I saw our CEO, Adam, on Instagram and thought, “What do I have to lose?” Meet Daniela Rulkowski Sarpi, Growth Advertising Account Director, LATAM, who shares her story of job searching in New York with a visa and how, despite that difficulty resolving itself, Taboola supported her all the way through.
Before leaving Brazil, I had accumulated seventeen years of sales and marketing experience and worked for companies like Lenovo and LinkedIn. I had lived in São Paulo, where I built most of my career, but in 2017, my husband and I relocated from Brazil to New York after he received an invitation to take on a new position here. I knew finding a job that would accept my work visa might be a challenge, and despite the daunting process, luckily, I stumbled upon a temporary position at Taboola. The role was more like an internship position, and although this role was a step back in my career, I eagerly seized the opportunity.
Fast forward six months later, and I was offered an opportunity to transition into a full-time position as an Account Manager, responsible for developing LATAM’s growth strategy. I was thrilled and this was just the beginning!
I enjoyed my time at Taboola, but following Covid, it was challenging to renew my visa, and I was beginning to worry about what to do. That’s when I saw Adam on Instagram. I thought it was a long shot, but if I could ask for Adam’s help, maybe he could help me through this situation. What did I have to lose? I spoke with my manager, who encouraged me to take the chance, so I dug through old photos and found a selfie of Adam and me from the day Taboola went public.
I drafted an email to him explaining my situation, reiterating how much I loved working at Taboola but needed visa help. I attached the selfie and hit “send.” Within a few minutes, I had an email from Adam! He replied back, copying HR and other supporters, sharing that he would do what he could to help me.
“The CEO responded back to me, and he responded quickly. He really showed up as a human despite his CEO title. I was so appreciative.”
Adam’s acknowledgment and response to my email reconfirmed my decision to join Taboola when I did, even though, at the time, it meant taking backward steps in my career. It reconfirmed that this is a company that sees people as humans and keeps them top of mind.
As I reflect on the past six years working at Taboola, I think about how grateful I am that I was given the opportunity. Some people could have looked past my resume thinking I was overqualified for the position I applied for, but instead, I was seen for the knowledge I could offer. In 2019, we started to form a team in Brazil, and I was promoted to the role of LATAM Growth Account Management Director. Today, I manage a team of seven people across LATAM.
I’ve loved the past six years working at Taboola, and I can honestly say that not a single day has been dull. I love that I get to interact with global clients, some from my home country, which allows me to travel back home from time to time and continue exercising my language skills in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Working here has allowed me to continue expanding my career while in a new country, and I’m grateful for the people who showed up for me then and continue to show up for me now. To Bruna Lamanna, thank you for everything and for hiring me when you did. Cheers to six years and what’s next to come in my Taboola journey!
To learn more about why we are consistently ranked as a great place to work, check out the Taboola Life blog and visit our careers page. #TaboolaLife