How VTEX helped me overcome new challenges, evolve professionally and move closer to the sea

How working at the VTEX office in João Pessoa, state of Paraíba, allowed me to achieve two major goals: being close to her co-workers and having a better quality of life.

I sometimes joke that I want to be a nomad until I decide if I want to have children one day. I have always loved getting to know new places, and there is nothing like living in a place to really get to know it. I was born in the Southeast of Brazil, in the state of Minas Gerais, and before moving to João Pessoa I lived in the city of Curitiba, in the South.

My boyfriend and I had plans to live near the beach one day. Being from Belo Horizonte, the sea has always been a synonym for holidays, and living in Curitiba was the closest we got to that. It took us about an hour between leaving home and stepping on the sand.

Deciding to change scenery, join a new company and start a new life

I spent two of my four years in Curitiba working away from my team, which was based in São Paulo. As I wanted to go back to working close to the team and taking on new projects, I decided to actively look for a new job and to consider working in other states.

Searching on LinkedIn, I found the Product Manager position at the VTEX office in João Pessoa. I got excited right away!

As the process moved forward, I spent more time researching the city of João Pessoa. I became increasingly excited as I realized that it brought together many (if not all) of the qualities I was looking for, both for my future home and the professional challenges I wanted to experience:

• Better quality of life: I confess I didn’t know much about Paraíba, but a quick search showed me how incredible the state is, full of natural beauty, with warm and hospitable people. With less than a million inhabitants, João Pessoa has everything I need and allows me to live at a slow pace. Now, I can go for a run on the beach before work. I traded my car for a bike and I’m close to some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.

• Cost-benefit: living in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo would increase my living expenses. While researching about João Pessoa, I realized that it would be possible to maintain the same standard of living at a similar cost.

• Team challenges: the office in João Pessoa concentrates the initiatives of VTEX’s Payments Department. There, I would have the opportunity to work on a product that has the potential to change the collaborative commerce market.

In September 2020, I started my new job as Product Manager at VTEX. I was interested in working at a fast-growing company, but in an office with the size and atmosphere of a startup. There are daily challenges, I work with one of the most amazing teams I have ever met, and our actions impact thousands of transactions.

Making the decision to change companies always brings uncertainties, even though it is expected that we will adapt to new co-workers, a new company culture and, many times, a different position. But joining VTEX was an even bigger adventure because of my decision to move to João Pessoa.

A new professional and personal moment

Relocating for work can seem challenging, but getting out of your comfort zone is worth it. Life is richer when we can live different experiences, and Paraíba has given me the opportunity to learn a little more about Brazil, the richness of our culture and the joy of our people.

It has also been great to experience the growth of the office: when I joined, the office in João Pessoa had between 20 and 30 people. Today, we are already 50 people. Another factor that was very important to me was having a closer connection with the team again. Technology mitigates a number of limitations, but some discussions are richer in person.

Because of the pandemic, we are not working on-site, but in late 2020, when the number of hospital admissions was lower, the office was open for a few months. I got to meet the team and noticed it was easier to connect. I adapted very well to remote work, but in the future, I want to work some days from home and others in the office, and being in João Pessoa allows me to do that.

The future? Promising

Besides all the reasons that motivated me to move, I discovered other great things when I arrived in João Pessoa. Paraíba’s cuisine is uniquely rich, and they have the cheapest shrimp I’ve ever seen! I also feel safer here than in the city where I was born. I move around in the streets without fear, whether on foot or by bike. In addition, João Pessoa is close to some of the best universities in the country, which allows me to work with people who constantly teach me.

The VTEX team in João Pessoa is building solutions that will shape the future of payments in the era of collaborative commerce. Once we’re all vaccinated, we will get to enjoy our free time in one of the most incredible capitals of Brazil.

Do you want to grow professionally, participate in projects that will transform global commerce and have the chance to change your life, as I did? We have several open positions in our João Pessoa office – for Product Managers, Software and Data Engineers, Product Designers and others.

Visit our careers page and learn about the open positions in the VTEX office in João Pessoa.