“All things are possible as long as you are willing to put your mind and effort into a dream that you wanted to achieve.”

Since we’re at the start of the year, what is it that you want to achieve?

What do you want to accomplish by year-end?

It’s all up to you.

Your own commitment and goals.

Your own story and journey.

Like our JasSuccess guest tomorrow, she used to work as an executive assistant to the CEO of a bread manufacturing company.

Meet Kimberly.

She used to struggle with the daily work commute and the risk of transportation amidst the current pandemic.

She used to feel insecure about her English language skills but she kept on learning now she’s more confident about it.

As a freelancer, she now consistently earns much more with 6 figures a month than what she gets from her previous work.

Not only that, she has more time to study as a law student and can save more money.

She once dreamed of being featured inside the VA Bootcamp.

And now it is a reality!

Be ready to be inspired by Kim’s commitment to achieving her dreams, on January 19, 2022, at 6PM.

See you then!

Introduction 

A risk-taker law student found freelancing as an opportunity to help her family and friends. She experienced challenges during her freelancing journey, but because of her determination and hard work, she is now growing in the freelancing industry as a global recruiter of 15 different countries.

Notable Quotes 

• Habang hindi pa ako nag enroll sa mga online courses  nag try na muna ako mag DIY nag research at nanuod na muna ako ng mga youtube tutorials, nag follow ako ng mga groups mga personality sa youtube kung paano mag freelance. May nalaman akong mga techniques na sinubukan ko din. Ito din yung time nalaman ko yung tungkol sa group na ito. 

• Noon palagi akong nakarereceive ng email from Vabootcamp, kasi nga nag register ako parang try lang, laging success stories ang nababasa ko kaya lalo kong nararamdaman na kailangan kong mag enroll talaga kasi hindi ko ma establish, hindi ko makuha ng sarili ko lang kailangan ko din talaga ng help. 

• Nag enroll ako sa VA Bootcamp ginawa ko nag modify ako  pinili ko muna yung mga modules na kayang-kaya kong gawin. Email Management since Executive Assistant  ako dati  kaya madali lang din tsaka yung WordPress, iyon ang may skills nasa tingin ko kaya ko na confident ako.

• Talagang ginaya ko yung format na tinuro ni Sir Jason inayos ko na lang din according sa sarili ko sa palagay ko na gusto kong kalabasan ng letter. Pero yung format nya dun sinundan ko yun pati yung tamang paggawa ng portfolio. I think yun pala ang pinaka malaking lacking sa account ko. Nung pinanuod ko yung modules nalaman ko na yun pala ang tinitingnan ang portfolio. Kasi nga naman paano nila mapapatunayan na kaya mong gawin kung wala naman proof.

• Kapag may pinagawa sayo ang employer, lagi mo pa din screenshots at improve yung portfolio mo. Lagi mong dagdagan sa tuwing may bagong skills na itinuturo sayo yung  mga employer, kasi may iba’t ibang software tools na ginagamit habang natutunan mo yun unti-unti mo din dapat screenshot para madagdag sa portfolio mo.

• Nag-apply ako ulit at sinisigurado ko muna na kabisado ko yung trabaho bago ako tatanggap ng iba kasi ayokong ma compromise gusto ko kabisado ko iyong ginagalawan ko sa kabila para massess ko yung sarili ko kung kaya ko pa.

• Actually hanggang ngayon nandito pa din ako naghahire all over sa 15 countries nakakatuwa lang din  kausap ko dun iba’t-ibang lahi yun din ang previledge ng isang freelancer nakakita ka ng ibang lahi.

• Dumating na ako sa point na parang narealize ko  ito yung challenge na sa tingin ko nag-grow na ako kasi kaya ko nang makipagsabayan sa ibang lahi.

