Hiyasmin or Yhaz is a Technical Writer and a Content Strategist. She's currently working for one of the largest electrical component distributors in the US. She also works as a Marketing Manager of a local beauty brand with 11 branches in Metro Manila.

In this interview, Yhaz talks about;

✅Her struggles, challenges, and triumphs as a freelancer for 7 years
✅How she discovered her niche
✅How she earns P180k a month on her 'tamad' days

And so much more exciting stories.

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Notable Quotes:

•  Ang hirap manghingi ng trabaho sa ibang tao di ba!  Although friends kayo, hindi naman nila alam kung anong skills mo, kung gaano ka kagaling.
•  Wag kayo sumuko kasi hindi naman lahat iaabot sayo. May right time for everything.
•  Yes! You have to be direct to the point, simple and easy to digest content that you will write in a technical writing. Ang mahirap na part sa technical writing, pag aaralan mo ang software, to spend hours to watch the video, or gamitin mo mismo yung software para maintindihan.
• Ang mali ko din noon, naging komportable sa isang kliyente. Siguro mas namaster ko na yung process ng pag aapply.
• Narealize ko ang kakulangan ko as a parent, kasi what’s our reason kung bakit tayo nag wowork online. Naging alipin  tayo ng salapi.
• Mama, hindi ka naman nakikipaglaro sa akin pag nasa bahay. Work ka lang ng work. Work, work, work sabi niya. Sabi ko parang sampal sa akin as a mother. Kasi although nabibigay mo yung bagay na kailangan nila, yung material, and good education, pero yung oras, yung panahon, yung maramdaman nilang mahal mo sila.
• Sa Freelancing kasi hindi  mo alam kung kailan mawawala ang isang bagay, ang isang kontrata. At kahit gaano katagal mo siyang inalagaan, at kahit na super feeling mo BFF na kayo ng client mo, there is a possibility na i-end yung contract mo.
• You have to be sure na alam na alam mo yung isang bagay bago mo siya isulat.
• What is nice about freelancing is you got to find friends din na talagang totoo.
• Freelancing is not an easy career. But if you have the enthusiasm and determination, you’ll surely find something that will provide for your family. Push nyo lang. And you have to make sure na you have the right skill and mindset before ka mag start as freelancer.

Hiyasmin’s Journey to Freelancing

• She is a product of a broken family. Her father is a renowned politician in Mindanao, Philippines. Her father is a rich Muslim allowed to have a lot of wives, though it does not hinder to have a kind and close family.
• She studied pre med course as a Medical Technician but did not pursue to enter Med School, because she got pregnant.  
• She became resellers of baby and beauty products from China and US for a year. She dropped the business because of taxes, sorting of items, shipping fees, etc. and did not have even a break. In total, she lost more and got more stress.
• Mid year of 2011, she noted her friends are working online, she asked for help of where she can find a good platform (odesk.com). She assessed her skills and started setting up her profile, finding clients, doing her cover letters, looking for what work she loves to do. After 3 months, she got her first job.
• Her first company based in Liverpool England trained her to do SEO, at that time Google was not that strict in their policies, she knew how to use “black hat” – old SEO strategies violating Google using “keyword staffing”, “hidden text or link”, “sneaky read direct”, “skrills”.
• First job starting rate was just $2.00/per article with 500 words (to write 30 plus content to reach Php 5,000 per month).  A major client she cannot forget, company named “Thumbtack” that helped her to correct and almost perfected her grammar through weekly grammar test/exams, travel stuff, and team building.
• A blessing of a new baby in year 2012, that entailed to pursue at least 6 clients, 2 full time (40 hours per contact) total 80 hours plus the other clients that reached up to 100 hours.
• In 2013, she focused on a specific niche in technical writing and got a formal contract from a battery company based in Canada and an automotive company in US.
• In 2014, her husband was also hired as a freelancer; they both have better lives and better rates. She also had a double-digit income and more family time.
• In 2015, Upwork offered her “Exclusive Talent Loud” and invited her to be a part of “Upwork Pro writers” now named “Premium Writers”. Her profile was checked, updated and had a 15-minute interview. Her earning was set as Top-Rated.
• In January 2016, there was also an Enterprise Professionals and Team Builders in Upwork Pro Writers . She was invited and hired as a content strategist/writer, a fixed-rate contract of 40 hours, had done only 11 hours but luckily paid the same rate.
• In December 2016, there were alarming and abrupt end of contracts on online jobs for her and her husband. Client found cheaper rates of freelancers and they needed to let it go.
• In 2017, she applied again, got 2 new full-time jobs; she got scared of not having money and a back up as well.
• She’s fond and addicted to using planners and it helps a lot to organize her work and always makes sure to organize her time.
• In 2018, she had more than enough hourly rate and they got a new car. With freelancing, they had new appliances that they wanted and renovated their home.

Q&A Highlights

Paano mo naisip kaagad na magjump into writer?

