waiting period

       It's been more than a week since I first started sending my applications to job postings in odesk and during that time, I've had 4 or 5 applications declined, and 2 interviews which turned out to be scams. I'm still awaiting results on the others. I began wondering if it usually takes this long to land a job so I visited the community forums in odesk. And what I've read so far from the discussion threads were sort of discouraging. Some contractors have been applying for weeks and even months and haven't landed their first gig yet. I started having doubts myself  if  I will ever get that first job but the stubborn part of me just refuse to believe that all my hard work, persistence, perseverance, determination, motivation, desire, and belief will amount to nothing. Who was it who said that "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"? Or is "Kapag may itinanim, may aanihin" more apt?

       Then yesterday evening, I participated in a live Q&A with a virtual assistant which was organized by Jomar Hilario. The guest was a Mr. Marvin Macatol, who was a va, among other things, and a student of Jomar. Marvin talked about his experiences as a VA, his previous jobs before that, how he started as a va, his first interview, his first gig, etc. and we learned that it took him 4 months after the Virtual Assistant Seminar before he got his first job. So! All hope is not lost after all.

       It was an enjoyable session. I had fun participating in the chats with the other participants, and with Marvin talking in the background hehe. And Jomar promised that he will have another session next month, every month in fact if  he's not busy.

       So in the meantime, I will continue to study one application/program everyday which is what I've been doing after sending my applications. I'm preparing to take another free test in odesk to add to my skills in my profile. It's really very important for a virtual assistant to have a varied set of skills because a  prospective client is always looking for someone who can help with a variety of tasks. And also, in this way, a virtual assistant will not be limited to data entry jobs.

        Fellow VAs, the only way to go is forward.

keeping my fingers crossed

Hi! As I've mentioned in my last post, I will be busy and for the past few days, I was; following Jomar's tips on making my resume better and taking more odesk tests. And now it's Monday and this morning I mustered my scattered courage, perused the more recent job postings in odesk, drafted my cover letter and when I was satisfied with it, submitted my application. I sent 4 of them. And now I'm keeping my fingers crossed. ^ - ^
And everyday, my plan is to submit at least 5 applications until I get my very first online freelance job. And everything else will follow...

busy as a bee

Hi, everyone! I'm proud to announce that I...finally submitted my va assignment yesterday morning. I asked Jomar for some feedback and he kindly gave me tips and pointers on how to improve my work and make my resume shinier. So for the next several days, I will be busy, busy, busy as a bee again. Clients clamoring for my excellent services will have to
                                                     wait some more. ^_^

Ready to Graduate!

At last! At long last. I'm done with my 10 presentations. For a while there, I thought I won't be able to finish them within 2 months. But I did! with still a few days left before deadline. hehe. Of course, Jomar Hilario, our mentor said it's okay if we're a bit late but still it's a nice feeling to be able to meet a deadline.
Now, I can breathe easier. My presentations may not be much compared to professional standards but I did spend considerable time and effort in doing them. I sacrificed sleep for them. hehe. And in the process, I discovered something about myself. That I can be committed and motivated. Good qualities of a VA. There has never been a boring day since I started on this assignment. At the end of the day, I always feel a sense of accomplishment. So thank you, Jomar for giving us this training.

How to Use SLIDE

Here's    a  great   website   for  creating  photo  slideshows that   you   can   share   with  family   and   friends on   your   social           networking sites.

                                         


Discover your artistic side.  Try SLIDE!





Ma.theresa_How to Use Slide

http://www.flickr.com/photos

How to use Carbonmade

Here's a great website for building, displaying, and managing an online portfolio. 

Carbonmade.  

You can use carbonmade to show off your design, illustration, art, or any other type of creative work.









Ma.theresa_How to Use Carbon Made

How to use Google Calendar

Keeping track of schedules too much for you?
Here's how you can make them organized. Google Calendar!
What is it? It's a free online calendar offered by Google that lets you create events, track them, and share them with others.
Let's check it out!


Ma.theresa_How to Use Google Calendar