I acquired my spousal visa in the Philippines a couple of months ago and started looking for work. Since I'm not Filipino, I knew it would be difficult.
I acquired my spousal visa in the Philippines a couple of months ago and started looking for work. Since I'm not Filipino, I knew it would be difficult.
@drjs I have no tips at all!, but I would like to point out, based on your post, that your English is impeccable. Your grammatics are excellent and if these idiots here can't recognize it, I don't know what to tell you. I will also state that I agree. I haven't met one Filipino that speaks proper fluent English. It seems that even the ones who speak well have problems with past and present tense and also he and she context, since he and she are both siya in their language. One last thing, why would you want to work here? The wages are ridiculous, it's almost like indentured servitude. You must have your reasons! Anyway, later alligator!
@drjsHi there.first off, i just want to express my empathy for your troubles and hardship in finding employment. what you have expressed is very peculiar, and though i well understand from hearing of the experiencdss of other foreigners and their seeking of a job here, never have i heard of indepth challenges as youve so detailed.can i ask you about your professional background and the type of work youre actually looking for <SNIP>
cheers.- @kristopherryanwatson
Personally I've not encountered too many problems, except for the correcting of my English, which always cracks me up.
- @Oursus
can i ask you about your professional background and the type of work youre actually looking for ?
Craigslist is still a viable place to find short term roles of all kinds. US/Aussie/Singaporean companies of all kinds use this platform to find pinoys eager to work these positions for a couple hundred dollars a month. because you're an english speaking native, you'll be looked on favorably. i wish i had though of Craigslists the first week i first settled here and not a month or two later, because i was interviewed and literally landed both those 2 jobs within a couple of weeks of first applying for them.- @kristopherryanwatson
Personally I've not encountered too many problems, except for the correcting of my English, which always cracks me up.- @OursusI get this so often that I don't even bother responding when they correct me now. I had to say 'grind' a few times a couple of months ago. The Filipino was adamant that it was pronounced the same way as 'grinned' and he wanted me to pronounce it that way too. Of course, I wasn't going to purposely mispronounce a word just to please him and he became infuriated with me pronouncing the word correctly every time I needed to say it.- @drjscan i ask you about your professional background and the type of work youre actually looking for ?It's niche enough that I could be identified from that alone, so I would prefer not to say. I actually have two CVs. If I'm applying for a role in my field, I mention my PhD. The other purposely omits it as I know that having a PhD (especially in an irrelevant field) will see my application dismissed immediately.
I'm at the point where I'm looking for ANY kind of job here. Preferably one that pays at least 25,000 a month.Craigslist is still a viable place to find short term roles of all kinds. US/Aussie/Singaporean companies of all kinds use this platform to find pinoys eager to work these positions for a couple hundred dollars a month. because you're an english speaking native, you'll be looked on favorably. i wish i had though of Craigslists the first week i first settled here and not a month or two later, because i was interviewed and literally landed both those 2 jobs within a couple of weeks of first applying for them.- @kristopherryanwatsonI assume that's Manila Jobs on craigslist? There's not too much there other than a teaching role at the moment, but thanks. I hadn't considered using that website. Hopefully some more will show up throughout the week.
I few jobs related to my PhD actually showed up recently. One of these was posted by a British company who are outsourcing work here. I thought that I was going to get this one as I aced interviews with two Brits to reach the third interview. Unfortunately the third interview was with the Philippines-based HR team. As usual, the guy interviewing me didn't speak fluent English (although he definitely spoke better English than any other Filipino who has interviewed me). He also knew absolutely nothing about the field and, whenever I responded to his questions using technical terms, he had no idea what I was talking about. I had to dumb my responses down considerably in order for him to understand and, even then, he still struggled to comprehend what I was talking about. I think it's safe to say that I won't be getting that one...
I've heard nothing back at all from the other jobs related to my PhD that I applied for. As they're Filipino companies, I doubt they will want to hire a foreigner.
Craigslist
By the way, this is really unfortunate to hear and I admit i had run into this occasionally at first too....totally acing the first and second interview, only to be shut down by the third because some Pinoy has an entitled chip on their shoulder preventing them form giving you a chance.
Its really unfortunate and discouraging. I am sorry that happened and it is unfair.
my advice is to just keep plowing forward, learn from experience, and do not ever give up.
- @kristopherryanwatson
I knew that this wasn't going to be the case the moment the head of their HR department stepped into the room. He immediately looked down his nose at me. Unlike the others, his English was terrible. He struggled to understand anything I was saying during the interview and he was visibly annoyed to be interviewing me the entire time he was there.- @drjs
Facebook Groups are also a well of possible opportunities.