• Nung medyo mabigat na yung work load ko ang ginawa ko yung kapatid ko estudyante  binibigyan ko sya ng mga sideline kapag may kailangan akong iedit dun sa manage kong account  mga palagay kong madali lang gawin na pwedeng saluhin na lang nila pati yung isa kong kaibigan natulungan ko, binibigyan ko na lang sila ng bayad.

• Dati isa lang akong aspiring freelancer ngayon ginagamit ako ni Lord para makatulong at mag share din ng blessing sa iba. Kaya gusto ko din mainterview din dito kasi gusto ko din talagang matulungan ang iba. Magkaroon sila ng idea kung ano yung naging journey  at ma inspire sila kung ano yung mga techniques na ginawa ko para maiapply din nila sa sarili nila.

• Never lose hope alam ko madalas nyo ng narinig yan para mamotivate kayo wag kayong mawalan ng pag asa kasi umpisa talaga sa freelancing hindi din talaga agad- agad na mapapansin ka malaki agad ang sahod mo na ikaw ang mapipili darating ka sa point na kailangan mo muna ma establish ang sarili mo.

• Always mag add ng skills  dun sa profile sa portfolio para sa susunod na mag apply kayo level up na kaya nyong gawin .

• Mag pray kay Lord palagi para mabigay yung desired ng puso ninyo kasi sa totoo lang maraming opportunity na darating pero para sakin ang tinanggap ko na opportunity is galing kay Lord naramdaman ko yun kasi pang long term yung binigay nya sakin. Pinag dasal ko yun hindi ako swerte  blessed ako. 

• Magkaroon kayo ng notebook at time management application para sa susunod na kaya nyo pang mag add ng trabaho, kasi normal lang din sa freelancing na mayroon pang ibang extra job.Lagi nyong ayusin ang schedule, wag nyo din kakalimutan magbigay ng time para sa pamilya, kasi para saan pa nagpapakahirap ka bilang freelancer  kung di ka nakakapag spend ng time sa family normal lang mag add ng trabaho pero wag mong tanggalin yung time para sa sarili mo at time para sa family mo.

Journey to freelancing

• A law student from Tarlac, also working as Executive Assistant for six years in a company.

• She resigns even before the pandemic to get out of her comfort zone and grow her career.

• Since she does not have work anymore, She focuses on being a student. 

• She tried to study full-time for 1st semester but she felt that she needed to work because her savings were running out.

• Her sister's friend is a freelancer. Kim told her sister to message her friend because she wanted to ask how to start freelancing.

• She saw an opportunity in freelancing because it was also a challenge for her to commute during the pandemic. 

• When she already had an idea about freelancing, she started to research and watch Youtube tutorials. She also follows some personalities on Youtube and joins groups.

• She created Upwork and Online Jobs. Ph accounts and tried to apply almost every day. She has reached 100 proposals but she did not get hired.

• She knew about Va Bootcamp and tried to register. She started receiving emails about success stories. She realizes that she also needs help.

• At first, she felt hesitant to enroll because she thought it might just be a scam. When she visited the Va Bootcamp page, she saw an interview segment. She was amazed and hoped that she would also be featured there in the interview.

• She decided to enroll in Va Bootcamp. She chose the lesson according to the skills that she already had.

• After that, she already has the skills that she can offer. In the next step, she edits her profile to be more noticeable to the client. She also created her portfolio because this was lacking in her account and the reason why she did not get hired.

• So, when she finished establishing her account, that was the time she frequently received interviews. And finally, she got hired by a marketing agency.

• She continues updating her portfolio by taking screenshots of what she does from her work.
• Even if she does not apply, she receives invites. When she felt that her first client was so busy with other business. She decided to accept a second job managing social media accounts.

• When she noticed that she still had time for additional work she applied. She got hired as a global recruiter for 15 countries. She was happy and realized that she was growing in this freelancing industry because of her achievements despite the challenges she experienced.

• She also shares her knowledge and expertise with her siblings, friend, and classmate by teaching them what she learned from the course to help them also earn.

