Work At Home Mom Life Continues

Look who's back? :) Me of course! 

Hello, guys! Sure missed writing. LOL. My schedule has been crazy these past months and I can try to tell you some of the reasons why. For some odd reason, I couldn't access my email linked to my blog and it took me months to figure it out. I got it back. Yey! That's reason number one.

What Kept Me Busy

Now, the other reason I hardly had time for anything else was I started doing a number of other jobs. Well, I'd rather call them gigs because I don't have a long-term project yet. 

So here it goes. . . 

In July, you must have read my first post about joining Bizmates. An update: I have become an Trainer/Assessor after just about 100 lessons taught. Just waiting to reach the mark to get a higher hourly rate! :)

However, it's also quite a tough climb to get to the next higher hourly rate. That's what I was pondering on a few months back. I was seriously thinking how to make the most out of my time while my kiddo was in school (and needless to say, PAY THE BILLS). 

The Curious Me started to research on freelancing and platforms that offer jobs. I found out about Freelancer.com, Upwork, Onlinejobs.ph, and... the list goes on. I had learned that these platforms offer an incredible number of jobs: customer service, writing, VA. Name it! Seriously, that's how diverse it could be. Eagerly, I created an account with a lot of these platforms just to try and see what's going to happen. Guess what? Nothing much, really. LOL. Worst was I even got scammed in Freelancer.com (which I might share on a separate post). Not too encouraging, right?

The Road To The Real Thing

Like I said, I was kind of aimlessly firing shots at first. I didn't know what to do with these accounts that I opened. Thousands of jobs were out there but how come I wasn't getting any? For someone who's worked her butt off over the years, it's frustrating that not even one client noticed my profile. My proposals went either unanswered or declined. My head hurt, thinking where I did wrong or what I was lacking. I kind of accepted defeat after a month of nothingness. 

One night, I was nursing my wounded self and teaching at night as usual when I snapped a photo and posted it on FB. I couldn't recall what the exact caption was, but it's about online ESL teaching. Almost instantly, one of my friends sent me a message asking how I was and what was keeping me busy (or sane, I couldn't remember! LOL). I told him my situation and luckily, he's working at home as an email support and a member of a group of freelancers. 

He graciously added me as a member to this FB group. I was a lurker for few days--- reading their posts and discussions, or hitting the "Like" button at times. What's great about being a member is you get to read (or even engage yourself in) helpful discussions. I say helpful because if you get curious enough and act on your curiosity, you'd be learning a lot and eventually, get yourself a job because some members post job openings. You know it: that's how I did it.

Getting My Hands Dirty

As I was scrolling up and down (as usual!) for latest posts, I came across one that was looking for participants in a project. The participants would read some snippets and record themselves as they'd do so. Then, they'd get paid a Zalora electronic GC worth P1,700. The job would take about 4 hours, depending on the internet connection speed as I had to upload them online. Sounded fair to me, so I immediately participated. Long and short of it, I got paid on my first gig!

Boy, I was so happy! This literally egged me on. After this one-time gig, I spent hours online to check if there's another odd job for grabs, to polish my profile on the platforms (no, I haven't thrown in the towel yet!) and to watch tutorials on VA and ecommerce skills. For the love of freelancing, I spent sleepless nights and sacrificed some nap time during the day (not to mention putting off the laundry for the next day). I so wanted to improve myself and to chance upon a higher paying project.

You get it when you least expect it!

Fast forward to several weeks later: While I was busy juggling wife and mom duties, researching about freelancing, ESL teaching, selling stuff online (yup, I am a ShopeePH seller now too) and other petty online gigs, I received an email inviting me for an interview.  It was from the owner of a Shopify store herself! She's asking me if I was available. A job for me, at last! Woot woot!

How she got my info, I didn't have the sanity to ask at that point. I didn't care much at the time because I was thrilled about the whole thing.

I was ecstatic to see this and so I readily agreed. Probably because I was in high spirits or she really liked me (LOL), I got the job right away. I was an email customer service representative/order fulfillment assistant (and a number of other slashes) for a nice couple of weeks. It was a cool $3/hour, 5 days/week job. And I really got paid:

*First payment was for about 48 hours; Second was my final payment for another 50+ hours

But some good things never last. . .

After a couple of weeks, the unexpected came. The owner sent me a Skype message telling me that she had to let me go. That I had been nice, friendly and all the good things (that I know I really am, ha!) but there's still a gap between what they needed and what I could do. Sounded like a real break up message to me (sort of a "It's not you, it's me" kind of thing. LOL) 

It was a hard pill to swallow because I was enjoying the job and its rewards, financially and personally. Just like a jilted lover, I was hurting but I had to accept it as it was. I chose to take it in a stride and even thanked her for everything: the skills I acquired, the decent pay, the overall experience. 

As quickly as I got the job, I lost it too in a heartbeat. Then again, life goes on. That's just how the cookie crumbles. Back to regular programming, right? LOL

The Journey Continues

Honestly, I have been getting a number of interview invitations on Upwork. I accepted some but didn't turn out well because we couldn't meet eye to eye on the job details or they were looking for other skills I don't have. The others I had to decline outright (pay was too low, the job was too much, client wasn't verified on Upwork, etc.). I haven't had any luck yet getting a contract on Upwork. 

Same thing with my attempt at Onlinejobs.ph. I'm keeping the faith though, as I had an interesting interview earlier with an app developer who's looking for a social media specialist. Well, let's wait and see how it goes in the next days. *keeping my fingers crossed*

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going!

