WORK-AT-HOME,VIRTUAL MOMS!

WORK-AT-HOME,VIRTUAL MOMS!

Guest post from my classmate Queenie.

Virtual Moms!

Bills, tuition fees, household necessities, and everything that concerns money-these are the things that drive moms crazy! Making both ends meet becomes a monthly dilemma. The lifestyle of today seems to be incessantly increasing, changing and getting more expensive!

As a result, the long-time-ago scenario of father goes out to earn a living and the mother stays in to keep the house is no longer applicable. Ideally nowadays, both parents joined forces to provide for the family.

Being a mother ,I still believe in the notion that at least a parent stays in the house to better guide the children and to keep the house organized. However, being married to an ordinary employee, having two kids, and paying the house’s monthly amortizations for seemingly a lifetime, still mean falling short of the budget.

For years, I’ve been arguing with myself, ”should I go back to work? But my kids are still small and fragile. But the money I was receiving was never enough. But how can I save for the future of my kids and for emergencies? A lot of buts…!

But lol! I realized that the constant changing and increasing lifestyle actually offers an alternative way to answer our expenses. Since a lot of households aim to purchase their own computers/laptops and internet connections, notwithstanding the accessibility of internet cafes side by side almost everywhere, it is wise to be productive with the cyber world.

There comes the online jobs a.k.a. work-at-home. Unemployment is no longer an issue now. Living in a remote areas where companies are far, or seeking for an income while taking care of the kids should not bug cyber people anymore.

Call center companies are at large and they have invaded the homes. That was my first try, the call center-at-home.

Then, odesk.com was introduced to me by a friend. It is a website where you find possible online jobs like blogging, article writing, call centers, virtual assistants, and even web and graphic designing. Employers keep on posting job opportunities and find the right contractors through odesk.com. I have proven it is secure and really paying.

Earn Online while at home

I completed my portfolio and passed all those tests that I deem necessary to boost my capabilities. I applied for several jobs that fit me. Not too long, an article writing job was offered to me by an e-commerce site. However, due to my household demands because I have two kids, I failed the expectations of my employer and my contract was ended…only with that employer. Thru odesk.com, my portfolio is forever available for the employers to view and consider.

For a while, I stopped working online. Until I thought I am ready, I accepted another offer. I never thought that out of thousands of competent contractors online. I can be recognized by this employer. After a series of online trainings, I was able to work as a judgment contributor for a huge and still expanding website.

Just like the processes and systems in an ordinary work, I went through a lot of experiences in this online job. I applied to several jobs and got ignored; landed on the training phase and failed; hired and sooner than I ever expected got my contract ended for some reasons. What’s important is that I didn’t give up. And I believed that since computers and web seem to always be part of growing technology, working online would then be forever in demand.

Working online is life itself. You learn from experiences. Everything is best gained through hard work and perseverance. Sometimes you win or lose. There will come a time when you fell in love with the work and then eventually, you got dumped and hurt badly. When the latter happens, it’s life! Moving on to the next fight should be the next step and keep yourself armored with the lessons learned from the past. There could be some sacrifices but it pays.

Being an “odesker” alone, I have learned that a lot of reading is important to remain in this job. Read and keep in mind all the instructions and do exactly as stated. It was not only once did I commit the mistake of overlooking a certain instruction or not reading an important one. And that is detrimental to the job status.

Professionalism is of next importance. Even if online job is not a personal or face to face kind of work, keeping your words and respecting your “workmates” should also be practiced. There are jobs that require specific time logs and attendance. Don’t “come” late and absences cannot be tolerated. Keeping an open communication with the employer and team is one of the best way to gain their confidence and to avoid committing mistakes.

There can be threats to your “safety”. But that should not be a hindrance to your desire to explore the web. Reading is still the key. Consulting the “network” you built or those online friends that you can trust will be of best help to avoid being the victim. 

And lastly, but not the least, enjoy what you are doing. It is only then, that you will realize where your heart is that will give you overwhelming inspiration to pursue your dream. It is possible. If you believe in yourself and love what you have, you can work-at-home, virtual moms!

Queenie Espino 

The author has been a contractor of oDesk.com as article writer/blogger and/or virtual assistant since year 2011. Her free domain sites are www.awomanseye.blogspot.com and www.verylagunian.blogspot.com.