and professional life can happen in parallel.

The patience and understanding that motherhood provided, It is also used at work, as well as the organization and commitment that are part of your daily life at the company are qualities that can be seen in the family.

E, for those who still wonder if it is possible to balance career and children, Kátia responds with confidence:

“It is possible, sim! A woman is capable of doing everything she dedicates herself to well., then, if you feel fulfilled in your profession and really want to have children, with effort, resilience and lots of love, babies and meetings, It could be a very interesting combination.”

Kátia now has an established career and is the grandfather of three girls. Revisiting your story filled with dedication and love, She continues to work and dedicate herself to her family and, who knows one day, just like her mother was to her, Being able to be an example and inspiration for your granddaughters. Excited, Kátia concludes:

“It was all really worth it!”