Natalia | Brazil

Seeking benefits and stability

Natalia earned an undergraduate degree in physical education, and upon graduating, began giving private classes. She put tremendous effort into her work, but felt she wasn’t seeing the fruit of her labor. She became increasingly frustrated. The income she earned was minimal, and as a freelancer she did not have benefits such as sick leave or health insurance.

When the pandemic struck in 2020, she started to think deeply about her values and what she most wanted for her life. Building a family was at the top of that list. As a history teacher, her husband’s income was not enough to support the two of them, let alone more. She also wanted to travel, and to break free from surviving month-to-month or week-to-week.

No savings to start a new chapter

She decided to explore the world of technology, a growing sector particularly in Brazil. But there was a problem: she did not have savings to fund an expensive bootcamp. And most of the classes she found were out of reach for her financially. Until, of course, she stumbled on Generation.

She felt incredibly supported in the program and appreciated the emphasis on communication, teamwork and project management.

“I thought Generation was just a course,” she told us. She was surprised to be connected with multiple companies upon graduating, and having the opportunity to showcase her student project. She received two offers and chose Thoughtworks, where she now works as a software developer.

Dreaming bigger for her family

She and her husband recently traveled to Ireland; something she could not have afforded before. Moreover, she now has the income base and full benefits package that will allow her to one day grow her family with a great deal of security and comfort. She is finally able to dream bigger, and is confident that her career and bank account will both continue to grow.