SELMA VITAL

Selma Vital is a graduate from Project IOWA’s Cultivating Careers program. She is currently employed at The University of Iowa as an Academic Advisor.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am a Brazilian living outside of my country since 1998, and besides the United States I also lived in Europe for about six years. I am a journalist and educator, with a BA in journalism, with master and PhD degrees in Portuguese. I moved to Iowa less than two years ago, due to a family change. During this period I wore different hats, working as an online college professor, then an online university tutor, as well as, occasionally, a translator and interpreter. However, my goal was to find a full-time job, with benefits.

Why did you participate in Project Iowa's Cultivating Careers program?

I was feeling lost and discouraged, thinking that my training and experience were worth nothing. I saw a post about Project IOWA on my Facebook feed and decided to give it a try.

Describe your experience with Project IOWA staff and working your way through the program.

I had a good time participating actively in the online classes and listening to my colleagues experiences. Both facilitators were very kind and created a community in which I felt welcome, comfortable, and not afraid of being vulnerable.

Did you find your purpose by working with Project Iowa staff? Explain.

I was older than, possibibly, all the participants, including the facilitators. Nevertheless, I felt accepted and validated. During our week together, I started feeling less alone in my journey searching for jobs and thaks to the guidance I received I started tracing clear plans to get the job I wanted.

What are you doing differently now because you went through Cultivating Careers?

Even though I knew I had skills and that I should value them, Project IOWA was an excellent reminder that I was not honoring this knowledge.

Why does Project Iowa matter?

It is an organization that offers support in a moment that one can be extremely lonely. Not only emotional support, but hands-on assistance with your resume and the way you present yourself in the job market. We even had one-on-one sessions with a job coach.