Top Tips from a CEO Who’s Made It to the Top of Her Male-Dominated Industry – Whilst Working Part-Time!
What do you want the highlights of your career to look like? Sarah McMath, special guest on this episode of the Work It Like A Mum podcast, already knows hers: she’s had a long and successful career bringing clean, safe drinking water to many households, and held her own and risen up the ranks in a male-dominated, technical field. Plus, she balanced all that around having children! Join your host, Elizabeth Willetts, as she asks Sarah about how she manages it all.
Sarah tells Elizabeth about how she started working in water and what her early jobs looked like. They discuss workplace sexism and how Sarah overcame the challenges of being a woman in a predominantly male field. Sarah shares how she landed her dream job and convinced her boss to let her work part-time hours for full-time pay. Listen out for their interesting discussion on the four-day working week and for Sarah’s argument on how greater flexibility increases diversity in the workforce.
This episode of the Work It Like A Mum podcast is a really inspiring listen that brings a different perspective on the challenges of work and motherhood. You can catch other great episodes just like this by subscribing to the podcast.
Timestamps
[2:00] Liz welcomes Sarah McMath onto the episode
[2:29] So, what does MOSL actually do?
[5:10] How Sarah started working in water
[9:40] Getting a doctorate in engineering
[13:25] Sarah’s first job at Thames Water and how she managed a team of men much older than her
[16:28] A career move and handling gender differences in the workplace
[19:20] Is it hard to achieve as a woman in the workplace when you don’t have a role model?
[22:45] How Sarah landed her dream job and switched it to part-time hours with full-time pay
[26:05] Balancing a demanding job and family life
[30:07] The ‘Motherload’: does it help or hinder?
[32:32] Sarah’s thoughts on the four-day week
[35:20] The gender and racial make-up of MOSL and how that links to their flexible working policy
[39:20] Why a “Sense of alignment” matters
[41:40] How Sarah maintains her work-life balance now
[43:40] “I’ve never regretted it”: Sarah’s reflections on going back to work
[44:46] Advice for mums who are about to go back to work
[46:04] Where to go to connect with Sarah
Show Links
For more information about the podcast’s sponsor, please visit:
Investing in Women Flexible Working Jobs Board