Kasi hindi ako marunong mag VA. “Ang weird di ba?” Feeling ko napaka technical. Yung gagamit ka ng google docs, wala akong idea sa mga yan, wala akong background sa computer. Natutuhan lang sa pagbigay sa task ng clients yung mga jobs. Wala akong idea about data entry or lead generation. Doon ako sa safe; dun ako sa marunong mag English, mag writer ako. Let me just mention, hindi perpekto ang grammar ko. Ang dami kong lapses. Kung titignan ko yung mga ginagawa ko noon mapapahiya ako ngayon.

Pag writer dapat kailangang may alam ka rin talaga sa SEO?

Yes, that is very important. Hindi pwedeng iniisip mo lang na magprovide ng value sa readers mo kasi isa pa sa purpose nyan “to drive a traffic to a website” so kailangan mo matutunan ang SEO, kung pano mo i-fit yung content mo para makakuha ka ng reader.

Ano ba ang Technical Writing?

Karaniwan ang iniisip ng ibang tao mahirap ang technical writing. For me compared to other writing niches, technical writing ang pinakamadali, you have to discuss a specific topic direct to the point. It’s not just about writing manuals and instructional materials. Since nag evolve na ang technology, kasama na sa technical writing ang pagsusulat ng email, reports, blogpost, executive summary statement and so on. Hindi na lang product manual. Medyo technical sya talaga pero mas madali siyang isulat kasi direkta nga sya. Hindi mo na kailangan ng mga fluffs or stuff just to entice a client na magbasa pa ng magbasa to get attention. When it comes to technical writing, iisipin mo na yung mga bumabasa interesado sa product na yon at wala na silang panahon na magbasa ng kung ano anong hindi relevant sa topic. Sentences are short, simple words to use for there is a possibility that client will be confused if you use highfalutin words.Simple and easy to digest content ang isusulat mo.

Nakulangan ka sa oras sa bata. Anong ginawa mo para masolusyunan ang mga bagay bagay tungkol sa bata?

Siyempre pag lumalaki yung mga bata, mas lumalaki yung mga expenses, minove din kasi namin sila sa medyo expensive na school, per year tuition fee naglalaro from Php 60,000 –Php 70,000. Tapos dalawa na ang estudyante ko so Php 100,000 plus na yun. Solusyon ko hindi man ako pwedeng bumaba dun sa kinikita ko, kasi hindi enough kapag bumaba ako, ang ginawa ko nag increase ulit ako ng rate $20-$30+ per hour, bawas ng oras. Commitment ko ngayon during tamad days 20-30 hours a week. Sipag days 40-50 hours a week hindi na 100 hours a week.

Ilang hours do you spend to write, research, editing when you started, and now that you have a solid writing experience?

Started 5 hours to finish 500 words of content writing. Siyempre kapag lagi mong ginagawa ang isang bagay mas nababawasan yung oras na spend mo. For technical writing an hour is okay. Ang ginagawa ko magsusulat ako ng draft and then itutulog ko o may gagawin akong iba. Pag binalikan ko yung content kasi, mas makikita ko yung error. Mas mabilis na akong magsulat ngayon 1-2 hours, kung gaano kahirap yung content na kailangan ko na iproduce.

Ano yung mga preferred topics na “minamani mani” (easiest for you) mo isulat?

Anything about electricity and IT (software).

Kailangan ba maraming research kapag technical writing?

Yes, you have to make sure na equipped ka ng appropriate knowledge about a certain topic. Maling sabi mo lang there is a possibility na masira yung software o mag suffer yung business dahil sa maling tip mo.

Ang mga client po mas prefer yung may experienced na freelancers?

Hindi ko sya masasagot. Hindi ako sure, pero lahat kasi ng niche ang isang client naghahanap ng isang freelancer na makakatulong sa kanya. Most often hindi sila hahanap ng isang taong ititrain pa nila at madami sigurong hihindi. Pero karamihan kasi ng clients, mag hihire ka na rin lang yung medyo experience o kung hindi man experience, alam na talaga. That is one reason kung bakit kailangan mong matutunan ang mga skills sa freelancing.

Tips, how to find the right niche para mag start as a freelancer?

• Brainstorm ka sa sarili mo. List down all your skills, everything that you know, how to do. Anong tingin mong magaling ka? I list mo silang lahat.
• Iassess mo kung ano talagang skill ang kayang kaya mong gawin. At mag focus ka na lang sa skill na yan.
• Mag enroll ka sa mga courses and workshop. Maraming courses ang FLIP. Si Mr.Jason Dulay and Ms. Ana Soriano, take advantage of their free courses. And then yung paid, of course, hindi naman magiging paid ito kung hindi sya makakapagprovide ng malaking value talaga.
• Mag invest ka sa sarili mo para mamaster mo iyong skill na yun.
• Take advantage of what you have right now.
• Attend career meet ups. Magandang makarinig ng mga inspiring stories or mga tips and tricks from people kahit na newbie lang as a speaker. Kasi most often may mga aattend diyan na mga seasoned freelancers so start to connect with them and gain knowledge by attending meet ups and stocks.
• If you’re confused, or kung nahihirapan ka pa lang kakahanap ng trabaho. Maybe hindi yung skill mo yung problema. Maybe there is something wrong about your cover letter, your profile and stuff, try mong hanapin yung problema na yun, and solve it right. And sure you’ll find a good client na makakapagprovide sayo ng earning na makakabuhay sa pamilya mo.