a way to work in pajamas....

There are ways and ways. Becoming a virtual assistant (or a VA) is one of them. Don't be fooled by the term assistant! It's no joke! It requires hard work. - a tremendous amount of back-breaking, mind-boggling, stomach-churning work. Sometimes I ask myself - "should I just go back to the corporate world?".

I could. But that would mean giving up my dream - of a simpler life, with lots of moments for pause and reflection, and a job that allows me to "go to work in my pajamas".


Friday, May 18, 2012

Who Says Working in My Pajamas is a New Career?

I thought, when I decided to work in my pajamas, that I have opted for a new career altogether.  Big mistake!

Training to Work in My Pajamas.

True!  I set out to be a virtual assistant.  I went on training to be one.  I attended Jomar Hilario's Virtual Assistant Seminar.  Jomar offers two virtual assistant workshops: face-to-face and the downloadable version.

I wanted to see how an on-line VA training would go.  It went really well.  The materials were clear and concise.  I was done with the workshop in less than 4 hours.  But that's not all.

The training was hands-on.  There were assignments.  And I got to learn on my own.  My, how I learned!  With the simple steps, I was able to submit my assignment on time.  I created my blog the 'VA Essentials'.  I got the hang of it, I actually did another blog 'got carried away'.

Working in My Pajamas as a Newbie.

I started out with an on-line writing job. 

Who would have thought? Somewhere deep inside me was this desire to write.  I know I have poems and short stories filed away in some boxes.  For years, I never found the time to really write.  Except for those memos, project papers and reports, I never got to the kind of writing that would make me feel I'm doing something that I love.

But that's not all.  You see, as one of Jomar's trainees, I was able to join his FB group.  In that group, you'll find all kinds of posts for on-line jobs.  There was this post that no one seemed to be taking notice of.  You know why?  The employer was looking for someone 'extraordinary'.

Scary!  I don't think I'm extraordinary.  But the job requirements seemed to suit me to a T.  I thought, "Why not? What have I got to lose?".

Guess what?  I got the job.  It was a short project but I got the time of my life.  It paid well.  The hours were flexible I was able to continue writing.  And my boss was....extraordinary.    He left some really extraordinary feedback in my oDesk profile.  Projects started to flow in from then on.

Doing What I Love Doing While Working in My Pajamas.

It's amazing how things started to fall into the right places after that one extraordinary stint with an extraordinary man.  Now, I'm doing two things I love doing - two things that has been the highlight of my corporate career : Training and Recruitment.

Yes, I do everything on line.  I work in my pajamas helping people find jobs.  I work in my pajamas designing training materials to help people succeed in their jobs.

By working in my pajamas, I did not change career.  I only changed locations.  I can work anywhere, in fact.  I never have to go on leave to take care of personal things.

I have a career.  And I don't need to be in corporate clothes to do what I love to do.  I'm a happy, career woman - in pajamas.

And I continue to write...





Saturday, May 12, 2012

working in my pajamas gave me the time

I've been working in my pajamas (literally) for quite some time now.  I've shared, time and again, how happy I am with my current situation:  no traffic, no early morning hassles, more time for self and family, no office politics (well, not as much as the politics you encounter when you work face-to-face).

Recently, I've had another realization. Now that I'm working in my pajamas, I also have more time for friends.  In less that a month, I went to 2 class reunions, several lunches and dinners with friends and a weekend getaway. I can hardly email my friends when I was working in a regular corporate environment!

How is that possible?  I have, at a minimum, a 60-hour work week.  That's already 20 hours more than what is required in a corporate setting.

Well, let's do some math.  Bear with me, though.  This is my absolute "waterloo" - math, I mean.

By not going to a regular office, I am saving, daily:
  • 1 hour in my morning rituals ( I used to need an hour and a half)
  • 1-2 hours travel time to work
  • 2 hours travel time to go home
  • at least 3 hours in meetings
On the average, I have 7 hours extra on my hands since I started working in my pajamas.  That's 35 hours a week.  Which means that, if I go by my usual regular work hours I still have 15 hours free time, on top of my weekends.

But that's not it.  The beauty of working in my pajamas is that my time is my own.  I am able to control 99% of my time.  Depending on the personal demands, I can go easy and work through my weekend.  Or I can work double time so I can have my weekend free.  And with the extra 7 hours a day, there's a lot of leeway. 


All in all, I've been having a grand time.  I'm doing what I like doing working in my pajamas.  I'm learning a lot of things while working in my pajamas.  I'm earning my living while working in my pajamas.  I'm enjoying family and friends while working in my pajamas.

A dear friend said, not everyone is cut out for this type of work.  Maybe she's right.  Maybe she's not.  It's for you to explore.  Then, you decide.

Visit these links, and start your exploration:

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