As a Localization Engineer, I have always looked for a future-proof career, and through this search I found my calling.
I earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations and never thought about working with ecommerce or digital business. I worked in great places throughout my professional life, from the oil and gas to the automotive industry, always imagining my future in more traditional companies.
I discovered VTEX by accident. Through networking, I found out about the 2019 VTEX DAY, the last in-person edition before the pandemic and perhaps one of the most prominent in the company’s history, bringing the former US president Barack Obama to Brazil—and there my eyes lit up.
Seeing how a Brazilian company was transforming the technology market made me want to learn more about it. I discovered that VTEX was accelerating digital transformation through its products and leveraging the ecommerce ecosystem. VTEX was fostering commerce knowledge in collaboration with universities, for example, and was internationally recognized in an industry where growth and opportunities go together. Soon I decided that I wanted to be a part of this history.
This is how I started my career transition, looking for an opportunity in technology. I applied for non-technical positions for which I had experience and that were aligned to my profile. I even took part in the VTEX selection process twice but could not make it past the final stage. Despite the unfavorable results, I knew that my goal was to be here, and that is why I did not relent. I knew I fit some of the position requirements and matched the company’s culture, but something was still missing.
Knowing how to use some everyday tools, which I had never heard of, and adapting myself to technical terms, programming, and product development seemed a bit distant. This was at the beginning of the pandemic, right after losing my job, so I decided to study and learn more about the area to apply for the third time, but this time for a more technical role.
To hone my skills, I started looking for and taking part in some courses that I found on LinkedIn, mostly focused on programming and various tools and features. I also invested in Udemy courses and had a nice learning experience. It took me almost three months of studying at home and a year in total since my first attempt to be part of the VTEX team. And here I am, working for about two months in the technical position for which I applied, but that I had never thought about before for a proper career – becoming a Localization Engineer.
One of the coolest things that I have discovered here at VTEX is that people do not keep information to themselves. Even if we are only virtually connected, away from the office, everything is shared. This is an environment where everyone is willing to teach, to share knowledge.
Another lesson I learned at VTEX is that making mistakes is not something unacceptable, as I have always been taught. At VTEX, our mistakes are perceived as learning opportunities.
When I think about my future, I want to build a career where I can help and inspire other professionals with the dream of working with technology, where I am an example for those who think they are limited to a particular profession for not having a technical qualification.
I want to encourage others to understand that their future possibilities are not guided by their career choices. Instead, they are driven by what they want to build.
Camila Coutinho, Localization Engineer
Also, participating in VTEX’s localization process has been a pretty cool challenge. It is gratifying to be part of this international expansion process and contribute to this new phase of the company.
Knowing that I would be part of an innovative environment in a global company certainly helped me decide that I wanted to work hard to be here. But today, the best thing of all is to know that I have found my calling here at VTEX. This is what I want to do. This is where I want to be. Maybe those first attempts were really not meant to be. But today, I feel happy and prepared to face the challenges ahead. I had applied for other positions but found myself in one that would have never crossed my mind before. That was surprising! Of course, learning is a never-ending process. I am still taking courses —now focused on my everyday work—, trying to optimize processes and doing my best to support my team.
For those who find themselves where I was, in a career transition, or want to work with cutting-edge technology and high-impact products here at VTEX but do not feel prepared enough, I’d suggest that they don’t give up. It is worth learning about every role and department, knowing the company’s culture, following its social media channels and projects, in addition to pursuing self-knowledge. Being willing to learn certainly helps to unlock new opportunities. Receiving a “no” has never frightened me, and that is why I embraced new possibilities for my career as a Localization Engineer.