You heard it right. I am still on this journey, trying to learn the ropes and hopefully, get to the summit soon. This ride has been altogether bumpy, but really, no one ever said it's going to be easy. If it was, then everyone would have done it already! 

If you are thinking of taking the leap to the world of freelancing, go ahead and do it. It's not just about earning while at home, it's about continuously improving yourself. Who knows, you might even be luckier than I am at finding a long-term contract. LOL

But remember: You should be willing to improve yourself, learn new skills and if you haven't already: Believe in yourself. Good luck!

Feel free to shoot me an email or drop a comment below if I can help you with anything. :)

Cheers to fellow moms out there! We got this! :)

XOXO,

Mellanie

My First Stint As A Work AT Home Mom: A Bizmates Review

The Advent of A Life-Changing Decision

For several years, I was part of the dynamic and oftentimes stressful (LOL!) world of BPO. Most of my working years were spent in the call center industry and over these years, I worked my way up from being a carefree agent to a team leader. I was definitely happy about my professional life: financial rewards, perks of being a leader, friends at work, and all that jazz.

However, I came to a turning point where I had to leave them all behind. My daughter's nanny left and I just couldn't ask my oldies or my in-laws to take care of her, as they have already done that in the last three years. Plus, of course, they're too old to be taking care of a ball of energy and a chatterbox rolled into one.

It was a realization, too, that over the past five years, I haven't really been a MOM to my child. Yes, I could buy her stuff she'd need and even her whims. But, have I really been a MOTHER to her? Have I been there when and where she needed me? In this day and age that most parents work and leave their kids to nannies or grandparents, my daughter was not an exception. My heart sank, and I burst into tears while I was on my way to work.

That was when I had to make a tough (if not the toughest I've made in years) decision of quitting my job. Yup. I sure did.  I told my Operations Manager and our Director knew about it too. I was so sad to leave, but I knew it was a decision that I would never ever regret.

The Emancipation of Mellanie

Oh, yeah. So, I took a terminal leave (Gotta use up those unused VL credits, you know!) before my resignation's effectivity date. And God, those days were definitely the best! I had a lot of time for myself, my daughter, my husband, of course (love, love, love!), other family members and friends. We had a whale of a time! I so felt like a normal human--- stress at bay! 

Reality kicks in. . .

It can't be a holiday everyday. After those seemingly endless days of domestic bliss, I had to face reality: I had to start looking for a source of income. The fact that we don't have a nanny anymore, I needed a job that would allow me to earn while still doing my mom and wife duties. Sounds challenging, doesn't it? Well, as a matter of fact, IT IS. 

That's when I began researching ( OK, I know I should have done more of this earlier on.). I came across online ESL teaching. Then, I saw a number of companies offering such jobs: teaching English as a second language. We, Filipinos, are not native speakers of the language, either. But we surely can write and speak the language. It's because we easily learn it in school and our daily encounters. To teach it though? I wasn't sure. I wasn't certain if it's something I could pull off, especially that these online ESL teaching companies cater to Japanese, Chinese and Korean (just to name the most common) clients.

I gathered the most information I could about this field, and happened to read a helpful blog about it. The guy (I'm not yet sure if I can mention his name.) narrated how he got into Bizmates, some of the pros and cons and a lot of information about the hiring process.

He was so accommodating, and after getting more information from him and Bizmates' website, I was sold! So, how did I start my journey?

As soon as I have decided to give it a shot, I checked out the FAQs on their website: https://www.bizmates.ph/. 

I got just about what I needed to know! I hit that apply button and I am now on my road to online ESL teaching at Bizmates.

At this point, I must admit that it still can't give me my salary at my previous job (not just yet, but I'm optimistic!). I'm a work in progress, give me a break! But the free time for my family, being always there for them and simply the happiness that being at home brings--- all of these are PRICELESS. I won't trade them with anything in this world, I tell you. 

Not because it works for someone means it'll work for you too. That's true. Let me just help you decide though and who knows? You might be a Bizmates trainer soon! :)

Before taking the leap, let me share some information that might help you decide if this is for you:

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE 

As it says on their website: Open when you can work. Close when you can't. I only have to be available for 10 hours a week. This is convenient for moms like me who have to still look after their children.

GREAT PAY

Like I said, I still cannot rely on it as a primary source of income yet. But P140/hour rate is definitely awesome. You won't find an ESL  company offering a rate higher than that! Besides, that's only the starting rate. Bizmates provide increases depending on your performance and number of lessons taught. And of course, your payout will depend on the number of your teaching hours.

PROFESSIONAL HIRING PROCESS

Teaching Business English is not to be taken lightly. Understandably, Bizmates has a meticulous screening process for trainers. My experience was both challenging and stimulating, but not intimidating.

First thing you have to do is to accomplish the online application form. After submitting the form, you just have to wait for their email confirmation within 24-72 hours.

Then you'll have to take a short, written grammar test. The instructions will be provided in an email too.

Upon passing the test, you'll be starting a round of interview and demos (which may include training). Trust me, take in everything you can from your mentors (they will be assigned upon passing the interview phase). Based on my experience, they are very helpful. :)

And... (drum roll) You can now teach after passing the final demo! Yey!

If you think this is for you,  DO IT. For crying out loud, DO IT! And if you feel this blog helped or inspired you to apply in Bizmates, just kindly mention my name in the referral field. :)

Personally, I have no regrets. I can be happier, yes, but not without my family by my side. 

Whoa. Someone's cutting onions again! LOL. Seriously, enough for today. I'll post an update in the next days so I can somehow share bits of encouragement to other moms out there. 

Ciao! See you soon.

Love,

Mellanie