I am sure they're low-level for you, given your academic achievements, but you never know what you might stumble upon. besides, there is no harm networking and getting your name out to those groups. someone might drop your name to someone in need of someone such as yourself..
If you have a postgraduate degree (Masters or PhD) then you might qualify for a UN job. (They usually want two UN languages as well, but not always). I worked for the UN for two years just as a native English speaker only, employed based on a BSc and 5 years+ previous experience. UN or other international NGO's offer really good packages and salaries (if employed as "International" grade), but not UNV or volunteer. "National" grades pays a lot less but it is an acceptable salary for the Philippines cost of living.
This is their official website. Just search the Philippines City nearest you. best of luck.
[link under review]
- @gsturdee
Facebook Groups are also a well of possible opportunities.
I am sure they're low-level for you, given your academic achievements, but you never know what you might stumble upon. besides, there is no harm networking and getting your name out to those groups. someone might drop your name to someone in need of someone such as yourself..
You can search for these Groups:
Startup Jobs Ph
Philippines Virtual Assistance Club
Virtual Assistant Ph
South Asian English Copywriters Network
- @kristopherryanwatson
@drjsYou're very welcome.
Question for you: How do you mean "if it's possible to start a fully remote job in the UK.." while you're here in the Phils ?Just wondering if you could clarify on this before I respond accordingly best that i can.- @kristopherryanwatson
I was offered an interview for the one I thought I would be a shoo-in for immediately, so thanks again.
.Does anybody know if it's possible to start a fully remote job in the UK while I am based in the Philippines? I don't know much about the law in this area, but I think it should be possible.I've had no luck getting a fully remote job in the UK though. I've received numerous job offers, but the employer pulls out as soon as they realise I'm in the Philippines.It's also really difficult to find jobs in the UK that truly are fully remote in the first place. Most of the ones that say they are either require you to start training at their office, or need you to go to the office once or twice a week/month.- @drjs
Eventually she started to ask me to rate myself out of 10 in various areas. I thought it was strange that she chose to do this for five different things. Especially when one of the things she asked me to rate myself out of 10 in was not one of the job responsibilities, but something a client you are providing the service for would do. I tried to explain this to her, but she had no idea what I was talking about.- @drjs
.Does anybody know if it's possible to start a fully remote job in the UK while I am based in the Philippines? I don't know much about the law in this area, but I think it should be possible.I've had no luck getting a fully remote job in the UK though. I've received numerous job offers, but the employer pulls out as soon as they realise I'm in the Philippines.It's also really difficult to find jobs in the UK that truly are fully remote in the first place. Most of the ones that say they are either require you to start training at their office, or need you to go to the office once or twice a week/month.- @drjsWell. Thats common for EMPLOYMENTS,BUT I have worked from my home almost all the time since 1978 - so long before most even thought of such excist - by geting ASSIGNMENTS from businesses to my OWN BUSINESS. Its much easier for clients to pay your invoice than having you as enployee specialy for small businesses.(E g I have done from home:/acounting and tax forms./other administration./business consultings solving their problems and/or improving their results for small or no investments needed, so only cost them my mostly only a percentage of their improved result./Making print originals./website production and content. (I were in front line in website coding back when internet was young and there were no automatic website production programs. By not bothered to continue improving my knowledge in that, I am among bottom of such now so when I need such nowadays, I hire someone to do most of it. I switched when it became to much to be worth the time to update and keep fresh to be worth it by I many different types of work./software production. E g I did lead a software developing for a client where others made the coding but I made sure the parts would suit to each other./writing. Inspite of the ignorants, who have complained much about my spelling and grammar when its NOT IMPORTANT I HAVE bothered about such when it IS important and had a steady assignment for a rather big newspaper in almost 20 years (until they had to startt savbing by internet competition so they skiped all not full timers. ( have been paid e g for 200+ articles about as different subjects as sports and psycholopgy.../not assignment, but I have earned rather much at the "western" stock market - until I SKIPED when it started to become overvalued by investors not knowing what they are doing, they ONLY decide based at TA - or even worse just using a TA based "automatic program" which they have no clue how it functions!!! ( I know how they function so I know how to FOOL TA to make buy or sell signals I did it sometimes back when I still invested in "western" stocks 10+ years ago so IF it was illegal the prosecution time have passed now anyway Then I changed my focus to SE Asia where the potential is much better. (Phils have a stupid law not allowing knowledge from foreigners dominating in any business!!! So it took some