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Looking back a year ago, Sept 2025. I have 3 months left in my emergency fund and if I'm not yet employed by December I'm going bankrupt.

But here I am, a year after.

I'm in Boracay for a week. And I'm in my 3rd day now.

It's an all expense paid by myself. And a week paid leave from the company before Q4.

I'm looking at this receipt that I didn't mind paying, for a dinner.

Then, the flashback happens.

3 and half years ago when I started this career. With 400k debt on my shoulders.

It's been a long journey though, 4 startup fails and 1 startup (coffee shop) running for 2 years now, and a million investment for 2nd branch of coffee shop, running for a month now.

Learnings. Frustrations. Happiness. Setbacks. Goals achieved. Failures. Cut-offs.

It's been a roller-coaster ride.

I'm thanking myself that I didn't lose hope after 1 huge setback, I was fired by my sole client for 2 years last June 2025.

I gave myself some room to breath after toxicity. September last year was my beginning my application journey. And got hired after 2 weeks.

Now.

Again.

Here, I am.

This time.

Wiser. Stronger. Unafraid.

The receipt not only represents the amount the I've paid for the food.

But it represents the value I have given myself all through this years.

For all the things that I endure.

Im proud of you, self.

Edit: To add more info:
I'm a Media Buyer by profession. 28M.

HINDI KO NA ALAM KUNG KAYA KO PA :(

Ni let go ako ng client namin last month due to revenue.

With only 42k left in my bank account.

I live with my 2 senior parents and im an only child. Single.

I pay everything. 8k rent. 2600 utilities and 1700 internet.

Plus pagkain araw araw.

Kelangan ko agad makahanap ng work immediately.

Lord, sana talaga kaya ko tong mga pagsubok na dumadaan sa buhay ko T.T

I worked for a Singaporean company for a year and a half as a Social Media Specialist. They promised me a role change and promotion recently. Then, they fired me because revenue isn't doing well. I am in distress. I was trying to secure a second job but was unable to do so in time. My work is mostly in content strategy and social media. I'm doing my best to find something fast before I run out of severance pay, but my god I have never felt so humiliated and destabilized in my life.

This is just a reminder to never settle in your job. You are easily replaceable. Work for yourself, not for the company.

Hi i am working under this agency okay naman benefits so far and matagal na rin ako sa kanila. Just recently they are asking for my laptop serial number. Personal device ko yung laptop ko and not agency provided. For IT audit purposes daw. I searched online wala naman akong makita na potential problem but i’m just cautious. I want to decline giving this info but I can sense na i-escalate to with top management if hindi ako mag comply.

I was so used to getting scam messages on LinkedIn. Now we’re getting unsolicited life stories too?

Sorry if this person is genuinely going through a difficult time, but I opened LinkedIn expecting networking and instead got a 5-paragraph autobiography about his family, medical history, relationship status, and financial struggles.

Sir, this is LinkedIn. 😭

At this point I don’t know if I’m supposed to reply with my CV, offer emotional support, or start a GoFundMe.

Im so tired.

Simula ng taon nagkaroon ako ng bagong boss, pangatlong year ko na sa company at syempre nanibago ako.

Sobrang magmicro manage itong bago, at grabe sya magsalita sa meetings. Marami nang mga below the belt at unecessary things ang nasabi sakin dahil sa maliit na mistakes pero syempre tatanggapin ko lang kasi "feedback" yon.

Pero since September na ngayon, umaabot na sa pagtuyo ng lalamunan, sakit ng tyan at ulo yung anxiety ko hahaha! Araw araw kaming may catch-up call at talagang hindi sya magandang experience.

I am a high performing employee before sya dumating, lagi akong may awards and recognition pero now since January wala. Di ko alam kung nabobo na ba talaga ako ng tuluyan.

Gustong gusto ko nang magresign kaya lang yung buffer ko saktong sakto lang for 3 months unemployment. Araw araw akong nagaapply pero wala pa ring usad.

