September 18, 2016: date of the Rio Paralympic Games Closing Ceremony.  It will close a cycle that is changing the city, the country and the lives of those involved in organising the world’s largest sports event. For Rio 2016™ employees, however, this is not a set deadline project.  It is a great leap professionally, for those who already have a long career in sports, or for those who recently discovered a vocation for the Olympic Movement.

Gabriel Alves, of the Venue Department, thinks that it’s a great opportunity.  He started at the Committee in December 2010 as a Senior Project Analyst.  In less than two years, he was promoted to Technical Coordinator of Engineering.  Professionally fulfilled, Gabriel wants to continue to be a part of this world.

“It’s an enormous learning experience.  People have a very high professional level here.  I have the opportunity to contact companies, suppliers and consultants.  I want to keep working with the Games, I identify with the project and that’s what I want to do for now on”, he says.

Accelerated Development

Another example of professional ascension is Flávio Cardilo.  The Senior Remuneration Analyst was the first Human Resources employee, and the Committee’s badge number nine.  He worked at the Pan-American Games in 2007, with the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the 2016 Games Candidacy team.

Now one of the people responsible for recruiting almost 400 employees, Flávio believes that he’s grown within the company: “My managers and I were able to align with this expectation, which was having a career in HR.  Even though it’s a project that will definitely end, you can make a career, it just depends on your dedication”, he confirms.

Flávio also points out how the work dynamic helps accelerate professional development: “As the Committee evolution is very intense, you end up experiencing processes in a short period of time.  This is something that, over a career, might take two years to happen, but here you get to experience it in nine months.  This will prepare you very rapidly for the market”, he explains.

Love for sports

Sônia Almeida is proof that it is possible to grow in this type of career.  She went from being Secretary of the Brazilian Volleyball Federation to General Manager of Sports of Rio 2016™. Just like Flávio, she worked for the Pan American Games and the Candidacy process.  She is very proud to hold Committee badge number seven.

For her, the interaction with people of different areas and countries creates opportunities for after the Games: “It’s a world that opens many doors for you and the diversity of professionals is very great.  In a sports event, you have technology, protocol, finance, human resources, engineering, architecture and planning.  You end up learning a lot - all you have to do is want to.  For this reason, I think that whoever works with sports and identifies with the project, won’t ever want to leave”, she said.

With a 23-year career, Sônia says that she loves what she does.  She gives the following advice to “novices”: “it’s the world’s greatest sports project, impacts all sectors of society, and is unique in character.  Whoever enters the Committee can’t do so with a closed mindset.  Here’s there’s no beginning, middle and end.  This is just the beginning of various other projects which will arise.  On the day that the Games end, for me it won’t be an end.  I know that I can keep working in sports”, she adds.