Correia began his professional career at the
Bank of Cape Verde, where he worked in the departments of Markets and Economic Studies and Statistics. In 1997 he was appointed Director-General of the Treasury and later served as Secretary of State assisting the Minister of Finance. Between 1999 and 2003 he served as Governor of the
Bank of Cape Verde. He later worked in the financial and business sectors, including as a board member of the Tecnicil Group and managing director of Banco Montepio Geral Cabo Verde. Correia has also served as a visiting professor of economics at the Instituto Superior de Ciências Jurídicas e Sociais. == Political activity ==