A Webinar Just For Newbies

One of the Facebook Group I often lurk at, Online Filipino Freelancer (formerly Upwork | oDesk | Elance Philippines, is having a webinar this Friday, July 29, 2016 for free.

OFF's admins created the event just for newbies who wanted to start their home-based online career. The webinar, which will start around 4PM Philippine Standard Time, will tackle the basics of working from home, and an introduction to the online world.

I can see from the list of people joining the event that there are potential clients watching the webinar, as well.

WAHMmies, this is your chance to get experts' advice from the most sought freelancers online.

For more details, visit the event's page here.

Wow Your Potential Clients With Your Skill Set!

                                                                                                                        YouTube

After you got all the tools that you'll need to started in your work at home journey, the next step is to assess your skills. 

In the online world, SOME clients don't really ask for your education history. What matters to them is that you deliver the work they need. This is great for those who didn't finish college, since as long as they have the knowledge and the skill that a client is looking for, they can compete to those who have finished tertiary education. However, I'm not saying that you should stop going to college/university just because of this.

                                                                                                                                                      Wikipedia

Back then when I was still working as a Asst. Team Lead/Coach

Most work from home moms often started their career outside their homes. They come from different walks of life, and most bring a lot of skill and knowledge to the table. 

I know some WAHMmies who started as call center agents, IT professionals, teachers, etc. and each of them has a different skill set than the other. It is important to know your skill set before you start applying for online jobs. This way, you'll which jobs are the best fit for you. Also, no one else in the world will know what you do best other than yourself. 

The best thing to do first is to list all your skills. Yes, as simple as that. Clients like it if you keep it short and simple. For example, let's say you're an artist, your skill set might look like this:

• Graphics Design
• Logo Design
• T-shirt Design
• Video Editing

If you were a Call Center Agent before, it might look like this:

• Customer Service
• Email Management
• Tech Support
• Collections
• Sales
• Appointment Setter 

For any office employee or HR personnel, this might be your skill set:

• Recruitment
• Data Entry
• Transcription
• Calendar Management
• Travel Arrangement
• Admin Work

My team

On my end, since I worked as a CSR, TSR, Collections Agent, Assistant Team Lead, Coach, VA and Article Writer, my skill set looks like this:

• Customer Service
• Data Entry
• Social Media Management
• Email Support
• Tech Support
• Collections
• Team Management
• Coaching
• Call Monitoring
• E-book Writing
• News Writing
• Feature Article Writing
• Proofreading
• Content Writing
• General VA

The skills listed above are all specific to  a job, but you can also put general skills like:Critical Thinking, Excellent Communication Skills, Self Motivated, Able to Avoid Distractions, Organized & Balanced, Multi-tasker, Excellent Online Research Skills, and Computer Savvy.

!  

                                                                                                                                                         Google
Everyone starts somewhere - just like a baby

By the way, clients don't expect you to be an expert in all fields, but they need you to at least have an idea about the nature of their business. I've acquired the skills I've listed above because of client trainings and by reading manuals online. If you think  that your skills are not impressive enough to get you started working from home, you can read manuals online and watch videos to learn more about a certain skill. Part of being a work from home employee is being good at research. You'll be surprise on how many videos and self-help books are out there.

All-in-all, everyone can learn, but you should always have something to bring to the table. Having a solid list of skill set, and a great attitude, will definitely impress your potential clients and land you your dream work from home jobs.

What's your previous job before deciding to work from home? 

Do you think you have enough skills or are you still looking to learn more?

Are you ready to list all your skills now? 

Let me know what you think in the comments section. 

Meanwhile, here's my princess trying to be a call center agent.

My daughter (when she was 3) taking calls on the floor.

Tools To Get You Started On Your WAHM Journey!

I decided to make a new post since my laptop got damaged last Tuesday. The screen broke (don't get me started), and I'm using my old monitor for display since I don't want my work to be interrupted.

Yep, the screen is broken!

I know my desk is messy! Please don't mind the writings on the wall. They are "artworks" of my kids.

Anyway, this is about what tools you'll need to get you started in your WAHM journey. And since I'm currently looking for a new replacement laptop (my boss will shoulder most of the cost, thank God!), I'll share the laptop specs needed for any basic home-based job.

