How does your Filipino virtual admin assistant spend her daily core hours?
We’ve featured Online Filipino Specialists (OFS) who are also business owners, influencers, VA coaches, and so on. Their work for their online employers plays a huge part in helping them achieve their big offline dreams.
This time, meet Jana, an administrative assistant for a Maryland-based medical training provider. Jana is a full-time student at Arellano University. She’s now undergoing an internship process, which means that she’s only one step away from getting her college degree. This degree was hard-won as Jana paid her way through college from her earnings as a virtual admin assistant.
A Virtual Admin Assistant’s Secret Weapon
Jana’s ability to balance her studies, a full-time job, and family commitments is impressive. A key factor in her success is sticking to a daily routine. She manages her time well to ensure that she still gets enough rest in between her various commitments. She has her time management down to a T.
A daily routine is something that highly efficient online Filipino specialists practice. This allows them to focus on their tasks and ensure that their expected outputs are submitted at the expected time. A common daily routine would be:
- Morning routine: Wake up, do some self-care, then check emails and messages and plan the day
- Core work hours: Most OFS set their working hours starting at around 7-8 AM up to 5 or 6 PM. However, this is often adjusted based on client needs and personal preferences. Just like in Jana’s case wherein her core work hours fall at night in the Philippines from 10 PM to 7 AM.
- Wrap-up: This is usually the evening routine where the OFS reviews their pending tasks and plans for the next day. It’s also the time when mom and dad VAs spend quality time with their kids, meet up with friends, or do their hobbies.
Jana’s case is different, it’s more hectic because she’s also a working student. Her core hours also include a full-time internship. This highlights the importance of education for Filipinos. They would do almost anything just to get a degree.
Jana: The Virtual Admin Assistant x Working Student
Working students: it’s a tale as old as time in the Philippines.
The data obtained from a Labor Force Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that at least 1.10 million individuals 17 years old and below in the Philippines are working either part-time or full-time jobs. While this data includes individuals who may not be enrolled in formal education, it gives us an idea of the number of young individuals who are balancing work and studies.
In the past, working students could mostly be found assisting in Dean’s offices, working as part-time crew members at fast-food places or servers and dishwashers at carinderias, and so on. These jobs are physically taxing, which often causes some students to lose focus on their studies. Most of these working students often do not take up full study loads per semester. They just take a few units at a time to make sure that, firstly, they can afford it, and second, they’d have enough energy for it after a long day at work.
Online work has significantly changed the landscape for Filipino working students. It’s quite common now to see students working as social media managers, graphic designers, and even full-time virtual assistants.
Some of the benefits that they get from working online include:
- Flexibility – online work allows students to work at their own pace and schedule, making it easier to balance studies and work. In some cases, students may provide their employers copies of their school schedule to set the right expectations on their availability.
- More opportunities – students can access a wider range of online jobs, regardless of their geographic location.
- Skill development – online work often requires strong time management, communication, and technical skills. This prepares working students for the realities of adulthood.
- Financial independence – online work provides a stable income source. In Jana’s case, she’s not only financing her own education. She’s also helping her siblings out.
Jana’s story is a testament to the Filipinos’ determination to obtain a good education despite all the challenges that they may face. By working online, they are empowered and are better equipped to balance studies, financial needs, and personal goals. As the digital landscape continues to expand, online work will remain a significant pathway for Filipinos to achieve their aspirations.
By hiring an online Filipino specialist, you are not only taking a step towards reaching your goals for your business. You may also be helping out a Filipino student in taking small steps to achieve their big dreams. Did you like Jana’s story? Read more about how working online has changed the lives of OFS, like how this Bookkeeper OFS Crafts Freedom and Success.
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