With Upwardly Global’s support, Juan restarts his advertising career
In his native Colombia, 29-year-old Juan never dared to dream of married life as a gay man. But when he arrived in the United States as an au pair, his viewpoint shifted. Living with a gay host family exposed him to a world where having a husband and children was not just a dream but a potential reality.
“In Colombia, being gay is not easy. Moving in with a partner isn’t very accepted … there will always be judgment around you,” says Juan. “I just wanted to be myself and not have to hide anything.”
In 2019, Juan ultimately decided to leave behind a successful career — an advertising degree from one of Colombia’s top universities and over three years in brand management — to seek asylum in the U.S. Despite the sacrifice, he knew it was the only way to fully embrace his LGBTQ+ identity and live a life of freedom.
“It was really sad for [my mom] to see me, a professional from a really well-known university, come here [to the U.S.] to clean up diapers,” says Juan. “In Colombia, I was working for the best [advertising] agency in the world. I was building a very good future there — but it was only a professional future. [In the U.S.], I was just putting myself first, prioritizing myself and my mental health.”
Finding a professional job as an asylee
In 2022, Juan received the life-changing news that he’d been granted asylum in the U.S. At the time, he still worked in childcare, but he faced a new challenge: restarting a professional career that could support his future. With a resume tailored only to the Colombian job market, he applied to dozens of jobs with no results.
“I always told my friends that as soon as I got my paperwork done, I’d work in advertising. I don’t care what it takes,” says Juan, whose job search intensified with little to show. “But I was getting very, very frustrated.”
A friend told him about Upwardly Global, and initially, Juan had misconceptions. He thought that Upwardly Global would simply find him a job. However, their role was to equip him with the necessary skills and resources to navigate the job market independently.
Through Upwardly Global’s online courses, Juan mastered the intricacies of American-style resumes, cover letters, and interviews. With the guidance of his job coach — who shared his LGBTQ+ identity and understood his struggles firsthand — Juan gained confidence and secured multiple interviews.
After three rounds of interviews, he was offered a position as an Account Executive at DDB, a renowned international agency, finally realizing his dream of working in advertising in the United States.
Upwardly Global’s impact
“Upwardly Global was my best ally when I found my first [professional] job in America,” says Juan. “I feel very grateful to everyone in this [organization] but especially to my job coach, who guided me along the way and knew how to solve all my doubts.”
He was not alone in confronting significant barriers to professional work. Nationwide, over two million immigrants with professional skills work low-wage jobs that require no more than a high school diploma.
“I will always recommend Upwardly Global to all my immigrant friends because this journey is not so easy for us,” says Juan, who has now been working in advertising for almost a year. “Thanks to [Upwardly Global], we can fulfill our dreams and goals.”
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