In part of my introduction for Hive, I mentioned that I started my freelancing career using my mobile phone only, and I don’t have my internet connection, just using neighbors’ wifi passwords.
Before hunting my first ever client, I was also part of the BPO industry in the Philippines. I left the industry after I found out about my 3rd pregnancy. I had a miscarriage on my first, and my OB advised me to bed rest, especially on my first or better up to the second trimester.
Moving forward with my freelancing journey, that was after I gave birth to my second child. I started with nothing but a phone and a wifi connection from our neighbor. We didn’t have internet way back then, and we could not afford to get one.
I started with zero knowledge, and I didn’t know someone working from home or already freelancing. My curiosity with work from home and eagerness to learn brought me where I am now. I joined social media groups of freelancers, worked from home, watched videos, joined staffing sites and freelancing platforms. I made my trial application with the selected job post, but mostly it requires a PC and Internet speed test. I first found a job related to my experience as customer support, virtual assistant, sales, and anything that I know I can work on. Luckily I got a client, and it’s a customer service position and reservation, which is very similar to my BPO work experience.
Since I already got a client and did some white lies, I admit I didn’t bring up about my equipment. I need this job badly as I want to pursue this career while taking care of my two kids, and my baby is also exclusive in breastfeeding. After I got the contract, we already purchased a laptop from my maternity benefits, no extra money left, but it’s part of my investment being a freelance. The struggle started with the internet connection began, as I hadn’t got extra money to get an internet connection. The tools are loading slowly due to my wifi connection being poor. Part of my task has limited calls, and the connection is also breaking. I am afraid to lose this client and the pressure. I felt having postpartum depression with all the problems, worries, and stress. We have decided to get our internet connection and borrowed money for the installation.
All went well from the start until the client noticed the bad background noise from my end. We live in a small apartment with my partner’s parent’s house as we can’t afford to rent our own due to my pregnancy and just gave birth via cesarean. I get a lot of complaints, and I cannot excuse myself because of the current situation. For me, they won’t understand as it’s still business as usual for them. I felt horrible, and I think I am not ready for the role, but the pay is already good compared to when I was in the BPO industry. In addition to that, I can work at home while taking care of my kids. I want to prove myself that I am the perfect fit for the position. I did work 12-hours per shift for this client and six days a week. There are times that I feel exhausted and question why I chose to work from home. My work now occupies most of my time that is supposedly balanced to take care of my children.
On the other hand, I still received more complaints from clients being called out with the background noise, even the crying sound of my baby. All the stress is coming, burnout, bills to pay, and a month delay with the salary. I already decided to resign because of them not paying on time; my internet connection got disconnected, and that’s the only source of income I had before. I am also getting threatened almost every day that they will terminate me, and for sure they will not pay me the delay of salary and the current cut-off. My assumption is correct, and I had a battle with the employer as they didn’t want to pay and complaint about my work ethic and told me of being unprofessional. All the words they threw triggered me to report them to the staffing site where they hired me. I won the case, and they paid me. However, they also file a complaint and report about me, which I understand that’s how they do dirty business tricks just for me not to get the money that I worked for them. I like the work, but I cannot handle the stress and, of course, the payment delays. I am also thankful to my partner for helping me to take care of our kids and lifting me during my downtime. Encourage and support me with the path of career I choose.
The subsequent search to find another client is on, but my experience with the previous client is still knocking me off to apply for some job posts. I felt degraded and didn’t deserve the work from home. I accepted even the low rates just to get hired. I struggled to find jobs, but people who pay low are the worst people to work with. Some of the work I accepted just not to be vacant and still earn are cold caller, appointment setter, and sales development representative. I also attempted to work as an online tutor. However, I am shy when it comes to cameras. My sample video tutorial didn’t go well as per the assessor; my face is intimidating for the students, which I decided not to pursue the online tutor. It’s hard for me to find work because my work-related experience is more of customer service, and I don’t have that special skills like writing or graphic designing.