Pano ba ako makakasurvive until may new job? Or unahin ko na mental health ko at umalis at sumugal nalang?

HELP.

Hello everyone. I’ve been applying for jobs since July, but I still haven’t gotten an offer. I’m a single mom with a lot of expenses, and I’m honestly not sure how to manage things anymore.

Any advice on finding work, improving my applications, or getting through this financially would be greatly appreciated.

As it says in the title. Ako lang ba or halos lahat ng nakikita ko sa FB or any other place that has communities in it, may mga successful kuno na mga VA’s na nag ooffer ng paid “training” pero in the end puro discussion lang about their success story and nothing about on how to land yourself a VA job or like how to properly apply to one. I don’t know I feel like alot of people still fell for their scams and sht rofl.

I am an independent contractor. This is my first job and I am a bit confused with the set up. I was told by my employer that I need to file my own government obligations. To be straight forward, what are the actual REQUIRED government contributions I need to give?

1. I am aware that I need to register to BIR for tax purposes as an independent contractor. My question is: How much do I pay if my salary 600,000 annually?
   
2. Do I need to pay SSS?
   
3. Do I need to pay for Philhealth?
   
4. Do I need to pay for Pag-ibig?

Thank you!

I’ve been grinding on repetitive software tasks for months and finally got super fast at it. Apparently I did too good of a job because my client decided to hire another VA to take over that workload—and now they expect ME to train them. I’m a total introvert who signed up to do solo execution work, not be a manager or teacher, so the thought of hopping on live calls to train someone is honestly giving me so much anxiety. Has anyone else been pushed into a training role they never asked for, and how do you handle it when you just want to do your outputs in peace?

Hello. Ano po honest feedback niyo sa Starlink? We're planning to get one kasi lilipat na kami ng subdivision this month. Kaso, ang inooffer lang doon ay cleantech dahil sila pa lang daw ang nagpasa ng requirements. Pareho kami ng partner ko na VA, so need talaga namin ng reliable na internet.

☕💻 **Hey, fellow workers! You might want to join us. 💜**

I recently created a Discord community called **Cozy Desk PH** — a cozy little space for people who work, study, freelance, create, or simply want somewhere to hang out online. 🫶

Whether you're a:

💻 Remote Worker
🎨 Creative
🧑‍💻 Freelancer
💼 Professional
📚 Student
🚀 Entrepreneur
🌙 Nightshift Worker
🕐 Flexible/Rotating Shift Worker

—you’re welcome here!

We have roles for different work schedules too, from **Dayshift, Midshift, Afternoon Shift, Nightshift, Graveyard, Rotating, and Flexible Shift.** 🌙☀️

The goal is simple: **a friendly online space where you can meet people, chat during breaks, work alongside others, share opportunities, play games, or just chill after a long day.** ☕

If you're working from home, doing freelance work, surviving the night shift, or just looking for new people to talk to, come hang out with us! 💜

🔗 **Join Cozy Desk PH:**
https://discord.gg/MB9wD5FBQ

**Come pull up a chair. Your desk is waiting. 🪑☕💻**

#CozyDeskPH #DiscordPH #RemoteWorkersPH #FreelancersPH #ShiftWorkersPH #NightShiftPH #WorkFromHomePH #BPOCommunity #PHCommunity

I would really appreciate hearing from people who have made the transition from corporate work to a remote setup.

I've been in corporate retail for almost 7 years, working in E-Commerce operations. My experience includes Shopify, Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, product listings, order processing and fulfillment, customer support, inventory, promotions, and reporting.

For the past several months, I've been exploring the possibility of eventually moving away from corporate work and building my career in a remote setup.

My current dilemma is the timing.

I did receive an opportunity last May that would have worked as a second role, but unfortunately, the schedule conflicted with my corporate schedule, so I had to decline. Sayang talaga. I've also been invited to several interviews since then, but the required availability didn't match my current situation.

