The Path to Silicon Valley

07/10/2014 - 10h59

Brazilians use their own initiative to get work in some of the hottest technology companies in the United States

Being visible in the digital world is essential for anyone who aims to work in Silicon Valley.

Publishing texts on blogs, making work available for download, and especially, keeping an up-to-date résumé on LinkedIn, are just some of the ways professionals maintain a presence online. Participating in online forums may also be of use.

At least, it was actions like these that took these four Brazilians to Silicon Valley, home to the world's largest concentration of technology companies and small startups.

There are also companies that specialize in bringing together professionals and companies.

FROM OCEANS TO FACEBOOK

While working as a researcher for The National Institute of Space Research (INPE, in its Portuguese acronym), Roberto de Almeida developed open-source software for other researchers who needed to access, analyze and share oceanographic data.

This programming expertise led him to the headquarters of Facebook, in California, where he has been working since February as a data engineer.

"In INPE, I developed climatic models and ran them on supercomputers. This kind of analysis and visualization of data is directly applicable to what I do here at Facebook," Almeida says.

The oceanographer was headhunted online and was interviewed both by telephone and in person.

"I asked a lot of questions during the process, because I wanted to know what it would be like to work for Facebook, especially with regard to the company's culture of open-source software."

Almeida's first job in Silicon Valley was at Marinexplore, a startup involved in management of oceanographic data that used some of the programs he developed.

THE ENTREPENEUR

In 2003, when job opportunities in the technology sector were scarce in Brazil, Jeferson Valadares decided that if he were to acquire experience in the area, he would have to go it alone.

The creation of a games company was the computer scientist's first step on a ladder which has led him to the company Electronic Arts, where he works today as a studio manager.

"Two years afterwards, I felt that there was no way I could continue to develop in Brazil. I started to frequent technology fairs in California and make contacts so I could compete for jobs abroad."

One of these contacts interviewed him some time later for a job at Digital Chocolate, a Finnish games company. This was his first job outside Brazil.

"For those who are starting to develop their own games, I suggest they make them available for download, as well as keeping an up-to-date résumé online. This brings visibility," he says.

INTERVIEW MARATHON

One week after the birth of his son, Beni Goldenberg received an email from Amazon's recruitment sector, asking if he would be interested in working for the company.

He had already been contacted once, but the email went straight to a folder full of advertising he had received from Amazon.

"They saw my experience with the development of online radio platforms on my LinkedIn profile, and they hired me to work with online music sales," he says.

"After telephone interviews, they sent me plane tickets so I could participate in face-to-face interviews at Amazon headquarters. I even did interviews at lunchtime. Eight in one day."

As well as maintaining a résumé online, organizations like BayBrazil, created to connect Brazilians to Silicon Valley, have helped many people to make new contacts.

Today, Beni works at the Miami office of UUX, a Brazilian company that works in online TV platforms.

TRANSFERRED ABROAD

Pedro Valente, from Santa Catarina, has been in Silicon Valley for three years. He was transferred to California after working at Yahoo's São Paulo office.

"They got in touch with me and hired me to work in Brazil. I had a blog about technology and compilation of public data. This gave me visibility."

He also participated in online discussions, which helped to circulate his name amongst companies in the sector. After working for the company for a year in Brazil, he requested a transfer to the USA.

"When I decided to come here, I thought that it was the best place in the world to develop my career, because all the best companies in my area are here. I wanted to be a part of that," he told Folha over the phone from San Francisco.

A journalism graduate, Valente taught himself programming. Today, he works in the definition of Yahoo's model of products, such as a new website. Recently, he participated in the development of a personalized Yahoo homepage for every internet user.

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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