2025-03-29

This story begins 6 years ago, when my family and I arrived in Buenos Aires.

I never thought I’d end up in the tech world, it was more like a combination of being in the right place at the right time.

I was 17 years old when I arrived with my mom and a cousin who is the same age as me. Finding a job at that time was really difficult, almost impossible for me. No one wanted to hire me because of my age or my lack of experience, practically none at all.

Between the frustration and the need to generate income to help at home, I contacted a friend who had started working online from a young age and was doing well. She shared some tips with me on how to find a job through different online platforms.

My First Job

It wasn’t easy to land a job online. My first task was data entry, I had to create a list of 100 suppliers in China (I don’t even remember what the product was). It took me long hours to finish, and I earned less than USD 20 for all that work. But for me, it was the best thing that could have happened. It gave me a chance to build a reputation on the platform and, eventually, get more opportunities.

But let’s be honest, less than USD 20 wasn’t enough to contribute at home, so I kept looking for a job in the “real world.” After many attempts, I ended up in an interview at McDonald’s, where I could work as a cashier, cook, or cleaner. Don’t get me wrong if I had to, I would have done the job. But it wasn’t my dream.

The Key Decision

Just when I was about to accept the position at McDonald’s, I was contacted through the platform with an offer to interview for a medium/long-term project that came with a fixed monthly salary. I felt it was a huge opportunity, and without thinking too much about it, I decided to turn down the offer from McDonald’s.

The interview went well, and I started working for a SaaS company in customer support, specifically in technical support. Everything was new and challenging, but I loved it from the very beginning.

And that’s how I entered the world of technology…

Without knowing how to code and without any technical skills, but with a strong desire to move forward. Since then, I haven’t left the industry and have explored different positions and roles over the years.

I like to say it was a bit of luck, combined with a lot of patience and perseverance.

Thanks for reading.

Mari