Living the WaHM Life: UP YOUR GAME at The Freelancer Fair 2018
I'm a work-at-home mom.
A WaHM...
A freelancer...
An online worker...
A.K.A. Yung kapitbahay mong di mo madalas makita sa labas... No kidding.
I honestly don't remember anymore when exactly I started, but it's somewhere between 2.5-3 years ago when my son was just a few months old.
If you're a follower of my blog since time immemorial, a friend of mine or a member of my family, you can skip this part because you might already know it.
But if you're new here, welcome! I hope this whole freelancing journey of mine will make sense to you and inspire you.
Beginnings…
I gave up a managerial job in a big retail company in the country when I was two months pregnant with my son. That was the last quarter of 2014.
It was on the 3rd week after giving birth when my sister came for a visit and gave her old MacBook to me. She was urging me to write for publications, so I can earn while I'm at home.
A lot of people felt sorry for me. Yes, you read that right. “Sorry”. Because I graduated at the top of my class back in college and had a good job, and there I was, a stay-at-home mom. Not that I thought bad of it, but apparently, some people did.
Stepping up!
I started really small. I’m an HRM graduate whose experience is along the lines of customer service, sales and marketing. I love writing, but my experience were only writing for school publications, journalism competitions and a blog that looked more like a diary.
I decided to write because that’s something I see myself doing for the rest of my life. I revived my blog and posted content for a month, so I can join blogger groups. I used this as my portfolio, and got writing gigs from different organizations. I’ve had rejections. I attended workshops and seminars. Then from plain content writing, I was able to go into social media management, B2B marketing and other writing jobs.
Ang dami pa ring nagtatanong sakin ng “Anong trabaho mo? Madali ba yan? Pasok mo naman ako.”
I asked myself these two questions when I decided give freelancing a go and these are the same questions I reply when I’m asked the above questions:
1. What can I do?
2. What would I love to do?
1. What can I do?
2. What would I love to do?
 |
| SocialGen: PH Team with our families and our Aussie bosses |
Nothing comes easy. Like jobs outside the comfort of our home, we all need to apply, take tests, attend interviews and pass trainings. Just because your friend’s job seems easy peasy, doesn’t mean it’s for you, too.
Look at yourself. What are your skills? What is it that you’d love to do? Because as with everything in life, it’s always easier to work on something you love.
Look at yourself. What are your skills? What is it that you’d love to do? Because as with everything in life, it’s always easier to work on something you love.
Then work on your portfolio. Polish a profile.
And most importantly… never stop learning
Don’t be stagnant when you score a job.
The whole world is the marketplace. You’re not just competing with 50 people. There are thousands, maybe even millions of people who can do what you can, so strive to get ahead by upgrading the skills you already have and learning something new.
We have access to learning and there are a lot of free resources online. Take advantage of it.
The Freelancer Fair 2018: Helping Freelancers Up Their Game
So this year, Manila Workshops, one of the few organizations that have helped me grow in this business, with the support of the Department of Information Communications and Technology (DICT) and Digital Career Advocates of the Philippines (DCAP) will be holding The Freelancer Fair 2018.
I’m a bit sad that I won’t be able to attend this year, but I was there last year with my whole fam (tatlo lang naman kami) and friends, and we all enjoyed and learned so much from it. I even scored a few gigs from the network I made there. Growing your network is very important!
Here are just some of the amazing topics that they’ll cover this year:
● The evolution of a freelancer: From Newbie to top earner
● Maximizing online tools for freelancing, ie Social Media
● Design excellence
● Achieving success and happiness in freelancing
● Time management
● How to manage and juggle time on a being a mom, a wife, and a freelancer
So if you’re a mom like me who still wants to have a career while being wholly present for the family then head on to the 3rd Freelancer Fair: UP YOUR GAME happening this August 25 (Saturday), 9am at Metrotent, Metrowalk Commercial Complex, Meralco Ave., Ortigas, Pasig City.
You can still purchase your tickets at http://thefreelancerfair.com until August 23, 11:55 PM. Walk-in will be accepted at a regular rate of Php 1000.
Don’t miss this chance!
__________________________________
About The Freelancer Fair: The Freelancer Fair is an annual event started last by Manila Workshops, headed by the team’s CEO – Ginger Arboleda, a former employee, freelancer and now a serial entrepreneur / technopreneur, and mom blogger. The Freelancer Fair was built especially for aspiring and existing freelancers, companies, brands and organizations who want to support the Philippines’ freelancing industry.
1 comments
Great work
ReplyDelete