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!
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
