The Beginning is Always the Hardest
They say, "The beginning is always the hardest" and I believe that. Last year in September, I decided to buy a laptop using my sister's credit card. I made a bold move to venture into something I am not familiar with. Well, it's in my nature to try new things even if I don't know a thing about them because I know and I believe that skills can be learned in the process. So I got my laptop payable for one year and then what?
I am a former BPO employee, I am fluent in the English language and I can use the skills I acquired in BPO. And then what? Here comes the hardest part, applying for a job that offers work from work-from-home setup. Upwork, Online Job PH, and numerous job posting sites got me to find that one job that could pay for my brand-new laptop. After two weeks I got an email from a company that applied for sales chat support but only to find out that I would be dealing with mature content including selling it to customers on an adult platform. Although the pay is great morally speaking it is not aligned with what I stand for and believe and so I turned down the offer. Back to square one then I saw a hiring post for a local account. I applied, passed the series of interviews, and the company offered me a twenty-two thousand Pesos package based on my years of experience working in BPO. That's fair enough I thought since I badly needed a job that time. That was in late October last year. The company (which will I not disclose) sent me a long list of requirements that I need to submit on or before November 15 since we will start on the 22nd. Tax Identification Number, SSS, Philhealth, Pag-ibig I got all those already. All I need to get is the NBI Clearance and the medical examinations that include urine and stool tests, blood, X-rays, and medical clearance from a physician. During the consultation with the physician, she told me that I had high sugar in my urine and advised me to do an FBS test to further check my blood sugar.
FBS Fasting Blood Sugar Test. This measures your blood sugar after an overnight fast (not eating).
I submitted the results to the company and after three days I got a notice that they need a medical clearance from an Endocrinologist since they have seen that I have high sugar in my urine tests. I don't have the money to do that. Take note they need clearance from an Endocrinologist, not the result from an FBS test, that means I have to do an FBS and other tests plus an Endo. I communicated with HR and negotiated if I could just submit an FBS test result instead. They said no. I withdrew my application. I understand the process and the rules but why would they need those medical tests if it's only for five months of work and we will be working at home? Might be they thought we'd be using the insurance that they will provide. Anyway, that's the disadvantage of applying and working here for an eight-hour job in the Philippines. It's always for the business, not for the people.
We'll I still applied for jobs that I can do online. I got accepted into an online platform after passing the exams and submitting my payment information for the payroll. See? I was rejected but I looked at it as a redirection for a better opportunity. Right now, I have two projects on the platform (I signed a non-disclosure document, and I can't disclose the company) that I have been working on since January of this year. I got accepted last December but we officially started January 2.
It is the beginning that is the hardest but with perseverance and hard work, I know we can get through it. I may be just starting my freelancing career but with this, what I have right now is just the beginning of boundless opportunities that I can think of. I will continue to upscale and learn something new to get that freedom in finance and time so that I can go back to the farm and live there while working full-time at home.
Cheers to more opportunities that can be found online.
Hey there! Thanks for reading. I know that I am not a consistent writer here at Read but I will do my best to write often.