She finished secondary school three years ago and still cannot find her first job: “I want an opportunity”

“I want an opportunity.” For Pilar Maciel, a formal first job would change her life. She is 22 and has been searching since finishing secondary school in 2023, leaving her CV in many places but receiving few calls and no lasting offer.

Maciel lives in Loma Hermosa, in San Martín district, with her mother, sister and two nieces. Her mother cleans houses and looks after children. Her sister studied at university and works as a forensic expert in the Federal Police. Maciel wants stable work so she can help support the family and make progress at home, where two rooms are shared among five people and damp affects the old house.

Earlier this year, she found Empujar, an organization that helps young people from low-income communities look for work. She joined its Tu Empleo program and recently completed the training. Until then, she says, she did not know how to prepare a CV, identify her skills or explain her experience to an employer.

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I am 22 years old and since I finished secondary school in 2023, all I want is to get my first formal job. If someone gave me that opportunity, it would completely change my life.

She had also tried to begin university studies through the CBC program at the Drago campus, cycling there to avoid the bus fare. She failed her first semester and left feeling defeated, saying she had never learned effective study strategies and also needed to help at home.

The course changed how she viewed her own background. Maciel had sold pan dulce and bundt cake at a fair, worked for several months in a grocery store and attended a technical secondary school specializing in renewable energy. During her final year, she completed professional training installing solar panels. She now sees those experiences as qualifications rather than proof that she has never worked.

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I want a formal, stable job that allows me to help my family and move forward.