Juliana is 32 years old and was born and raised in Conceição do Mato Dentro, a Brazilian municipality in the state of Minas Gerais with a population of around 23,000 people.

Before joining the Generation program, she felt lost and uncertain about how to translate her background in administrative studies into a fulfilling career. Unable to find work in her field and needing to support her daughter, she first took a job as a hotel maid, then became a nanny. After spending six years caring for her sister’s children, she became unemployed in 2024 and was left unsure of her next steps.

She often questioned whether she would ever be known as someone with a profession—“Will people ever say, ‘I know her, she works at such-and-such place’?” Fear kept her from moving forward.

After fear comes opportunity 

It was a friend’s video on Instagram that introduced her to Generation. She applied and was selected to be part of Generation Brazil’s Digital Relationship and Customer Success program offered in her city, a cohort sponsored by Anglo American. Throughout the program, she discovered that her true strength had always been there: her ease in communicating and, especially, in listening to others. The course also brought something she hadn’t expected: the discipline to organize her routine between home, studies, and family, a tool she now applies every day in her professional life.

At the end of the course, during the employability fair organized by Generation, Juliana received multiple interview offers and was hired within the same week. She now works in customer service and relationship management at Italinea Essencial, a custom furniture company.

A new beginning

For Juliana, this role is more than just employment; it marks a profound shift in her identity: from someone lost and paralyzed by fear to a fulfilled woman who now inspires her classmates to believe in themselves. “I thank Generation and all the ones involved in making this program happen. It really changed my life”, she emphasized.

Her advice for those just starting out is clear and direct: “Believe more, don’t be afraid, because when we’re afraid, we hesitate to take the first step.”