I have been working since 2011 as an online writer. At first, I had ZERO ideas about it, and I wasn’t trained to be a writer, although I love writing about things. As a child, I remembered writing feverishly about stories I made up while keeping watch of our little store.
As I got older, these dreams slowly faded away… And then I became an adult. After my parents died, I had no place to go and no job to support me. Somebody suggested I try working online, so my job search began. I browsed and browsed and thought I didn’t have the skills these people were looking for, except that I love to write. So, I searched for a writing job and eventually found one. I was a content writer/ virtual assistant of sorts. My client was also starting his “empire” back then, and he had me as his first writer. I was honest with him from the get-go because I didn’t want to waste his time. I told him I had no experience as it was my first job. But he gave me a chance, so I took it.
I wasn’t that confident with my skills, but I needed the job because I got bills to pay. I crawled up, and this guy gave me many things to write. From microblogs, e-books, blogs, and all that. I remember I had to finish 10-15 microblogs each day from 150-300 words back then. By the end of the week, I was exhausted. All that at $110 PER MONTH. I didn’t know he was taking advantage of me because I was new.
As the years rolled in, he eventually hired a VA. She was his favorite. Always sending her gifts, flowers, and cake for her (and her husband’s) wedding anniversary. Yeah, she was married. I don’t know what kind of setup they had, but I thought it was weird. I, on the other hand, never had any except once when he remembered my birthday. And that was the only time he made a nice gesture. After two years, I asked for a raise, and from 110$, he raised my pay to 120$.
By my 5th year, I was paid $200. Can you spell abuse? LOL yeah, I realized that he was abusing me when I learned to look for a part-time job. My part-time job paid me better than he did after my years of service. Anyway, I left his ass after 5 years because he never paid my 13th month for two years, and he stated no reason. The first time he did it, he never said anything. I thought maybe I did a bad job. The second and last time he did it, he never said anything AGAIN. I finally got fed up and told our VA I was quitting. I didn’t even speak to him. Call it being disrespectful, but I was fed up. I left a resignation letter and never spoke to him again.
Oh, this guy is still around. He still has an online business. In fact, he made a name for himself. Sort of. I don’t want to name him. But yeah, he is probably one of the known names for SEO. I wish him well. I never learned much from him since he was a noob in the industry then. But he was a hustler, and he knew he was hustling me.
Moral of the Story
Your takeaway in this story is that always know your worth as an employee. Always speak up when you’re struggling with work. Online jobs are great, but sometimes, there are people out there who will take advantage of your skills and trust. Don’t be afraid to have another job, even if it’s a part-time one. Manage your time wisely. Don’t overwork yourself for someone who isn’t mindful of your efforts, let alone pay you enough.
We, Filipinos, are always respectful and hardworking, especially when our clients are from other countries, but that doesn’t mean we can’t speak up for ourselves. Remember, they need us. We can lose our jobs, but we can always find another. Don’t be afraid to explore and find the right company. Someone out there will always give you a chance. And someone out there will always give you value.
the Last Jedi 