r/buhaydigital

Hello, I am a college freshman studying Data Analytics and I just wanna share my story in case you guys are feeling down or just need inspiration and tips. :-)

For context:

I have no VA or BPO experience. The only experience I have is a family corporate business and my work immersion. I built my resume from scratch using an ATS friendly template and dun lang ako nag apply. I have no prior resumes as well and no referrals. I worked 2 weeks na work immersion and 4 months na occasional helping lang sa business and I listed that sa works ko. I made multiple projects throughout my SHS and 1 year of college and ayun yung pinaka importante na part ng resume ko. I also made sample portfolio for my clients to see and check.

Here is my spreadsheet tracking all the jobs I applied to. Di lang kasya yung rest.

https://preview.redd.it/hwwnsjbrtltg1.png?width=1828&format=png&auto=webp&s=7abebf82d22d32e10bc5990ff389e0799d108836

I noticed that most VA agencies rejected me without interview since I applied for the Executive Assistant role. My experiences didn't reflect that niche and it was halata I wasn't fitted for the job. For those agencies that did give me an interview, yung ending lagi ay "We are looking for more experience" or "Another skill set".. something along those lines. Parang feeling ko sobrang arte ng VA agencies so I stopped applying to those and nag OLJ.ph. nalang ako. I switched my niche to Finance Operations at dun karamihan lumabas yung interview and yung job offer ko. (tip #1 match your niche to your experiences and projects.. wag lang basta basta mag choose ng niche.)

I used chatgpt to help me filter out the good, the bad, and the ugly job posts.

This was my prompt:

i need you to provide how many points in a simple way like: --/5 fit for this role

- how many points i should use out of 10 (points is out of 10 because i receive 10 per day in onlinejobs.ph)

- why i'm fit in 2-3 sentences

- what the company is looking for in 4 sentences.

From there, I used the points accordingly and created the cover letter using what the company is looking for. I offered what I can do to help the company and what experiences I have that relates to that help they need.

I also noticed na I was very nervous during interviews na parang nag ssweat ako kahit malamig naman yung kwarto. lumalabas ay nagsisinungaling ako ng walang rason kaya nagfafail ako sa interview. I changed that to just researching the company and memorizing what they're looking for and how I could help (basically just my cover letter) tapos let your experience and projects do the talking. Kinakabahan parin kaso di na nagsisinungaling. I got in with a 6 digit salary as my first real job.

I went through 3-5 interviews with this client and got the job offer. As a first timer, I think na if you know what you want and what you're worth kayang kaya yan. Ipakita mo na mas malakas ka sa mga ibang competitors mo and really talk confidently.

I know na baka privileged yung pagkasound ko pero what I'm trying to do is to help people who are struggling like how I was nung first time I was applying. I love giving advice and receiving feedback so please don't hesitate to reach out!!

I spent two years looking for VA work as a generalist. I applied for everything, social media, admin, customer service, you name it. I kept getting low offers because so many other people were applying for the same roles. I was frustrated because I couldn't figure out what made me different from every other VA out there.
I talked to an experienced VA in a Facebook group and she told me to niche down. I didn't fully understand it at first. But I thought about my background and realized I had experience in documentation and had actually worked in a real estate office before. So I started researching what a real estate VA does. I studied transaction coordination, MLS basics, and real estate CRM tools. I built a portfolio specifically around real estate. Then I applied through VA Masters specifically looking for real estate clients. Within 3 weeks I got matched. The rate? $950 per month. Compare that to the $400 to $500 offers I kept getting as a generalist. The lesson? When you try to be everything to every client, you don't stand out to anyone.
When you're specific, you become the expert. Clients can see your value much more clearly when they know exactly what you bring to the table. Find your niche, study it deeply, and you will feel the difference in your rate.

Title: Gumawa ako ng app dahil nagkasakit buong pamilya namin at na-realize kong walang backup plan yung asawa ko

Kwento lang, baka may ma-relate or may feedback.

