Raquel Clara works as a Technician at Siemens Healthineers.

Starting a new job at age 42 with a two-year-old daughter and the only woman in her department at the time presented new challenges for Raquel.

"I always felt like I was part of the team and I felt very supported by my colleagues as they always treated me with great respect and I always felt fully included," says Raquel.

"Society has a lot of expectations for women and what they can or can’t accomplish. There are a lot of opportunities for women, especially here at Siemens Healthineers. And it's never too late to make changes and excel," she says.

Strategic planning and prioritisation are key

Drawing on some of her family tasks and experience, Raquel says that planning a trip involving packing for a toddler means that you most likely know what it's like packing for even a simple day trip that usually ends up being a whole military operation. "Becoming a mother has enabled me to further appreciate the importance of strategic planning and prioritisation, especially when I value producing high-quality work as well as being completely present with my daughter," Raquel explains.

"Motherhood has also prepared me to be OK with uncertainty and rolling with the punches. Having had to give birth during a pandemic, I have learned to accept that you can't always prepare for everything. Being flexible and adapting to constantly changing work situations are essential skills to have. Just as you will encounter many unexpected situations as a parent, there will also be many scenarios at work that are beyond your control."

Highly collaborative and inclusive work environment

When Raquel started working at Siemens Healthineers, she says she was very worried about making a mistake, so she was very careful. "Now I’m much more comfortable in my role, and I understand that every mistake is an opportunity to learn something new," she says.

Raquel's role involves engaging with a broad spectrum of area customer spares and repair requirements, warranties and returns, coordinating supplier commitments, ensuring the efficient repair and replenishment of operating stock, and testing new dry magnets.

She is also a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) champion. "I believe everyone should be able to make a difference through volunteering. DE&I ensures fair treatment and opportunity for all," she attests.

"Siemens Healthineers sees diversity as the inclusion and collaboration of different thinking, backgrounds, experiences, expertise, and individual qualities across all organisational levels," explains Raquel. "What really attracted my attention in working for Siemens Healthineers was the way people collaborate and the way that they are there for each other. That's something that I’ve never experienced in other companies before, and that’s what stands out when I think about my life here at Siemens Healthineers."

Being supported to grow professionally and personally

Raquel says that the company has a good ethos, with many competent people working there and many with long service at the company. "Colleagues are very supportive of family issues, mental health, and well-being, and the company is very innovative due to its diversity."

Raquel says that Siemens Healthineers is not a place where you just come in to work. It's a place where people feel valued, and where they can grow truly professionally and personally, she suggests.

"My mother was Brazilian and my father Italian. I speak fluent Portuguese and Italian. I was embraced here at Siemens Healthineers from the very first day, even with English as my second language. I was surprised and speechless when I found out that I had secured a place in the Operations Leadership 2024 Program. It was unexpected because I had only been working here for 15 months, but I was also extremely pleased with myself. When I got the news, I felt very valued and completely fulfillled which made all my hard work that led up to it very worthwhile."

Doing impactful work at Siemens Healthineers

"When we think about hospitals, we usually think about nurses and doctors, but there's also all the background staff that you just don't think about. By working for Siemens Healthineers, you get opportunities to work on technology that really helps save lives, so I feel like what I do is certainly having an impact," says Raquel. "And this is very important to me. It's a good cause, and I definitely know that I'm making an important impact."

Raquel's mother used to tell her that everything one does, should be done with love, passion, and care. And this is something that Raquel tries to apply to her life each day, as she says this is where she finds her motivation. 

"I think women need to share their success stories within this sector more and offer up their knowledge and experience in working for such an attractive employer to build a thriving career," she concludes.

Differences makes Siemens Healthineers stronger

Siemens Healthineers embraces and encourages different viewpoints, backgrounds, experiences, expertise, and idiosyncrasies. They encourage their people to be themselves and empower them to unleash their true potential. This allows different ideas and approaches to thrive.

Be your true self and do your best work with Siemens Healthineers.

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