I began my work journey at the age of 13, coinciding precisely with my birthday on January 3rd.

Growing up in Ubatuba, it was customary and almost expected for youngsters to start working before even enrolling in high school. This early employment was a way to contribute financially at home and afford personal items, such as clothes or a phone. I remember using my initial earnings to buy these very things.

Ubatuba, my hometown, becomes a bustling hub during the summer high season. It's a time when over 2 million tourists flock to the four cities along São Paulo's North Shore, a figure quintupling the local population.

The job options available, however, are often demanding. They range from dragging tourist sightseeing boats off the sand to serving as a waiter for over ten hours a day, often barefoot on the hot sand under the relentless tropical sun. My first foray into the working world was the latter.

As 2012 drew to a close, my cousin Eduardo and I started our first job hunt. We walked into numerous beachside kiosks in Ubatuba's southern part, handing out our CVs and inquiring about job opportunities. Pure cold applications.

Interestingly, Eduardo, who is a year older, celebrates his birthday on January 2nd, just a day before mine. On that particular year, I stayed over at his place – something I always enjoyed – and we woke up on my birthday to a call from the hiring manager at Quiosque do Gaúcho. They wanted us to start that very day. We later learned that this sudden vacancy was due to several employees being dismissed for failing to show up on January 1st, having partied too hard on New Year's Eve.

That season, Eduardo and I worked through the remainder of the summer at our first job. Our tasks were varied and physically demanding: setting up the kiosk early in the morning, hauling piles of chairs on our backs, cleaning the floor and tables, arranging tables on the beach, taking orders, and serving customers their meals and drinks. We also provided information about the beach and restrooms, and closed down the kiosk at the end of the day. We usually had our packed lunches around midday and would earn about R$50 for each day's work. This amount could be reduced if a customer left without paying, a loss that would be deducted from our salaries. Occasionally, we received tips, which were always a significant cause for happiness.

Until my high school graduation in 2017, I held a few other summer jobs, as outlined below.

Following my high school graduation, I took a job in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I worked in exchange for accommodation and breakfast. This job, reminiscent of my summer employment, was not particularly enjoyable and involved numerous monotonous tasks within a rather challenging work environment.

Subsequently, my career path diversified. In 2019, I ventured into entrepreneurship by attempting to establish my own fitness ice cream brand. By 2021, I had shifted gears, working as a Teaching Assistant at one of Brazil's top ten universities. This period marked my foray into the tech industry, beginning with Crypto Jr., the first student-led blockchain consulting organization in Latin America. Later, I joined Rocket.Chat, the largest open-source communications platform in the world, where I stayed for over a year and a half in various departments and positions.