Xiomara’s professional journey began with a summer job at a well-known commercial bank in Suriname, Hakrinbank. She valued this temporary role as a significant opportunity, considering the skills she acquired, which she believed were applicable in various settings. The diverse experiences and skills she gained made her eager to return to work during breaks. She then transitioned to a sales role at a Digicel Shop and later worked as a Call Agent at Telenamic, focusing on developing essential soft skills such as patience, stress management, teamwork, and conflict resolution.

Afterward, Xiomara served as a Public Relations Officer at the NGO Stichting Liefdevolle Handen, which supports women facing socio-economic challenges. Here, she had direct access to her research demographic for her thesis at Anton de Kom University. Her responsibilities included policy writing for public relations and leading a team. Despite the economic crisis of 2015, she persisted in her career aspirations, enduring three months without pay.

Following a period of unemployment, during which she pursued hair braiding as a side business, Xiomara joined Republic Bank through a Christmas Project initiative, leveraging this opportunity to showcase her capabilities and negotiate a contract position. At the time, banks collaborated with staffing agencies, resulting in her initial one-year contract.

Xiomara strongly criticizes the treatment of temporary employees, equating their conditions to modern slavery, given their equivalent workloads for significantly reduced pay. Despite her adaptability across departments at RB Bank, her efforts were not reflected in her earnings.

Later, Xiomara returned to Hakrinbank as a temporary employee, initially earning less than her previous role. However, advocacy for better conditions led to improved compensation, doubling her earnings from Republic Bank. At Hakrinbank, she worked in the Credit Department while concurrently pursuing her Master’s degree, which emphasized practical applications.

For a certain period of time s also worked at a group of companies in Commewijne where she excelled as a Human Resource Officer until the company’s closure, leaving her unemployed for several months. Following this, she briefly taught at FHR and now serves as the Human Resource Manager at McDonald’s in Suriname. Additionally, she lectured at the FHR School of Business, specializing in Professional Development, Project Management, Competence Development, and Internship Supervision.

Xiomara never gets away from challenges. Even when it’s not directly in her field, she embraces them because she believes in the value of being broadly skilled and versatile.

Do you believe in coincidence? 

From her final year of high school, Xiomara was determined to study Children’s Rights. During that time, the term HRM had just been introduced in Suriname, sparking her interest despite her initial uncertainty about its meaning. In the same year, she attended a Youth Information Fair to explore post-secondary options. It was there that she learned about opportunities from the University (then known as the Hogeschool in Holland, now FHR). The information she received from FHR immediately captured her interest. The university offered HRM as part of the Public Administration program. However, the classes at the Hogeschool were held in the evenings, conflicting with her sports commitments. Despite this, Xiomara was drawn to Hogeschool in Holland because she believed that an international diploma would open doors globally. After discussing with her parents and carefully considering her options, she enrolled in Public Administration at Anton de Kom University of Suriname. Over time, she grew to enjoy the program, despite the realization that HRM was just one subject within it and not a specialization. She completed her studies within the expected timeframe.

The desire to study Human Resource Management never left her. In pursuit of her goal to earn her Master’s degree by age 30, Xiomara applied for Public Administration at FHR. Upon passing the entrance exam, she was accepted into the program. However, personal circumstances and financial challenges led her to withdraw from the program. Impressed by her credentials and motivation, the institute’s leadership invited her for a meeting with Mr. Lim A Po. During their conversation, she explained her situation, and based on her evident passion, Mr. Lim A Po advised her to pursue a Master’s in Human Resource Management. This wasn’t a coincidence! After reaching an agreement, Mr. Lim A Po facilitated her enrollment and successful start in the HRM Master’s program.

Consubition

Confidence, success, and ambition are foundational values that drive her professional journey, exemplified in the founding of her consultancy firm. Consubition HR Advisory & Consultancy was established on March 30, 2021, launching initially with a successful government project. Consubition emerged during a period when she contemplated giving up on her career—an era marked by deep work-related depression exacerbated by the loss of her laptop containing critical business information. Overnight, she found herself starting from scratch.

On March 8 of that year, tearfully determined, she declared to herself, “Xiomara, you will pursue what you want to do. You will begin again and you will succeed.” And thus, Consubition was born. Through Consubition HR Advisory & Consultancy, she offers a range of training and services, including Soft Skill Training, HR Advisory, and Personal Development Coaching.