Covid-19: A Challenge That Brings Opportunities
The story of a person that shifts from office work to full-time remote work
“In March 2020, when COVID-19 started to spread, my company closed. I suddenly became unemployed ... "
Lisa Nguyen has had 10 years of experience in marketing for both individual and corporate clients. Her marketing job at her company was quite stable, until the outbreak of COVID-19 began in February 2020. Due to the impact of the pandemic, her previous company was forced to close. All employees - including her, therefore, lost their jobs. So, from March 2020, Lisa started her job search amid a stressful pandemic.
Like many others, she posted her CVs on job search sites, LinkedIn, ... Finally, thanks to the recommendation of a friend, she found the remote job portal Waw Asia. On this website, she found out about a Marketing Manager job at a company in Ireland. So in May 2020, she started her first remote job at an Irish company amidst COVID-19.
Determined to seize the opportunity despite many difficulties
"Honestly, at that time I did not spend too much time considering, because I needed a job", she recalled. But it was not an easy decision for her either. This is because working remotely for a foreign business means working with a team halfway around the world, with different time zones, different languages, different mindsets, and different cultures.
Above all, the labor contract of overseas companies is very different compared to working for a Vietnamese company. However, Lisa is determined to go for it since the opportunity to work with an overseas team is a valuable experience to explore her new potentials as well as improve her skills and expertise, especially when many people are still struggling to find a job because of the epidemic. "I did not mind working on-site or remotely. When the opportunity came, I just decided to make the most of it", she said.
Remote work - "gain" and "lose"
When working remotely, working time and space are much more flexible. As a dynamic person, Lisa can go all the way to a mountainous area to work or even work while going on a trip. What the company cares about is the results, not when and where we do it. What she enjoys most is the foreign company's respect for diversities and the open mindset.
This has helped her to overcome the initial barriers of cultural, language, and time zone differences when working from Vietnam. "At my company, there are no right or wrong options, only the most optimal, most suitable option”. Hence, even though there are times when she has to work until 2 - 3 A.M due to the time zone difference, she is always satisfied with her remote job.
Covid-19 - Overcoming challenges, seizing opportunities
The outbreak of Covid-19 marked the emergence of remote work, especially in Asia. Facing remote job opportunities, many people are still afraid of insufficient English and expertise to work remotely, especially working remotely with foreign companies. However, according to Lisa, the employer will choose the most suitable candidates, not the best ones. Not everyone is suitable for remote work - a job that requires self-discipline, self-motivation if you want to commit to it for a long time.
Besides, when considering switching to remote work, each individual also needs to learn about the corporate culture to ensure that he or she is suitable with their culture and way of thinking. If so, although there are some difficulties in working remotely, in general, it will be a great experience to upgrade your skills and expertise at work.
Up to this point, Lisa is still working as a remote employee for her company. “By far, I’ve always been satisfied with my job. I’m so lucky to have a stable job and expected salaries amid the pandemic - a turbulent period for everybody. I got chances to develop myself by adopting the growth mindset and working style of my Irish colleagues. Flexible working time also allows me to spend more time enhancing my life quality”. This is the reward for those who dare to seize the chance and go for new challenges amidst unfavourable situations.
Above is the story of Lisa - a loyal user of Waw Asia since the very first days. How about you? Are you ready to be a member of Waw Asia and write your own inspiring story?
Opportunity awaits for no one, so embrace it with courage even when knowing that there will be many difficulties!