years for me to both research which businesses are most interesting to start in Phils AND find anyone with knowledge enough to make so its enough I add a minority of the needed knowledge But now I have found one such Filipino (tribe) and we are in progess to start the second business (in same business as the first too but much different but both can be located rural.) I can be generous but concerning business I think similar to Kamprad (=IKEA) holding the costs down very kuripot except we pay employees some more than they are used to plus all, who work good, will get a big bohnus when the businesses start earning good. Back when I had a 70 - 115 employees the total office was 6 squeremeters of my appartment, so when a client came and visited after I had done big services for them several years, he looked funny when he saw my tiny officePerhaps you knowledge suit to be runned in your own business?(Part owned by you, except if at least 60 % of income will come from abroad, then you can own whole IF no land owning involved.)- @coach53
By I am against Nuclear power if I would be writing a "manual" ii would be against or about ALTERNATIVE energies. (I HAVE written some about alternative energy at profesional level, but that was mainly about business view of such .)That's quite a list you have there. Have you ever considered being a simultaneous interpreter? Or perhaps translation of Nuclear Powered Station Regulatory Inspection manuals ? - @Lotus Eater(Bloody system making crap code automatic making a mess.)Inspite of your BS insiniations I have WORKED using 4 languages ( =Swedish, English, German and Spanish - plus a litle bit Tagalog when a Filipino have some problem with English. ) Sometimes switching fast in between, communicating with different people at same time. Although it have happened it become "Ops" I used wrong language with someoneSure excist but I have never seen anyone with English as first language showing more TOTAL language knowledge than I have... As someone told recently many Americans can only ONE language! I SUPPOUSE some less bad average for Brits by closer contact with rest of Europe, although being close to Spanish and French havent influenced average language skill among Americans...
Yes, that's what I'm asking. My understanding is that, as I have been in the Philippines for five years, I will be taxed here. It sounds as though it will be entirely my responsibility to collect the forms, fill them out and submit them. I won't be taxed in the UK, as I'm not working from the UK and I have been abroad for too long. At least this is what BIR told me.- @drjs
I have no idea what the UK's stance on this issue would be.
My understanding is that, as I have been in the Philippines for five years, I will be taxed here. It sounds as though it will be entirely my responsibility to collect the forms, fill them out and submit them. I won't be taxed in the UK, as I'm not working from the UK and I have been abroad for too long. At least this is what BIR told me.- @drjs
I have no idea what the UK's stance on this issue would be.
Omo :Its not only looking for work here that is absurd so is any kind of investing taxwise or otherwise.- @manwonder
I was offered an interview for the one I thought I would be a shoo-in for immediately, so thanks again.That turned out to be one of the most ridiculous interviews I have ever had.
First she was late for the interview. When I contacted her to ask her what time she would be available, she told me that she had forgotten about the interview (at least she was honest?).
She then accidentally ended the call as soon as I accepted it. She told me that she wasn't used to using Skype.
The first question she asked was if I had applied for any jobs with any companies other than theirs. Of course I had. Why would I have only applied for one job? When I told her that I had applied for other jobs, she asked me what the status of these was. I informed her that I had already had interviews for a few of these and also had a few more interviews coming up.
It depend of the AGREEMENT between Phils and each country to not become taxed at same income
and the tax laws in the involved countries.
You need to check that country to country agreement to get to know (if no one else know and tell). I dont know that Phils-UK deal!!!
- @coach53
What a nightmare. Sorry you experienced this. I can only echo the others in that some Filipinos have no idea what they are doing, and will do anything to save face, ie. not look bad. I am sorry you are having so much trouble and having your time wasted to such an extent.
- @pnwcyclist
Yeah. I'll find out who I need to speak to from the UK about this later and see what they have to say. @drjs
It's not my fault he ignored the previous two e-mails I had sent...
@drjs why people move to the PI to work is absurd. If your not retired and that means you don't need income...... then don't go to the PI. Very rare there are any jobs there except perhaps some US based company has a satellite branch there. Starting any business like a bar or restaurant is just going to lose money for you.
@pike0072
I moved here to be with my partner. However, having done so means that I do have to work in some form or capacity in order to contribute to our expenses and lifestyle. There are plenty of long-term benefits that look great on my Resume and to Professional platforms where i am active (LinkedIn), and as such, this is attractive to US/Western businesses and future clients who wish to work with teams that are based here.
Knowing that the teams they work with are Operated and managed by a Canadian are found to be attractive and has done no harm at all
Starting any business like a bar or restaurant is just going to lose money for you.
- @pike0072