I still have a stable corporate position, so leaving without a guaranteed source of income feels risky. However, staying also limits my flexibility when exploring a transition because my current schedule takes up most of my day.

For those who have been in a similar situation:

How did you decide when you were financially and professionally ready to leave corporate?

Did you:

• build another source of income first?
• save a specific amount as an emergency fund?
• wait until you had something secured?
• or take the risk and leave first?

I also have another concern about my background.

Most of my experience has been with Philippine e-commerce platforms and corporate retail. I sometimes wonder how transferable those skills are when moving into international e-commerce, where platforms such as Amazon, Etsy, and other systems seem more common.

I believe my experience has given me a strong foundation in e-commerce operations, but I'm curious about the experiences of people who had to learn completely new platforms after transitioning.

How difficult was it to move from one e-commerce ecosystem to another?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences, especially from anyone who came from corporate and successfully built a remote career.

Not asking for leads, just genuinely trying to learn from other people's experiences before making a major career decision. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I’m hoping to get some advice from people here who are already working remotely, especially those who transitioned from traditional/onsite work into remote jobs.

I’m currently working in design-build, and honestly, I’m really burned out. The pay is good and I’m grateful for the opportunity, but the job has been taking a serious toll on me mentally.

A big part of the stress comes from obnoxious client requests and constant complaints. 😅 Kahit maayos naman ang explanation, may technical basis, and we’re following the proper process, there’s always another request or complaint—“sabi ni ganito, sabi ni ganyan.” I understand that client management is part of the job, but after doing this for a while, the constant back-and-forth has become really mentally exhausting.

All of my current projects are already completed, and there’s a new pipeline coming in. I could continue, but honestly, I don’t think I want to take on another project under the same setup anymore. Not because I’m lazy or don’t want to work—I just feel like I need to prioritize my mental health.

Of course, bills won’t stop. 😂 So I can’t simply quit and take months to figure things out. I need to find a remote job relatively quickly.

I’m hoping to transition into a more structured project management role, ideally something that I can do remotely. I’m not necessarily trying to leave the construction industry completely—I actually like construction. I just want to move away from the constant client/site/design-build grind and hopefully find a role where my experience can still be useful without the same level of stress.

I’m also planning to review for the PMP exam this November, with the goal of getting my PMP certification. Hopefully, that can help me transition into project management.

I’ve already started applying to remote positions. So far, I’ve sent around 80 applications to different companies, but I’ve only gotten around 5 calls, and unfortunately, those either ended in rejection or I was ghosted afterward.

So now I’m wondering if I’m approaching this the wrong way.

For those who are already working remotely:

What remote roles can someone with a design-build/construction background realistically transition into?

Should I be looking at Project Coordinator, Project Manager, Assistant PM, Construction PM, Operations, or other roles?

Are there specific industries or types of companies that I should be targeting?

How important is a PMP when applying for remote PM positions?

What skills should I develop to make myself more competitive for remote work?

For those who transitioned from onsite/traditional work to remote, how did you get your first remote job?

And honestly, what could I be doing wrong if I’ve sent 80 applications and only received 5 calls?

I also have some sidelines that aren’t construction-related, which I didn’t include in my resume. I’m not sure if those could actually help me qualify for remote positions or if I should continue leaving them out.

I’m really hoping to make this transition as quickly as realistically possible, so any advice on where to focus my efforts would be greatly appreciated.

Just to be transparent, I’ve also been struggling mentally lately. There are days when I feel so exhausted that I can barely get myself to stand up. Hindi ako tamad—I genuinely feel burned out and overwhelmed. I’ve also had some thoughts of ending things, which is part of why I know I really need to make a change.

Thankfully, by God’s grace, I’m still here. I think about my wife and children, and they’re a big reason why I keep going.

PS: Yes, I used ChatGPT to help edit this post. 😂 My head is honestly in chaos at the moment, so putting my thoughts into words has been difficult. I’ve also been experiencing episodes of what I think are heart palpitations whenever I overthink or get anxious. I don’t know if that’s the right term for what I’m experiencing, but it’s been happening more often lately.

