After dedicating eight years to working in the nonprofit sector, Sema Karaman decided to make a career shift to the private sector to explore new opportunities. Despite the meaningful work she did in civil rights and human rights advocacy, she faced financial challenges and uncertainties in her career path as she approached her 30s. Sema made the decision to transition to the private sector to improve her financial stability.

Initially met with skepticism and discouragement from those around her, Sema remained determined and began actively networking and reaching out to potential opportunities. She focused on highlighting her transferable skills in stakeholder management, communication, and strategic thinking in her job applications.

Despite facing multiple rejections and challenges in her job hunt, Sema received an unexpected email from a recruiter at Google offering her a position as a policy advisor. This opportunity allowed her to work with engineering, product, and legal teams to create user safety policies for Google's products, marking a significant career advancement and salary increase for Sema.