What Were Your Previous Jobs? - a Challenge

I just created a challenge and I am interested to know what were your previous jobs. Now that I am a full-time mom, I am actually looking for online jobs on a freelancing online job site. I now have two kids and having two kids is expensive. Haha! So let me share with you my previous working experiences.

Encoder in a Printing Press Company

I wasn’t officially 18 back then but I wanted to try to be an encoder. I was studying in college already but tried to work part-time. It was my father’s friend who owned the printing press. The printing press was in front of the famous university in Cebu. My father used to work in the same area as well, as he was a typist. You know, using a typewriter machine so that he could type legal documents, thesis, and test papers. Most of my father’s customers were lawyers, teachers, students and other people who need a well-typed document.

My father encouraged me to learn how to type using a typewriter. I am actually a fast typist, thanks to the typewriter. I borrowed a book from my aunt teacher which is a typewriting lesson book. It will give you some exercises on how to type each letter with the correct position of your fingers. My typing speed with a computer? It can be 99 words per minute with 100% accuracy.

When I was in first year high school, I was the fastest typist in class because using a computer keyboard is soft. When you tap the keys, it’s not difficult compared to a typewriter. Learning to type using a typewriter was what I did all summer after my 6th grade graduation.

So my job as an encoder was the same as my father but I am more high technology as I can also edit images on a computer.

Cashier / Service Crew at Jollibee

I was officially 18 when I applied as a service crew at Jollibee. I was working part time as I was studying college. I worked 4 hours a day with a Jollibee free meal during break time. I worked in the morning for breakfast until lunch. It was somehow difficult because I lived in Naga, Cebu. 20km away from Cebu City. So I have to wake up early around 3 AM. 

When I applied as a service crew, my cousin was one of the managers of that branch. So I thought I got in because of her. Actually, no. I actually passed the exam and moved on to the interview. I was able to finish the 6-month contract as a service crew. I was assigned as a cashier.

As a working student, you need to enroll at least 18 units of your study load so that you can balance your life as a student and a part time worker.

As a cashier, when you hit the goal for a day, there’s a reward for the cashier. That is to bring out Jollibee meals. So, when I go to school, I bring Jollibee meals like coke float, chicken with spaghetti, and cheese burger. The guard and some students thought I was rich that I bought these expensive meals. Hahaha! I just told them I work at Jollibee.

Cashier / Sales Person at Chris Sports

I was at SM City Cebu when I passed by at a sports shop that they need a cashier. Few of the requirements were at least 18 years old and at least 2 years in college. I quit my studies on my 3rd year of college due to financial problem. 

I only lasted 3 months in this job as I don’t hit the sales quota for a month. My other task was a cashier. So when the main cashier was on break, I took over. 

Call Center Agent at Western Wats

I applied in this company when there was a job conference at SM City Cebu. I submitted my resume and there was an on the spot interview. I got hired but I had to go a training for 2 weeks. It was a paid training, by the way.

My English accent was very bad so I never had a natural accent. I wasn’t able to push through on the next process of hiring which was to be on the probation period. Bye bye call center job. That’s when I realized I can’t be a call center agent.

The company was located in Lapu-Lapu City. That was a long ride from my home town. My father used to drive me from our home town to Cebu City and I had to take a jeepney ride to the company. He was very disappointed when I didn’t get the job. He was disappointed that it was the start of our misunderstanding for many years. When you get the job, the starting salary was 13K PHP. I didn’t like it when he told me I was dumb and other words of disappointment. I cried heavily because I was hurt. He talked to me like I was a failure for not getting a high pay job. So I told myself that if ever I got a high paying job, I would never give him a single peso. Sorry if you think I was mean to my father but that was part of the story.

Data Entry Operator / Encoder at ACS

I went back to my roots as an encoder and found a company at IT Park that was hiring. I submitted my resume, went on a typing test and got hired. I enjoyed our team. I love the supervisor and the team leaders as they were so kind. I got sad when the team was dissolved and some of us had to transfer to another team. 

I only lasted there for 10 months as I had a health problem. Also, the pay was low even though it was located at IT Park. When you work at night, you only got paid about 9K PHP a month. 

While I was working as a data entry operator, a former colleague of mine at Western Wats told me about online job. So that was the time she introduced me about Odesk, now Upwork. She hired me as a writer, per project only. And the online job opened me to many opportunities.

Virtual Assistant since October 2009

I was doing part time online until I officially quit my job at ACS. I started with $1 an hour until I raised my rate. I saved more money here compared to my previous jobs. I only told my mother how much I actually earned. I helped paying the bills at home and bought stocks for our sari sari store. And I put my money on savings and time deposit. I started investing in the stock market. 

My father had no idea how much I earned as I stopped talking to him. We always had arguments together with the toxic younger brother. My parents always had a fight. I always stood up for my mother. That’s for another story, I think. It was a good idea to work at home because I don’t have to spend money for the fare everyday but I gained panic and anxiety. I had an on and off relationship with my father. Sometimes we were fine, sometimes no.

What I do as a Virtual Assistant? Maybe I’ll write this for another article as it will be so long. 

So what were your previous jobs? If you’re running out of topic, you can write an article about this and tagged @itravelRox