I highly believe that actions speak louder than words and that they come with great consequences and responsibilities. Before I worked for RareJob, I was one of the single parents who sacrificed precious time with their children just to give them the life they deserve—a sad reality of being an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). However, I realized that I can stand my ground as a single mother, as well as a dreamer and a worker, which is why I decided to find an opportunity that will help me provide for the needs of my daughter without having to leave the country. That’s how I became part of the RareJob Family.

I’ve been with RareJob for almost five years now. My journey with them began in 2016. Sure, I was hesitant at first since everything was new to me, but I still gave it a shot even though the only thing I knew about it was that it was an institution specializing in English as a Second Language (ESL). Little did I know that I will be working for the top ESL company here in the country. RareJob allowed me to showcase my skills and views as an Evaluator. As evaluators, we are working hand in hand with the Recruitment Team in hiring tutors. Usually, we spend our time dealing with very dedicated tutor applicants who also dream of sharing their skills and passion for teaching.

Working from home is not that new to me. A few acquaintances of mine who currently have adapted the setup encouraged me to try it because of the benefits it offers. However, I favor the traditional setup more, so it never crossed my mind that I will be working from home anytime soon. But in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, we were advised to shift from an office setup to the comforts of our homes to reduce the risk of the employees contracting the virus. As part of our department’s skeletal workforce, I need to ensure that our team can provide continuous operations by doing extra work to fill in the gap due to this sudden change.

Looking back as to when we first started the shift up until now, I can say that I have become more productive. It enabled me to work a true full shift as I can start early in the morning, without having to keep in mind the duration of my daily commute, with the tasks that are assigned to me. However, it has been a challenge for everyone to change the way we act or think and live, especially when we’ve been accustomed to another way of life for a long period of time. I was fortunate enough to be able to work comfortably, especially now that we’re all experiencing different conflicts. But then again, there will be times that the situation and luck won’t be on our side. Like what my manager told us, being able to work from home is a double-edged sword—staying comfortably at home, we are still able to go on and accomplish our tasks. We should still take on the challenge and accept this situation as an opportunity.

There were also times when my patience was tested; fluctuating internet connection and unusual noises are some of the uncontrollable situations I always face. I even transformed my room into an office so that I am able to concentrate more, and luckily, my daughter has adapted to this quite well! Moreover, I practiced being a “girl scout” – this has been my nickname among friends since I am always prepared for anything, and I maintain the mindset of anticipating the worst-case scenario to make sure that I am ready to take on any unforeseen circumstance. As an advantage, I get to see my daughter and watch her from time to time, which helped me teach her the relevance of my responsibility and accountability through my work

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people don’t easily quit even when committing mistakes” – these are the words I always tell myself to be motivated and do better. Being consistently nominated as an employee of the year really thrills me because all of my efforts have been recognized by other people and the company. However, it had never crossed my mind that one day, I will be the owner of this title because, for me, being nominated alone is more than enough.

So the moment I knew that I won, my heart was filled with different emotions, but gratefulness is certainly the feeling that stood out the most. That whole night, I was so overwhelmed and was trying to absorb whether it was a dream or reality. This award not only gave me a title and an image to take care of, but it has also impacted and boosted my confidence as a person. It helped me become more productive knowing that people see me as someone who works hard and is determined enough to accomplish my duties. I always reflect on my actions whenever I think and make decisions, and gladly, these things led me to the right path that I have always dreamt of.

“That we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do it is increased.” (Ralph Emerson Waldo).

No action is small and no contribution is left unrecognized. Always do your best, keep on dreaming, and pull yourself together to make it come true. All of us are dreamers, but only a few of us will leap into the pool of those dreams, whether we know how to swim or not.

Being a company that allows its employees to have a well-balanced social and professional life made me stay with RareJob. Most importantly, as a mother, RareJob allowed me to still fulfil my responsibilities to my daughter while completing and achieving my duties and tasks. The company always makes sure that our physical, social, and mental batteries weren’t burned out too much. And the company stayed true to its vision: “Chances for everyone, everywhere.” Not only was I given the chance to work and provide for my family’s needs, but I also had the opportunity to work with a group of individuals who offer a healthy working environment that makes me feel respected and at home.