Feature Stories 2021: Giovana Silveira '21: Adaptability

Giovana Silveira ('21), a Marketing Analyst at Dell Technologies, first interacted with her current employer on campus during her junior year at the “Changing the Face of Tech” seminar in the Woodland Commons. 

After the event, Silveira was invited to Dell’s Hopkinton, MA site to see a day in the life of the Fortune 100 tech company. It was there in the fall of 2019 that Silveira began to imagine her path as an intern, and later full-time employee at Dell. Nowhere in that imagination included the strange, unprecedented shakeup caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With the switch to remote learning and the conversion to a virtual internship program, Silveira credits her background as an immigrant, and past on-campus jobs for strengthening her adaptability skills necessary to thrive in ever-changing times. 

“As an Orientation Leader (OL) and Resident Assistant (RA), there was not one day where the staff and I didn’t work as a team,” said Silveira. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was developing problem-solving skills by preparing programs and acting as an on-duty resource. These small things add up to build experience and growth in communication, planning, organization, and a mindset for leadership with compassion. 

“Getting used to change will benefit anyone, especially in business, where things are always adapting. You're never done learning. Life is a learning process, so is career building, and that extends long after college.” 

Silveira’s busy schedule at UMassD made her well-positioned to handle any task thrown her way at any time. In addition to her positions as an RA and OL, she was a member of multiple clubs, President of the UMassD dance team and volunteered as a College Positive tour guide for the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement. 

“The Leduc staff and I were able to provide tours through UMass Dartmouth for 7th graders around the Dartmouth and Fall River area to inspire youth and show them the opportunities a college education offers to grow personally and professionally,” said Silveira. 

Why UMassD 

As soon as she stepped foot on campus, Silveira knew UMass Dartmouth was where she wanted to study. 

“The people and environment were so welcoming it already felt like home,” said Silveira. “The communities within UMassD helped me understand and gain perspectives that I never had before. The people are what makes this university so special.” 

Upon arriving at UMass Dartmouth, Silveira enrolled as an undeclared major, and experimented with Medical Laboratory Science, before deciding to study business. 

“I started exploring business towards the end of my sophomore year and fell in love with the field and atmosphere immediately,” said Silveira. “I like working with people and groups, and studying Management came naturally to me, as I could relate lessons in leadership to my on-campus positions as an OL and RA.” 

Silveira credits CCB faculty and staff, particularly Professors Jacqueline Einstein and Steven White, Associate Dean Chan Du, and Dean John Williams, with providing her the resources and education to enhance her professional skills and excel in interviews. 

“Learning to present myself as a strong candidate, proving that I am resilient, and delivering a meaningful message are skills that I developed in my four years at UMassD that are crucial to my work at Dell,” said Silveira. 

Securing an offer 

Despite the sudden switch to a virtual internship in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Silveira calls her project-based internship a success, both in what she was able to learn from the experience, and from the head-start it gave her when she began working there post-graduation. 

“My partner and I developed a brief for Dell’s social impact and consumer marketing strategy and pitched it to stakeholders and executives at Dell for the conclusion of our internship,” said Silveira. “My CCB curriculum in leadership definitely helped prepare my presentation skills and executive presence for that pitch.” 

After succeeding in her internship program, Silveira says the hiring process for a full-time role was relatively easy, as the same managers and stakeholders she worked with all summer were the ones determining if she should be hired. That comfortability shared between both sides provided a smooth transition and head start for Silveira’s career at Dell. 

“I had already gained so much internal experience and an understanding of Dell’s culture and values throughout my internship that it was much easier to gain insight into who I’d be working for and what I would be working on,” said Silveira. 

Starting in a rotational program 

Silveira was hired to a rotational program at Dell that shifts new employees’ exposure to different areas of marketing in six-month intervals over the first two years of their employment. 

“I love that we can explore different areas before dedicating time and training to one focus. For a recent graduate, this is so important because you don’t always have a great idea of a position’s day-to-day roles until you’re already in it,” said Silveira. “It’s a great way to network within the organization and decide what you do and don’t enjoy about different focuses. 

“I would advise seniors in CCB that being hired into a rotational program is one of the best and most valuable experiences you can have as a young professional in business, as it helps you gain perspective into the working world so you can find your passion. Being paid to learn is a rare and valuable opportunity to help adjust to post-college life.” 

Advice 

“I came to the U.S. when I was one year old with my mom,” said Silveira “As a past immigrant, and now citizen, I think it is important for people like me to know that if you work hard for something, no matter where you come from, you can achieve big things.” 

“Getting used to change will benefit anyone, especially in business, where things are always adapting. You're never done learning. Life is a learning process, so is career building, and that extends long after college.”