HiveComb

When I was in third year, I remember that I needed money for my educational tour. My earnings as a TikTok affiliate were slowly growing at that time. However, I knew that it was not enough. Therefore, when I remembered that my virtual friend was asking for someone she could outsource, I contacted her. That was the time when I couldn’t ask her further since she said that she felt embarrassed about the offer. Still, I tried to ask her again if there was still a vacancy. Fortunately, I was glad that she added me to their group chat. This work only required 3–4 hours, sometimes 5 if the topic was too complex.

During our five months of work collaboration, I learned how to automate blogs across multiple websites. I also trained myself to manage my time effectively since I didn’t have a choice. My rate was ₱50 per blog and ₱30 for running it through Grammarly. I still remember that we were five backups in total, and we were randomly selected on how many articles we would produce. Since I badly needed money during my first week, I negotiated if I could get an advance payment, and we reached a deal. That’s why I was able to pay for my field trip on time. Until now, I still can’t believe that I managed to do it while juggling academics, church duties, and personal responsibilities. It was tiring, but I don’t know if it still feels worth it now.

Although we were five individuals, there was always an elimination round. Some were removed because they couldn’t produce quality articles. I think my advantage was writing blogs without relying too much on AI since I already had experience writing personal blogs. I’m not an expert, but I know how to write a decent one. Before I worked there, I used my vacation to upskill in copywriting and SEO. Because of that, I eventually became her virtual assistant, and she removed her other outsourced workers. She had already planned it beforehand since she would often rant about my co-workers and the time she had to spend correcting their work.

I ended our “work” relationship when I got busy with my full-time job before. Take note that she referred me to her another client. We even had an agreement to work four hours for her current client where I worked, but it didn’t push through. But yeah, I declined it as I became extremely busy handling our thesis. Plus, she changed her mind due to trust issues with one of her previous outsourced workers. I won’t go into detail since I don’t want to fuel any drama.

Anyway, she replaced me with someone who lived near their house. She mentioned that she wanted me to work in their place, but I’m from Luzon while she’s in the Visayas. I don’t know the gender of her new assistant, but that worker was eventually terminated as well. She mentioned in our group chat that it was due to frequent errors and not following instructions. That’s the downside of hiring an incompetent freelancer, and she said she had already given multiple chances. Right now, she’s handling everything alone full-time, and I think that’s why she has been inactive in our group chat. I’m sure she needs help, but she’s still considering different factors. Of course, I respect that since she’s protecting her privacy and boundaries.

It was my best job because it leveled up my experience as a writer. I sometimes miss working with her since she wasn’t very strict. All she cared about was the quality and quantity of my output. There was no time tracker, and she was very considerate, especially since I was still studying. This is very different from my first direct client, who was too strict but offered very low pay. Many of my virtual friends told me that I should find work again since I already have experience. However, I want to take a different path where I have full control over what I do.

As of the moment, I’m busy building my TikTok affiliate account, YouTube Shorts, and YouTube long-form content. I’m also planning to delve into creating Facebook posts where I already have a brand. Moreover, I’m working on my digital products. I also have a blog here where I still earn, even if it’s just a few cents.