VA “Rih”
Hello Rih! Tell us a little about yourself first.
Hi, my name is Rih Gomez, I am 29 and have been a VA at IVA as a real estate cold caller. I am also a Full-time fur mom, dog breeder and nature lover. I love Nature trips, which are what I do in my free time. I have an Introverted personality and prefer quality time with myself watching documentaries on Netflix and going on rare nature trails.
What was your profession before you became a VA?
I first started working as a dining crew in Jollibee. Unfortunately I did not get the scholarship they offered against other applicants so I looked for outsourcing BPO’s and found one in Rizal. That was the start of my BPO career. I then moved and started working in Ortigas. Overall I was in the BPO industry for about 6 years. I shuffled around different positions, from appointment setter, cold calling and healthcare accounts.
I normally fall asleep whenever I commute to the office. Also there were instances that accounts were suddenly pulled out by clients and job security was becoming a problem. The pandemic also made everything worse, this was exacerbated in trying to look for new jobs. I eventually ended up in a FEDEX customer service work from home hybrid setup. Then I found IVA through my previous manager which told me about it and I took the chance and applied and got hired.
How is your IVA PRO Experience?
IVA is strict and helps to push you to your limits for you to improve. This helped me to explore, learn and work on myself more. This also led me to finding better clients and jobs than before I started becoming a VA. This has led me to have a more solid and sturdier foundation of loyalty to IVA.
There is no judgment here in IVA, they are here to assist you in any way they can for you to become a successful VA. They do not falter in trying to match and find the right client for you that would match your skill set and advise you on what to upskill to land more clients in the future.
The weekly meetings we have are not like the huddle sessions I used to have in the BPO industry. Here we get to vent our problems and issues and they study, inform us and push for changes if there is a need. They also do not focus and berate you when you make a mistake but instead they will discuss and explain in detail to you your mistake and help teach you so you will not repeat it again in the future. Added to this the perks of working from home, the weekly payouts, and commissions made it more enjoyable for me to appreciate IVA. It is not just an agency, I feel like we are a family, how they talk with each other gives you the impression that they care for every member of IVA and how they function. They are strict, yes, but the trust and opportunity they give you cannot be taken for granted. I believe that being a VA is a continuous learning process and a valid career and IVA is there to nurture that.
Share with us some of your achievements.
One of the biggest achievements for myself is being able to provide for my family and myself. I am trans and have always been judged and looked down on as someone who will not succeed and just flirt around, this became my drive to become better.
List of my Personal Growth
Organizational (understanding and focus)
Lessen wasting time and effort on fruitless activities
Appreciation and taking my job more seriously
Comfort of living at home with stable income
Support myself and now living independently
Able to purchase all my needs and wants
I welcome challenges, so I can improve myself more
Help my family members of financial issues
Time Management
Able to talk to clients with more confidence
Do you have any message for IVA PRO?
I owe a great deal to the management team of IVA PRO; I want to express my gratitude for giving me access to a platform that helps VAs like me advance in our careers. They provided me with a secure atmosphere in which I could grow. Their assistance and resources are priceless in assisting me in achieving success and providing outstanding value to our VCS clients. I'm excited for further collaborations.
Any message to future aspiring VA’s?
I have always been grateful I became part of this agency, having these people support me while striving to reach my goals. Thank you for the overwhelming support and assistance. I still remember what happened with my first client that demanded I learn new knowledge in marketing and was not satisfied with my growth and removed me from the account. IVA patiently looked for a new client immediately and found one after a few weeks that finally fits my skills and abilities. Thank you for not giving up on me. The changes that were initiated because of this made me into a better person. The generosity and love is something I have never experienced before in my previous companies and can confidently say that IVA PRO is the best working environment I have ever worked in.
Don’t give up and do not be afraid. Challenge those limitations, especially those that you think will not let you get this job. Do not be stuck in your own space, confidence is the key. Some get stuck in their own box and you develop questions like: I feel alone, can’t I fix my life, my career is going nowhere, how do I start this? This leads to demotivation and would be detrimental for you in chasing your dreams. There are a lot of opportunities that would fit your skills and characteristics. Do your research, be open to learning more, and listen to veteran advice. Not everything is spoon-fed to you in this industry compared to others. Discover what you are good at and you might be surprised at what you can offer as an up and coming VA. Lastly, own your mistakes and improve your credibility. Let go of your preconceived notions on past companies, including the rejections as these are all part of the process of your improvement. In the end you will be one that stands and says that you have finally done it, achieved success.
