I Miss Working in an Office... Nahhh

It's been over a year since I started working online. I love every minute of it, but there are days when I miss working in an office.

Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that I don't have to wake up 3-4 hours before the start of my shift to prepare and travel to the office. I can even wake up a few minutes before my shift and I'll be okay.

Working from home has benefitted me because I was able to actually save money. I also get to rest more and have more time for my family since I don't lose almost 6 hours for traveling to and from work.

With that said, though, somehow, I miss getting up early and preparing for work. I miss getting dressed up and made up. I guess I miss having to look professional at work.

Not that I'm not professional in my online work. But, this time, there's no pressure. I can even work while in my pajamas!

I'm sure I'm not the only one. Many of my fellow online workers miss that too. Men wearing their polo or suits to work, armed with their briefcases or man-purses. ;) Women wearing their high-heeled shoes, skirts or slacks on with their face all dolled up.

Of course, aside from this, I miss bonding with colleagues. Sure, I have fun with my team through Skype, but actually being around people is exciting and can be very entertaining.

With all that said, however, I wouldn't trade my current online work to any office job. Well, unless the office is just a 15-minute ride away from me. That might change my mind. ;)

To my fellow online workers out there, tell me: what do you love most about working from home? What do you miss about working in an office?

My New Passion is To Be Social

In about three months, I'd be celebrating my 32nd birthday. We'll be celebrating in Bohol, which is why I'm excited about turning another year older. Am I a little wiser? I believe so.

Last January, I started working officially as a Social Media Manager / Strategist for a US-based company. I've enjoyed managing my own social media accounts, so I knew it'll be a fun experience for me, too, to make a living out of something I'm passionate about. Though it can be a lot stressful at times, I can say that I'm glad I was led to this path because I feel like I'm doing very well at this. :)

I've started writing about social media on my geek blog because I believe I know a lot more now than I ever did before. I feel like I have some kind of authority now since I do it EVERYDAY, even when I'm not working. I LOVE IT!

Like a friend of mine, Jonha, who said she lives and breathes social media, I feel like that I am too. I've been blogging since 2003 (on a different platform) and have maintained my various social media accounts and pages for years. I enjoy connecting with other people, even from other parts of the world. I'm not as networked as Jonha is since most of the people in my Facebook network are Filipinos. On Twitter though, I feel much "social", which is why I'm addicted to it now.

So, if you want to tweet with me, follow me - @blankpixels. We can talk about anything under the sun! Doesn't matter if you're a man or a lady. We can talk about fashion, gaming, gadgets, beauty, promos, food, celebrities, politics, shoes or even Alpinestars SMX 5 Boots. I tweet about my life, my reactions to latest news, movies or music I love or currently enjoying, but mainly about social media, design, food (yes, again! LOL) and SEO. :)

Maintaining a Good Online Reputation

In this digital world that we currently live in, people seem to have forgotten to think first before reacting, saying or doing anything. With a 140-character phrase or sentence on Twitter, someone can ruin another person's image or a company's reputation. Imagine how much more damage a blog article can inflict.

Don't get me wrong. There are advantages to consider when we talk about the advancement of communication nowadays. Companies seem to be more careful with how they deal with their customers. But, there are just people or customers out there who seem to think that the company owe them the world just because they bought their product or availed of their service. And having experienced being on either side, I know how frustrating this can be to a customer and to the company.

I think that customers' disappointment can still be taken care of. What's scarier is when a competitor resorts to black propaganda to ruin your company's image, just so they can steal your customers away. This is why many companies, especially the startups that have a decent amount of money to back them up, hire individuals to take care of their online reputation management. It's no easy task as some companies can get real dirty, even to a point when they'll pay online writers to publish articles to ruin their competitor's credibility.

This is why I've chosen to be more careful with how I write reviews or how I share criticisms about a company, product or service. If the problem was really intense and I feel the need to warn people, that's when you'd see me publishing my account of what I experienced. Otherwise, I'd rather give the company or restaurant another chance before I make a judgment. Besides, my work as a Social Media Manager has helped me understand how it feels to read negative reviews about the client restaurants I handle. And I feel that this has helped me become a better blogger. :)

I will write a more detailed post about this on my geek blog.

Working from Home... Officially

Last January, I started my formal online job. I used to work as a freelancer, designing and handling websites / blogs, completing data entry projects, and maintaining blogs. And just this February, I became a full-time employee at my new job. And I can't be happier.

I'm on the graveyard shift which doesn't really affect my routine or body clock at all since I'm so used to this schedule. Even when I'm not working, I can't seem to force my body and mind to rest when the sun is down. Nocturnal, insomniac or a vampire, I've been called. *LOL*

I remember when I last worked on a graveyard shift. I was a supervisor in a call center and my shift usually starts at 10pm and ends at 7am. Most of the time, I'm dead tired to even think of going anywhere right after my shift, and it did affect my social life. My friends barely saw me and I didn't have enough time to hang out or bond with my family.

This is why I'm so thankful that I'm working online now. I don't have to experience all the hassles of commuting to work for 2 hours, and it's less stressful because I'm not personally dealing or interacting with people. Yes, there are also disadvantages about working from home, but right now, all I can think of are the positives.

This time, I want to make sure I've got enough time to bond with my family (they see me working), go out after or before work since I don't have to worry about the 2-hour travel time to and from work. And though I prefer to shop online nowadays (not for expensive stuff like emerald rings, but just makeup, fancy accessories, etc), I now can spare time to go out with my nanay, barkada or my bro to go shopping.

For instance, today, I'll be resting for a few minutes before we head out for a whole day of activities. We're going to 5 different places today (1 in Caloocan and Pasig, 2 in Makati, and 1 in Quezon City) since we want to maximize the time we have. I hope I can still get a few winks when we get home later before I start my shift again at work. :D

*Phew* Okay, I know, I need to rest for a bit now. I just had to write this before I lose my train of thoughts. Ciao! :)