Update: Here's the new laptop I bought that was sponsored by my boss!

Here are the most basic tools/equipment you'll need to start your home-based career:







1. Personal Computer 


This can either be a desktop or a laptop. I prefer using a laptop since I often travel to my husband's province for short vacays with my kids. I always bring work with me since no work = no pay. 


These are the specs you can use as a guide when purchasing your computer:

• At least i3 Processor (but if you have the funds, get i5 or better yet, i7)
• At least 2GB RAM (although the new one I'm getting is 4GB RAM)
• At least 500 GB memory (go for 1TB if you need more memory)
• At least 2GB Graphics card (I don't like those that are integrated in the MoBo, I prefer lappies with their own Graphics card)
• At least 13" screen (it's hard to work with a small screen)

For other specs like webcam, DVD burner, etc, it will be up to your preference and budget. A laptop with decent specs costs around 20-30k PhP. This is already a good investment since you can earn this money back in just a month or two, depending on what job you do. 

**No clients would take you seriously if you tell them you'll be using tablets or smartphones.**

2. Wired Internet Connection

This is a must and most often, non-negotiable. There are a lot of online jobs available, but most of them involves talking to the clients via Skype. If your internet is intermittent (especially when you are using a wireless internet connection), the clients will know. Wireless internet, from using USB sticks or pocket WiFi, should  only be used as a backup, or if your job really doesn't need you to take in calls or download a lot of files. 








3. Work-related Software

Most clients expect you to already have Excel and Word, so it's best to invest in them, too. Not all clients are generous enough to shoulder the cost of  the software you'll need, but they should be the one to cover for those software that are special to their needs (Freshbooks, Time Doctor, etc).





4. Accessories

You'll need headset and webcam, but most often than not,  you'll only need them  at the beginning for interviews via video call. The headset must  have a noise-cancelling feature, so no unnecessary noises will be caught by the client, and preferably wireless, to allow yourself to move around while taking in calls (if you're a CSR or a receptionist).

These four can already get you started in your WAHM journey. What did you have when you started? Do you have anymore to add? Let me know in the comments section!

How I Became A Work-At-Home Mom

Becoming a mother is a job itself, and there's nothing more fulfilling to do than to see your kids grow bright and healthy.

However, not everyone can afford to be a stay-at-home mom to watch over the kids all the time, and some still have to go back to work after their maternity leave. It's not an easy choice to make.

I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter Kat on my first month working on my first job. Yep, that soon. I have no problems working then, even with the graveyard schedule. The thing I had difficulties was to find someone to take care of her once I went back to work. At that time, I felt I have no other choice. I have to earn money to support her, so I hired a yaya to watch over her. 

Our home then became a revolving door for household help. I think we had 6-10 yayas while I was still working at our office. I only have 2-3 hours with Kat everyday, before I sleep and go straight to work when I wake up. Sad to say, I wish I could have spend more time with her.

So when I had my second, I decided to make up for a lot of things. I quit my job for five years, and then decided to be a work-at-home mom. 

Everything was new to me but I was willing to learn. I was a part-time article writer before (I did that on both of my maternity leaves) so I tried looking for similar jobs in oDesk.com (now Upwork.com). Luckily, I found my first legit client. It was not easy, I say. 

Note: I tried working before but like any other newbies, I became a victim of scams and clients who didn't pay my work. This is why I re-started my blog, and change it to something very dear to me - working from home.

Reviving My Blog

I saw my last post here in my blog, and realized, it's been two years since I've posted.

Before, my blog served as my Blogspot account to enter various contests and giveaways. However, my boss, who is an owner of a well-known subscription box review website, inspired me to revive my old blog.

Being a work-at-home mom, I spend most of my time on the Internet, for work or casual browsing. That is after I've done my mommy duties of course. 

I recently joined a Facebook Group dedicated to all WAHMies like me, and I often share my thoughts about how it is working at home, make money online, home based jobs, etc.

Most moms doesn't know where to start, so I'm using this blog to help them get on their own feet.


In the next weeks, I'll be posting more about where to start and how to work at home to help those moms who are still confused about this whole WAHM-thing.

Please subscribe to my blog to get updates and tips.

Thanks everyone!

Lovelots,
Paula