For the past two weeks, buong pamilya namin nagkasakit — sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, severe cough. Anak ko, asawa ko, ako. Yung tipong hindi ka makatulog kasi parang sasabog ulo mo sa ubo.

Isang gabi habang nakahiga kami pareho ng asawa ko na hirap huminga, naisip ko — pano kung hindi na ako nagising bukas?

Hindi yung philosophical. Yung practical. Kasi tinanong ko asawa ko: "Alam mo ba kung saan yung savings natin? Yung mga bank accounts? Investments? Pano mo maa-access?"

Wala siyang alam. Kahit isa.

Dalawa anak namin, siya nag-aalaga buong araw. Hindi ko siya masisisi. Pero yung reality — kung nawala ako that night, wala siyang access sa kahit ano. Lahat nasa utak ko lang.

Naisip ko sabihin na lang sa kanya verbally. Pero sino niloloko ko — nanay siya ng dalawang bata, puyat araw-araw. Hindi realistic na i-memorize niya yung lahat ng accounts at passwords ko.

So gumawa na lang ako.

Yung app is called The Last Will. Nasa App Store at Play Store na. Eto yung gist:

• Offline lang lahat. Walang backend, walang server, walang account creation. Lahat nasa device lang.
• Encrypted with AES-256. Yung key derived from security questions, hindi traditional password. PBKDF2 with 100k iterations.
• Pwede mag-store ng bank accounts, investments, passwords, insurance, instructions — basically lahat ng kailangan malaman ng family mo kung wala ka na.
• May export feature (.mlw file) na encrypted din, para may backup.
• May biometric unlock para convenient.

Hindi siya SaaS, walang subscription, walang data collection. One-time purchase lang. Yung buong point niya — walang data na lumalabas ng phone mo.

Took me around 4 months to build habang full-time work at may dalawang anak. Medyo masakit sa ulo yung crypto part lalo na yung key derivation at field-level encryption sa SQLite, pero nag-work naman.

Kung may tanong kayo sa tech stack or sa build process, ask lang. Happy to share.

Pero beyond the app — seryoso, pag-isipan niyo to. Lalo na yung mga freelancers at solo earners dito. Kung mawala kayo bukas, alam ba ng family niyo kung saan lahat? Minsan yung pinaka-important na task hindi nasa Jira o Notion — nasa bahay.

If kulang yung tea. Lmk I'll answer them and be kind sa comments. If mag judge and down lang kayo just don't say it. Hate or bringing others down when they're down is an expensive feeling.

Hi everyone. M27 here. Quick context muna. Currently working as a directly hired rockstar VA that pays $7.5 per hour, quarterly sales incentives and year-end bonuses with 8 paid leaves per year.

Been with my client for almost 2 years now. My roles are SMM, SEO, Copywriting, Web Dev, MMA, Automations, Analytics, and etc. Basically everything you can think of in an online consultancy company except the finances section of that since my client handles that.

Anyways, here's the tea:

My client is kind, understanding, and patient.

I'm super tired, overwhelmed, unrealistic deadlines, sudden changes, unclear instructions because of those sudden changes. Like super dami ding pinagagawa as in for example podcast editing, spotify/youtube thumbnail, podcast reels and everything you could really think of.

I've raised it calmly and politely multiple times that my client should get one person for each role, but my client's always just shrugging it off and says we'll have AI agents to do those for you. Like, gets naman AI is somehow part of the future but come on. AI is limited with or without API keys.

So recently, they got a new Filipina VA whom I'm showing the ropes to and she's currently also handling my client's real estate and personal things. I mean yea it's been a big help. Problem is that since I haven't really fully given her tasks I can confidently delegate with her. It hasn't changed a lot for the workload that I've got on my end. Although she is very proactive.

Also there are tons of times when my clients says that this task should be like this and in a few days he says another thing about that task which is contradicting to his first order. It makes things difficult tbh.

The platform we're using is ClickUp. Which is very unorganized no matter how much you organize it lol.

Para kasing tinatry niyang mag "company hack" alam niyo yun? Like get one person to do everything for you type of shit.

