Nursing to Freelancing: Career Crossroads

Hello, I’m Stef, a Filipino Nurse and a Freelancer. So, you’re probably wondering why freelancing? Why decide to work home base? Well here’s my story.

I’ve worked as a phlebotomist/laboratory medical assistant and a nurse for almost 6 years. Although it was professionally fulfilling, the compensation does not say otherwise. In the Philippines, working as a nurse is a stepping stone for a brighter career outside the country. That has always been my goal. I had all my plans laid out for me. Work to gain experience, get married, go abroad, and bring my family after a few years.

2016 came, I gave birth to a beautiful daughter named Una, then everything changes.

Motherhood? Or Career? Working abroad or staying? It was my dilemma. Serving in the medical field has always been a passion to me. But I’m a family person and taking care of them personally is a dream come true. How would I reconcile that?

When I Decided to Work Home Base

Author Paul Jun, in his article about Career Crossroad talks about questions to consider when facing this situation. I used these questions to enlighten me in my decision. Let me walk you through on how I did it.

1. Who will I become if I take this opportunity?

As Paul states it, answering this question means “ How will this contribute to my life’s goals? How does this connect to my values, my mission, and what I stand for? The question behind the question is about understanding what kind of decision you’re about to make and the path it’s putting you on, he explained.

In relation to that, when I was contemplating to work again, the option of going abroad was not on the table anymore since I decided to personally attend to my family’s need.

Having decided on that note, I’ve been hearing about working at home but haven’t been considering it not until my own crossroad happened. Plus I have my own theories on working home base, like someone has to be "techy," well-verse with computers, and has an IT background, etc. And guess what? None of those are my skills or background. But pondering upon the question, I can’t help but answer that the opportunity to work home base will make me a better mother and wife since I will be staying in the house 24/7, giving me more time to spend with them. Above all, I can personally take care of my daughter and not somebody else which usually happens to working moms.

2. What is the opportunity cost of this opportunity?

It is very important to weigh opportunity cost especially in dealing with career crossroads. “If I will not work abroad then what kind of work will I consider aside from nursing (since it is not satisfying in terms of pay rate) but still medically related if I stay here in the Philippines?” That has been puzzling me for a time and most of the people around me would say that I should try working home base. My next query was, “ So what does a home base work in store for a nurse and new doting mother like me?”

For months I’ve been browsing over the net when I stumbled upon Filipino Virtual Assistance managed by Coach Grace Locsin. They offer guided training for those who wanted to venture in freelancing doing virtual assistance home base and they will not leave you until you have your first client. It’s a good deal right? Some of the things I learned from my training was Virtual Assistant set-up, Social Media Management and Marketing, Website Creation and Design, Content Writing and Marketing, SEO, and a lot more. For a newbie like me, it was the just the right kind of training to gain knowledge, skills and support I needed. I never thought that I could brand myself as virtual medical assistant. Not until I opened my heart to this opportunity. And here is the best part, I created my very first website, The Virtual Nars. Not in my wildest dream did I thought I can make that. Freelancing pave the way not just to upgrade my skills but develop myself and defy my own sets of limitations.

3. What frames are around my options?

According to Paul, The placement of “frames” around a potential decision influences how you act and what you can or cannot see. When you remove those frames for just a moment, you begin to see possibilities that didn’t exist before. To begin with, when I was still single, I said to myself that I would never be a housewife. Remember my goal? To go abroad and work there. But then I became one and it transformed me to the point of setting aside my personal dreams. Why? Because growing up, this was something I miss. You see, my mother was a career woman and although I cannot discredit all that she has done for us, there are days when I would still wish we could have spend more time during my formative years.

This realization made me reevaluate what kind of future I wanted for myself and my family. When the norm dictates that working abroad as a nurse would spell a big difference, would I conform? I’m not devaluing what my colleagues are doing because I salute them for their sacrifices. But it all boils down to the kind of life I desire. I never thought of this before but family life changes everything. It reframes the way I see career in relation to family as a whole.

4. What sacrifices do I need to make if I take this opportunity?

Choosing to work home base was out of my comfort zone. This is not my cup of tea. So I have to adapt to new skills, be trained (like what I did when I enrolled in Filipino Virtual Assistance) and gain experience. Now that’s a big sacrifice. It’s like starting all over again. But then as Paul said, “ When we laser-focus on the short-term discomfort, we willfully ignore the long-term gains. Challenging your biggest comfort zone and making difficult sacrifices is simply a part of life.” And it’s true. Since I wanted a life that gives family a priority, I have to make a choice. To me this means to go freelance and work home base.

5. Is it worth it?

I think this validates every question. For me, lost time with my loved ones could never be brought back. I cannot withhold that from my daughter and to myself. The opportunity to see the “firsts” in her growing years, the privilege of giving her an immediate hug and kisses when she cries, moments where I can savor her admiration of me as the best mommy in the world, being able to give her guidance in her formative years and helping her shape a strong foundation in life, makes every sacrifices worth it.

That’s why my decision to go freelance and work home base became easy. I see it now, not as a career change, but as a career progression. From nursing to really “nursing my family,” freelancing has opened the door for me to the life I desire.

How about you? Still hesitant on working home base?

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