It is a fact that finishing freelancing course portfolios is not as easy as it looks like. I’ve seen a lot of posts in our Facebook page, and a lot of messages in our group chat that, almost if not all, full-time employees are struggling to balance their time between their full-time work and finishing their portfolios. And I am not an exemption. I am certainly not done with all of my portfolios just like most full-time employees in our batch do.
I am a full-time employee in one of the schools here in Namibia, a country in the Southern region of the African continent. I am the principal for the high school department, one of the mathematics teachers, and at the same time the head of examination center for the upcoming national examinations for Grade 11 and 12 in November to December 2020. You can just imagine the volume of work I have to do every single day. But why did I decide to enroll in an online freelancing course? Do I even have the time? Yes, of course, I do.
Time Management is the key. You see, when I am at school, I do not open my freelancing lessons at all. I only focus on my school work during the day. I finish everything that I can in a day, without putting too much pressure on myself. I prefer to work on my portfolios without thinking too much of schoolwork so that I can focus. And I advise others to do the same.
When I get home from school and during weekends, that is when I work on my freelancing portfolios. I highly consider my online freelancing course as
my second job, and that our lovely coach Julmar Grace Locsin, is my immediate supervisor.
Before I started working on my portfolios, I told myself, I have to finish one portfolio per day. But things did not work out as planned. I never realized just how much time you need to invest in your portfolios. And one day is not enough.
I started working on my portfolios as soon as the first live coaching session ended. I still remember that was on the 6th of September. I did not know that we can start right away as soon as we get access to the lessons. So, I pretty much, started a bit late, I should say.
The portfolios for week 1 were simple, except for portfolio 3’s video introduction. And I know a lot of you will agree with me. For a person who is not used to facing the camera, the struggle is real. I had to skip that part and move on with the other portfolios. But yes, I have already submitted it since. I got my Upwork profile approved during that week too.
When we had our live coaching session 2 on 13th September, that was when the realization kicked in. Honestly speaking, I enrolled in FVA’s Freelancing Course because as a contract worker in a foreign land, I feared losing my job here in Namibia and getting sent home with nothing for my family. Everyone else is losing their jobs, losing their businesses left and right. I’ve seen stories all over social media platforms, and it stressed me a lot. I knew I did the right thing being enrolled in this course.
During that unforgettable coaching session with coach Grace, she asked us “What is your biggest why?” I thought it was the fear of losing my job. But it wasn't. It was definitely the dream of getting reunited with my family once again, after five long years. As she was coaching, I felt the emptiness within me. And I realized just how much I miss my whole family, my loving parents, my siblings, and my two beautiful children. She has made me realize that there is nothing more important in one’s life than spending your life with the people you cherish the most. That was when I decided I must start working from home.
With that coaching session still in my mind, I finished week 2 portfolios with a light heart. Though the submission was a bit late, I was happy that I managed to finish it.
Week 3 portfolios? Anyone? How about Week 4 portfolios? Well, I’m still working on week 3 portfolios. And I am not giving up now. I have come this far. I am this close to becoming a general virtual assistant. I am ready to start offering my services. For a full-time employee, being able to manage your time between these two important tasks is already a great achievement.
My target is to finish all the 15 compulsory portfolios and be able to submit them before 25th October 2020. I aim to get the Gold Certificate for my freelancing course. For the bonus lessons, I will also work on them as hard as I am currently working on my 15 portfolios.