Nakakapagod. Gusto ko na talaga mag resign as in. Pero ewan ko. Lost lang talaga ata ako. Parang nakakatakot din kasi umalis because of what's happening around the world. So, honestly di ko alam. Masyadong madaming trabaho para sa karampot niyang pasweldo.

I need your advices guys and gals. Help me find an answer. Thanks in advance!

I've been applying since early Feb, over 50 applications already. Still no human interview. Tapos feel ko kapag AI interview filter out agad ako huhuhuhu. 5 years ago parang ang dali pa makakuha ng work?? Kahit hindi nga ako qualified I still got the jobs I want. Anyone else on the same boat right now? :/

hello po! I am a working student right now, working as a service crew for almost 4 years sa isang fast food chain and currently 2nd year BS Public Ad student, gustong gusto ko na po kasi talagang mag resign sa work ko as a service crew at mag VA nalang kaso zero knowledge and no exp po ako pagdating sa VA any advice po? kung ano po dapat gawin ko, gusto ko na po talaga agad magkawork kahit mababang rate po okay lang sakin, thank you sa sasagot!

I’ve been working online since 2019. Nag-start ako na may middleman pa, then nung 2020, nag-direct client na ako. I’ve tried everything: blog writing, scriptwriting, naging EA, and now, nasa recruitment naman ako. I’m thankful for my WFH job kasi it pays the bills, nakakabili ako ng pagkain, at nakaka-afford ng luho. Pero lately, feeling ko wala nang "job security" working online.

Currently, I have one direct client and I work in a company. Pero nakaka-anxiety yung nangyayari—recently lang, isang buong department sa amin ang na-downsize (50% lay-off).

​Gusto ko na sana mag-resign due to health reasons caused by the night shift, plus yung mga bagong policies na implemented by fellow Pinoys lang din. Imagine:

​May tracking ng mouse and keyboard activity.

​Flag ka as "suspicious" kapag walang keyboard activity kahit tapos mo na lahat ng tasks mo.

Sobrang nakakadrain. Tinitiis ko lang talaga dahil kailangan ng pera, pero sobrang hirap na rin maghanap ng bagong work ngayon.

One night, during my break, napaisip ako: "Ano nang gagawin ko sa buhay?" Ang unang pumasok sa isip ko is Law School. May state uni kasi na malapit sa amin na affordable at night class lang, so feeling ko kaya ko pagsabayin sa work kahit papano.

​Actually, Med School talaga ang dream ko (BS Biology graduate ako and working-student na since SHS), pero hindi namin kaya financially. Also, as far as I know di pwede magwork while med school. But with law school, dami kong kilala na may work while studying law. Minsan 3-4x lang rin daw yung classes, nasasayo na yung sipag sa pagbabasa mo.

Hindi ko alam kung tama ba tong naiisip ko or baka nadadala lang ako ng burnout. Plan ko is to take the entrance exam muna. If pumasa, doon ako magdedecide kung itutuloy ko or kung para sa akin ba talaga to.

​I just don't feel the security in freelancing/online jobs anymore. Anyone here na nag-transition from WFH to Law School (or any other career)? Worth it ba na iwan ang digital world para sa bagong career path?

Thanks po!! 🙏

https://www.reddit.com/r/buhaydigital/comments/1s1rnyz/first_time_magkaclient/

Update from my previous post, nahire ako ng walang interview, got my first salary for 3 days. Sooooo meron pa rin talagang maayos sa OLJ.

https://preview.redd.it/47cy8smwvltg1.png?width=744&format=png&auto=webp&s=f453b2ee0b29559819b9e28e7db43205c82c9df8

Subrang mahiyain po ako, kahit sa mga interviews kinakain ako ng kaba. Pero gusto ko na mag VA. 4yrs working jn BPO voice, I've been sending applications din tapos pag may nagreach out scheduling an interview, hindi ko maharap. Sabihin nyo na po na OA kaso hindi ko talaga kaya yung face 2 face interview 😭. Paano ba sya e overcome. Ako yung tipong mas pipiliin sa bahay nlang, tahimik sa tabi, ayaw may kasama gusto lang mag isa. Pero hindi po ako depressed or ano 🥲.

