Becoming a Work at Home Mom: Things Every Mom Should Know

Working from home is indeed a wonderful chance for moms to pursue their career, while also taking good care of their families at home.

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By: Katherine Marfal-Teves

A lot of moms have chosen to work from home and it has become a growing trend. Because, why not? Working from home offers a number of perks to moms, so who would not wish to join in on the trend?

Ella, a chat support/virtual assistant for 5 years, loves working from home because it allows her to wake up 15 minutes before her shift, lie down and watch TV while working, save up on extra food expenses, and receive weekly pay in dollars. It’s also a delight for her that she doesn’t need to put on make-up and come up and wear office attires — and more importantly, it allows her more time to spend with her daughter.

If you’re considering trying out for an online career, here are a few things you should know:

  • There are vast job opportunities online. Clients abroad are constantly looking for virtual employees to get jobs done for them. Gone are the days when online workers fear of falling victim to various scams because there are legitimate recruiting sites like Upwork and Elance, both of whom have long proven that they are credible and professional in hiring online employees.
  • The compensation that a virtual worker can receive is also at par with the salary of an office-based employee—or sometimes even higher.  An online employee is paid per hour. The average hourly rate for newbies in Upwork is $8-10 per hour. Some are paid weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on their agreement with their employers. Payment methods include wire transfer and bank deposit.
  • The salary of an online employee is also commensurate with his or her skill level and experience. This is why Upwork, for example, has set the bar higher when it comes to approving profiles of online workers. This is a good thing because it promotes competitiveness alive in the online community.
  • Some of the most in-demand jobs online now are for virtual assistants, customer representatives, English teachers, social media managers, writers, proofreaders, and graphic designers, among others.
  • The application process also happens online wherein applicants submit their CV and take necessary tests. But unlike the tedious application process for office-based jobs, online applicants can receive feedback within the day or the next — and start as soon as they passed the screening process.
  • Online workers can have 1 to 2 rest days.
  • Requirements for online employment are also easy to prepare. All you need is a computer or laptop with stable internet connection (some jobs require at least 8 Mbps), a noise-canceling headset, and a conducive space for working. Some jobs may require you to install certain software.
  • Remote employees have to process their applications and pay for government-mandated benefits like SSS, Pag-Ibig, and Philhealth themselves. Although some clients/employers offer to shoulder these benefits as well.
  • Online employers can also meet their Filipino employees once in a while for team building activities, or even lunch or dinner out just to make their working relationship more personal. I know one virtual assistant who was given a vacation package by her employer when the client visited the Philippines.

Working from home is indeed a wonderful chance for moms to pursue their career, while also taking good care of their families at home. With proper time management and support from their husbands, a work-from-home arrangement can allow moms to work for a living while also spending more time with their kids.

Katherine Marfal-Teves is a mom to a 3-year-old future heartthrob and building blocks artist. She would love to know herself more through her poems, stories, and articles.

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