Two weeks ago, I quit my job from a company that I'm not happy anymore to join another one that will allow me to have a more flexible schedule. Or so I thought. Then two days ago, I found out that the my old co-worker who invited me and constantly asked me to join her in her new company and her Australian boss , was fired after taking her ideas. So here I am waiting for replies from two of the companies I've applied for as a content writer. I can tell you, being unemployed after a year and three months terrifies me so much. What's even more terrifying is meeting employers who will not pay you or fire you on the spot for no apparent reason like what happened to my friend who also happens to be a law graduate and simply earning money on the side to pursue her studies further.
The mentioned above are just some of the cons of working online. So how about the pros?
- I am a single parent. Working from home allows me to be readily available for my son. I don't have to spend my time on the road only to be stuck in traffic (that happens instead when I bring my son to school every morning) and I don't need spending money for lunch and snacks at the office.
- I work in t-shirt and shorts. Absolutely no need for me to buy office clothes and be uncomfortable.
- I work in the comfort of my bedroom. When given a flexible schedule, it allows me to squeeze in errands that needs to be done right away. If I'm away in the office
- No supervisors to bug me face to face. My work hours and productivity are monitored by apps recommended by the company. (Slack, Trello, Rescue Time, etc.)
- For someone like myself who doesn't like working in a crowded place and had to deal with different personalities, home-based work is ideal. Call me anti-social but, yeah, I don't really care.
- Most importantly, work is readily available if you have the skill set. Most overseas employers are not setting education background requirements and/or experience. They are willing to pay as much as $800 per month for the right home-based employee. I have earned monthly salary that's equal to an office manager here in the Philippines and I'm doing it in shorts and flip flops. For a single mom like myself, it's a huge advantage because I'm able to send my son to a good school which is my priority.
I have two years of online writing experience including blogging, product listing or description writing for E-commerce businesses in both Shopify and Amazon, and creative writing (short stories). I also have the option of teaching English to Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans students online. So here's hoping that I'll have a job this coming week.
*Images from Pexels.com