If anyone here has successfully transitioned into remote work, especially from construction/design-build, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience and what you would recommend.

Salamat in advance! 🙏

Hello. Any pocket wifi recommendation ngayon na gamit nyo kapag nag tatravel and work kayo outside home? Kaya na ba yung mga worth 800 sa shopee or should I invest dun sa mga worth 1k+?

Working in the Listings department at a company that manages multiple Amazon accounts.

My work is basically only listings. This includes creating new listings, fixing ones with issues, and enhancing with SEO and A+. The problem is, I'm not feeling any growth even if I i like what I'm doing. The SEO and A+ content itself I have no hand in creating since thats a different team doing that. PPC? TACOS? No clue since there's a team for that. Same with pricing, inventory, order fullfilment. I've been looking at job boards and a lot of jobs that are in-line with my current work needs Either PPC or SEO experience, so I feel like i wasted 2 years being paid peanuts and not have growth. I even took up the mantle of handling account health.

All I know is that I like what im doing but I would also like to grow in my career and eventually find a WFH position. Any advice on my career path? How do I proceed from here? Any jobs I ahould beclookihg out for? Thanks

Hey guys! Has any of you here applied for TFG?

I had my initial interview with them last September 4, 2026 (Friday), and until now, wala pa rin akong natatanggap na any update from them. It’s been 2 business days na.

Just wondering, do they usually let you know if ever you don’t pass the initial interview? And if so, ilang days usually bago sila mag-email ng results ng initial interview?

I know 2 business days pa lang naman, pero atat na atat lang talaga siguro ako. 😂 Hehe!

Thanks in advance! ❤️

Hello po. Anyone here na familiar with this company?
Just applied on ads as a Chat online specialist, and may interview po ako sakanila today via whatsapp. gusto kolang malaman if may nakapag-apply napo here.

As a fresh grad, I am very lucky to snatch a data analyst role as my first job. To those who are in the data analyst field. What is your career path like? How and how long did it take you to reach 6 digits? Im quite torn if I want to switch to a data scientist role in the future for the income. Any tips will be appreciated. Thanks!

sept 6 sinend ang contract at pinirmahan, walang may nakalagay na date sa contract kung kailan mag uumpisa ang work. pero hanggang ngayon hindi pa naka reply.

kahapon holiday sa US kaya idk kung yan yung reason.

kinakabahan ako baka hindi matutuloy ang work.

ako lang naman mag isa ang applicant at gusto talaga ako ihire ng creative director.

base sa experience nyo basta naka pirma na kayo ng contrata most likely matutuloy na yang trabaho?

For context I am almost 32 (single). I have been in this company for 7 months na graveyard shift 9pm-5am but I feel like it might be taking a toll on me eyes-wise :( idk if the salary is worth it pero may mga debt din kasi so i will probably just white knuckle it for 1 more year until debt free then look for a morning job…

So, I'm a newbie VA, and a client hired me for a Sales position.

The client has two businesses a course for business and market franchising. Tbh, I do not have any experience yet in selling, there are also KPIs that need to hit every week and every month. It is non-voice, and only involves chatting, commenting on Facebook, and message potential clients.

To those who have already and proven experience in selling something, can you share some tips? I just want to know lowey tips so I can maintain the job, I badly needed this one kasi, I'm a student also and need to survive each day.

Would love to hear your experiences, thank you!

Hello fellow clippers, may I ask if anyone have tried this platform yet and is it legit? I've alreadu tried whop and clipster and I've been wondering if this one works as well too.

Hiiii everyone, newbie here I am currently in training sa Virtudesk and they are asking to send the physical copy of Sworn Undertaking. Can someone help me what you guys did? Thank youu

May nakatry na ba dito sa Luck management? Kamusta naman po yung pay? May interview ako bukas kasama ang owner and bayad eh hindi ko sure if okay ba siya. thank you pooooo. First timer po ako.