WHY FREELANCING? WHY NOT?

My Freelancing Journey

Hi there! Welcome to my first blog post. I’m Nadine and I am from the Philippines. I’m the youngest of five siblings and currently reside in Metro Manila with my husband. I love photography, singing, traveling, and eating (who doesn’t love eating?). I’m here to share with you my freelancing story. My personal journey of how and why I started freelancing as well as my struggles and the rewards of being a freelancer.

Starting a Freelancing job

I worked for 2 years in a BPO company as a Customer Service Representative near our area. During the 2nd quarter of 2009, I was given an opportunity to work for a year-old company as a Virtual Assistant since I have a customer service background. At that time, freelancing or work from home jobs are not popular so I didn’t know what I was getting into, but I heard from friends that it had a better work environment and has more work-life balance. After a month of training, I was hired by my first client from Houston, TX, and met new friends. After some time, I got employed by a 2nd client from Orlando, FL. I loved the job and the tasks given to me. I loved working with my colleagues, and I had an awesome boss. I learned many things about being a realtor’s Virtual Assistant. I was enjoying every minute of working with my clients and building relationships with them and the team.

The Struggles and Rewards in Freelancing

As I enjoyed my freelancing job, there was a time that I felt empty because I wanted to have kids and due to health concerns, I was unable to have them. Working during graveyard shifts had an effect on me after 7 years in the freelancing industry. Since I was not getting younger, I decided to look for another job as a freelancer but opted for a daytime shift with a flexible schedule. I found a daytime freelancing job with a flexible schedule as a Transcriber. Since it was a part-time work, I had time to pursue my other interests such as being a retreat/recollection facilitator at the same time I served others through my Sower's Community. Being a freelancer, I had the freedom to choose clients or projects. There was no need to spend on transportation. I wore casual clothes and had less stress from office politics. I have more opportunities to enhance my skills because of the growing online industry. And the most important and best part of being a freelancer is having flexible work locations and spending more time with family.

And now, I continue my freelancing journey through the FVA Academy. I’m learning new trends, creating portfolios and gaining more knowledge about freelancing. I’m so thankful to the Filipino Virtual Assistance for their help and their support for making me a better freelancer and a better person everyday. So, if you ask me, “Why Freelancing? My answer to you is “Why not?”

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