May nag reach out ngayon to do an interview as Airbnb VA.

Tips po pls.

I currently work in ops for a client in NZ so day shift around 5AM-1PM. Bills are piling up and gusto ko mag clear and mag save aggressively to start a business.

I’m currently considering working nights so back to back shifts, at least for 6-12 months just to make sure may ipon, walang utang, etc.

To those of you who do this… do you have any tips? I have my own espresso machine so tipid na ako sa kape. Air con na din ung room ko and I’ll get blackout curtains once maka hanap na nang work.

I just want to get ahead para di mabaon sa bayarin in case mawala ung NZ client ko.

Sa mga nag ffreelance or virtual bookkeeper na naghhandle ng US client,
any tips po kung pano yung onboarding process nyo? May standard process kayo?

Nagssend ba kayo ng engagement letter if gusto mag proceed ni client?
Ano yung mga laman non?

Sanay ako sa firm tapos ang pinapahandle na agad monthly bookkeeping kaya mahina ako sa onboarding. Gusto ko sana mag part time pero wala akong solid na sistema or process sa pag oonboard.

If meron po dyan experienced bookkeeper na meron ng solid na process sa pag oonboard, willing po ako magbayad if di siya free. Or kung ma-gguide nyo po ako sang resources ako pwede magcheck

So there's this LinkedIn job post I applied to, na hindi nakalagay yung salary or work schedule.

During the interview, the recruiter asked me what my salary expectation was.

My answer was the same figure as my previous job.

The problem is, may set budget daw yung role at mas mataas yung amount na binigay ko.

Which I know is a tactic para makatipid ang kompanya sakaling mas mababa yung sinabi ko.

Pero on top of that, grave yard yung shift na syang iniiwasan ko.

Parehong wala sa job description.

Ba't may mga HR na may ganitiong idiotic processes.

Hindi ba nila alam na filter yung salary range at work hours for everyone involved?

Di sana hindi nasasayang yung oras ng mga applicants at ng recruiters sa interview kung simula pa lang transparent yung job description.

Super annoying.

Hello I’ve been working as a USRN virtual assistant for my employer for 4 and a half years now, this employer has a tendency to remove employees without notice by just disabling their work accounts. With 4 years working my title remained as a RN VA but was placed in QA, Intake Coordinator, RN Coordinator, Compliance and Audit, Process and Analysis Improvement. For 4 years my rate remained at $4.5/hr, 9 hour shift daily with weekends off, no leave incentives or PTO following no work no pay with no benefits. I received reports of some of our employees were being laid off without notices from the past month. Now it was my turn. No explanations, they just disabled my account.

This work has been my bread and butter. I would just like to know your thoughts and if someone has been on the same position as mine and how did you overcome it.

Hi, who's currently working at Doneverse right now? How long do you usually last to a founder? HAHAHAA is it normal na one month lang? I'm an employee na kasi but currently probi pa lang baka kasi it will affect my performance if I had just a short time with my client. Anyone? anytwo? charooot haha

I just want to share my experience and also ask for advice.

I was working under BruntWork, and my contract was suddenly terminated without any prior feedback or warning. The client never communicated any issues with my performance, so I didn’t even get a chance to improve or clarify anything. It honestly felt very abrupt and unprofessional.

What’s more frustrating is that one of the reasons I joined BruntWork was the expectation that they would help you get matched with another client if a contract ends. But so far, I haven’t received any support or updates regarding that.

It’s already been two weeks since my offboarding, and I haven’t heard back from my SSP at all. I even waited until after the holidays, but still no communication about next steps.

My biggest concern right now is my final pay. I’m currently the only one supporting my family, so this delay is really stressful. I’ve already followed up, but there’s still no clear timeline.

Has anyone experienced something similar with BruntWork?
What steps can I take if they continue to be unresponsive, especially regarding final pay?