I go back from the start when I am still finding work and learning about freelancing. I reviewed job posting on staffing sites and Facebook groups; I found out about E-commerce. I had another self-train and studied all bout this eCommerce job role, and I was drowned with the number of tasks and job roles for this. I started with the basic, which is product sourcing. The facts it’s basic as I know the workload is time-consuming. One of the great things about this new prospect work is its non-voice, and I don’t need to call someone as a telemarketer or support with terrible background noise. I found the perfect job, but the pay and time don’t match. I accepted part-time work to source a product, but it takes me almost full-time to find the good numbers and only get paid for the part-time job. I never stop learning and training for myself. I applied for another task with the same niche and got the role of Virtual Assistant and Email Customer Support. They accepted me as I already have basic knowledge about this eCommerce platform, and they can just efficiently train me with other tasks.
It’s been three years now since I started my freelancing career. I am happy and currently working two years with my two clients and going one year with my 3rd. Also, of course, I continue to breastfeed my youngest going four years now. Little by little, I added new equipment, a backup net, tables, and a chair. Anything beneficial with my work-from-home setup. I already know all the workaround with the business. I am still thankful for the other clients I work with; even it didn’t turn out well, we both learned from it. I gained experience and knowledge, and I am willing to share everything you may want to know about the industry where I am now.
Even before, when I had a few clients and workload, I trained people interested in freelancing and guided them through and answered all their concerns. Giving them tips not to pay any upfront fees just to be hired, I encounter these scams, but they won’t get mo on their bait.
Random tips to start as a Freelancer and if you are still on a corporate:
- Make sure to have at least three to six months of budget for the bills and other needs. You can never tell how long you can get your first client. Also, prepare your emotions; it may be easy for some but probably hard for others to accept multiple rejections.
- Find your niche and your unique skills to offer
- Be prepared and ready with your equipment and workstation
- Time management and never stop learning new skills.
- Don’t be the “How po”. Use your internet and feed yourself with the information.
- Never believe in a too good to be true offer.
- Enhance your communication skills; this is very important if you’re looking for a foreign client.
- Just apply for the role you think you can do, don’t be overwhelmed with too many job posts. Joined groups were and can find supports that will train and offer internships.
- DO NOT pay anything to be hired. You are looking for a job, why do you need to pay? Or unless it’s a business or investment you are doing.
- Even if you are new to working from home or as a freelancer, if you find work that you know or align with your skills, just tell them what you can do and your related work experience. DO NOT tell them you don’t have experience in working from home unless they ask. What is important is you are fit and qualify for the role.
Pros:
You are working in the comfort of your home, and the best part is being with your kids. You see your kids from time to time and watch them grow, literally. Have more time with your family. Bring your work anywhere. Less expense for transportation and allowance. Most important is I don’t encounter traffic. I still remember how I travel to work and home back and forth. Traffic almost accumulates 3 to 4 hours of my day just to go to work and back home. You can have as many clients as you want as long as you can manage them. High-paying jobs, but it still depends on how you negotiate.
Cons:
More stress, as you work at home as a mom, you have to still work around the house. You do not have boundaries between work and personal life. Power outage, net issues, or technical concerns are your problem, not the company or the client. No compensation and benefits, but this depends if you find a very generous client.
The work is all over, but the competitions are very tight. It would be great if you found your first client even without a job from home experience. Mostly they need at least six months of experience working from home, or at least your niche is on demand. If you want to know the most high-paying jobs in this industry, those are web developers, video editors, graphic designers, bookkeeping, and medical field encoders with USRN.
I hope you’ve learned at least the things you need to prepare when starting as a freelancer. The struggle is real from the start, and this is not just in freelancing. Every startup may fall, but we need to stand up and learn from every mistake we make. I am also thankful to the Hive PH community for supporting new members. We appreciate the help of the admins in each community and helping aspiring content creator and blogger like us that is new in this niche. We will pay this forward to others and spread the good things about content creation using the Hive platform.
Tips, Pros & Cons are just my personal experience as a freelancer, not to generalize for Freelancer people here.
- Photos Credit from Canva -
***** “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” *****
-- Conrad Hilton
