When young Nicole Pessoa was invited by Recode to represent Brazil at IBM’s Call for Code event in 2019, the resident of the Cidade de Deus community in Rio de Janeiro was overjoyed. The programmer did not expect, however, that she would fulfill an even greater dream a few years later: to be hired to work at the company she so admired.
A lot has changed during this time. Nicole did not rest on her success at the event and continued to study to further improve her knowledge in the field, land a job, and thus pave the way for a successful career.
Then, in December 2020, the first opportunity came: the young woman would start working at a technology company working with Artificial Intelligence: “It was an early Christmas present. Even though I had to learn a lot of things, they gave me this chance. I developed very well,” says the programmer.
But it didn’t stop there. There was still a higher step to climb. In contact with IBM since the 2019 project, she had been monitoring job openings and waiting for one that would fit her profile. In February of this year, it appeared: at 24 years old, the resident of Cidade de Deus is the new back-end application developer for the multinational company. “I am very excited and full of expectations to absorb all the learning possible. I want to further improve my knowledge,” emphasizes the young woman.
Nicole has been passionate about technology since an early age. At 15, she received her first computer after giving up a party to celebrate the much-awaited date for every teenager. With the help of a partner institute, INPAR, she took several courses at Recode. Now, she serves as an inspiration for other girls: “There will be many barriers, and moments when you will think that no company will want to hire you. But don’t give up. Show that women are extraordinary and can make a difference. You don’t need to rush, everything will flow and you will see results,” advises Nicole.
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