I’m from Brazil, currently living in the medium-sized city of Blumenau, Santa Catarina. But life is about to take me on a new adventure. In two or three months, I’ll be moving to Bento Gonçalves, a charming town nestled in the Serra Gaúcha region of Rio Grande do Sul.
My journey into the world of technology has been anything but straightforward. My tech stack today is heavily focused on front-end development, with Vue.js, Nuxt, Astro, CSS, TypeScript, and User Experience being my bread and butter. Recently, I’ve even started diving into Shopify Liquid. My experience with WordPress is extensive—I’ve built projects from scratch, worked with Advanced Custom Fields, integrated APIs, and created plugins, to name a few.
But it wasn’t always this way. My career began in a completely different field. I graduated with a degree in Geography in 2007, with plans to become a teacher. Coding was just a hobby back then, something I dabbled in when I wasn’t busy with my studies. Five years after graduation, I had the opportunity to join a company and work alongside developers. That’s when everything changed. I quickly realized that my passion lay not in Geography, but in the world of technology.
When I first started university, my goal was to become a Geography teacher. But the reality of low salaries and poor working conditions in Brazil made me reconsider. I began to dream of a different path—one that involved building websites and creating something slightly more tangible. What started as a hobby turned into a full-blown passion when I landed a job at Humanpixels, a small Brazilian agency, in 2011. From November 1st of that year, I became obsessed with front-end development, and each day since has been an opportunity to learn and grow. We all make choices when we’re young—some we later regret, some we don’t. For me, studying Geography was one of those choices. It’s not that Geography is a bad field—far from it. But I knew deep down that I’d be happier in front of a computer, crafting wonders on the web. So, I started seeking opportunities to learn and work in a company that could make this dream a reality. I faced a lot of setbacks, tried and failed many times, and felt the frustration of not being able to do what I truly wanted. But I knew that when the right opportunity came, I couldn’t afford to miss it. I had to prove that I was not just good, but the best choice for any employer. That chance came at Humanpixels, and from there, my journey in tech truly began.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my career is getting selected to work at a company. Without a formal degree in IT, I knew I had to work harder than most. I needed to prove that my skills and experience were solid enough to deliver 100% client satisfaction. I had to be the best communicator, the most precise, and the hardest worker to compensate for my lack of a degree. This challenge was often tougher than the work itself. But I was confident that when the opportunity came, I’d make it work. And I did. On May 4, 2021, I began my journey with Proxify. I remember receiving the initial response from Evgenia and hoping that I’d soon be part of the company. I took the coding and logic tests, scoring well on both, and then came the interview with Alex. Despite my anxiety about not being selected, a week later, they invited me to join. Passing this process is one of my proudest achievements. It proved to my clients and myself that I had truly become an international developer.
In these three years working with Proxify, I’ve witnessed the company’s rapid growth. The community here is filled with talented people who genuinely care about each other. It’s been an incredible experience. Back in Brazil, I worked with small to mid-sized companies, building institutional websites on WordPress and small dashboards using Vue.js. But after moving here, I found myself mostly taking on WordPress gigs. I longed to work with Vue, but the right opportunity hadn’t come along—perhaps it was just bad luck. Except for my first job, all of my work opportunities have been remote. I love the flexibility of working from my own chair, using my computer and keyboard. While I sometimes miss the close contact with colleagues, the freedom to work in the comfort of my own space makes all the difference.
One of my most recent projects at Proxify was developing a WordPress plugin for a client. The plugin allowed the client to upload an Excel file with a list of events directly into The Event Calendar plugin. The front-end was built using Vue.js with Element Plus, all seamlessly integrated within WordPress. The client was thrilled with the result—it made adding a large number of events quick and easy. I loved working on this project! The client was an organization that helps autistic children engage in cultural activities across the U.S. The agency’s owner has three autistic children, and her determination to help them live fulfilling lives made me smile a little bigger. This project reminded me of the transformative power of technology and reinforced my desire to make the world a better place. I firmly believe in partnering with companies that work on projects aimed at improving people’s lives. Technology should be used to make the world a better place, to enhance communication, and to reduce bureaucracy.
Looking ahead, I see myself coding for the next 15 to 20 years. At 40, I’m far too young to retire—I’ve got plenty of energy left! I’m eager to keep learning, embrace new technologies, and become a more well-rounded developer. Sometimes I think about moving into a leadership role, but solving problems still brings me immense joy. I believe Proxify is the perfect place to find these opportunities, to work with companies that offer stability and challenges that motivate me to grow. For all the new developers out there, my advice is simple: continuous learning is key. Keep studying, sharpening your skills, and improving every day. There’s no secret to it. You might be a good developer now, but always strive to keep learning and stay humble in your process. Each day, you’ll become a little better. And don’t forget to take care of your mental health—it’s incredibly important. When anxiety strikes, know that you’re not alone. We’re here to help you.