• She used to be just an aspiring freelancer, but now she is being used by the Lord to help others. 

• She is currently a global recruiter of 15 different countries and still manages her time as a law student.

Question and Answer

Have you ever had pitfalls that made you doubt yourself na baka hindi ito para sakin was there ever a time?

Yes, may time din talaga kasi tulad nung una kong client naging busy na sya sa other business nya hindi na kami gaanong nakakapg-usap wala na din sya pinapagawa sa akin, hindi ko alam kung hired pa ba ako or hindi na. Sa freelancing talaga may time na kapag hindi nag boom yung business ng client mo pati ikaw mawawalan din ng trabaho.Darating din mawawalan kana  talaga ng pag-asa minsan baka hindi pa kaya sapat yung skills ko kakabahan ka kasi ang daming freelancer around the globe ang makakasabayan mong mag-apply. So ito ang challenge na naramdaman ko. Noong naramdaman ko yung downside ko nagpray ako kay Lord. Sabi Lord bigyan mo lang ako ng magandang trabaho  I will use this as an opportunity para ma-inspire ang iba talagang nagcommit ako I will be a testimony sa mga tao na nandyan ka para sa akin na hindi mo ako pababayaan.

Gumagamit ka ba ng time tracker?

Actually old school kasi ko kaya notebook pa din every year may notebook talaga ako, sinusulat ko yung time the next day ano yung mga kailangan kong gawin mas nararamdaman ko naaaccomplish ko kapag sinusulat ko sa notebook  kaysa gumamit ng mga apps. Mas applicable pa din sa akin yung notebook kasi kapag nasulat ko na mas malaki yung chance na matapos ko sya.

How effective is that compared to electronic management?

Ako kasi may nabasa akong book sabi dun kapag sinualat mo mas malaki yung chance na matapos mo sya kasi before ka matulog yung brain mo naginternalize na kung ano yung kailangan gawin kinabukasan. Parang matic na alam  na ng katawan na ito dapat ang mga kaialangang matapos.

How do you manage your portfolio kasi sabi mo you keep on updating it?

Nag update ako lalo na nung time na nawalan nga ako ng trabaho buti na lang ang ginagawa ko kasi kung hindi ko man sya ma update sa mismong portfolio ko sa Upwork nilalagay ko muna sya sa google drive may folder ako, for example gusto na mag apply ulit dahil nawalan nanaman ng work naka ready yun kayang kaya ko ulit buhayin ang Upwork account ko.

Have you ever felt that way competing globally? Did you ever feel insecure?

Nainsecure ako sa English ko kasi iba yung comprehension sa English sa conversational. Halimbawa magrereport ako sa group iba-ibang mga lahi tulad nga dun sa sinasabi kong global recruiter ako for 15 countries mag memeting kami once a week kailangan kong mag English yung may sense na naiintindihan nila. Nung una may konti talagang bulol sa English pero along the way eto napansin ko kapag naging conscious ka magkakamali ka pero pag feeling confident assume mo lang isipin mo na kaya mo I mean wag mo masyadong intindihin kapag iisipin mo kasi yung sasabihin nila lalong makakadagdag yun sa consciousness mo maiintimidate ka lalo. Kaya dapat relax ka lang as in ifeel mo lang kasama mo lang sila parang friends lang regular officemates dun ko napansin na mas kaya ko sya mas kaya kong makipag sabayan wag mong isipin na mas mataas yung lahi nila sayo. Ang English naman kapag naiintindihan mo ang instructions magagawa mo as long as marunong kang mag follow ng mga intsruction na binigay sayo at wag kang masyadong mag isip na hindi mo kayang mag English kakayanin mong maging freelancer na makipagsabayan sa mga ibang lahi. Kasi sa totoo lang yung accent natin very neutral compared sa ibang lahi maging confident at maniwala sa sarili mo madedevelop din yan along the way mapapansin mo ang galing mo na makipag converse ng English.