Ariel Santos – Assistant Property Manager, Virtual Assistant

Hi, my name is Ariel Santos, I think it cannot get any shorter than that so you may just call me Ariel. I think my parents knew when I was born, I was going to be a man of form follows function. So, they really didn’t give me a long name. I’m a husband and father of 3 grown boys. Unlike most aspiring virtual assistants, I might be a bit mature (older) than the usual aspirants. I see it as an advantage more than a handicap. My age gives me an advantage over most, due to my experiences.

My work experience is vast and wide, from marketing, business development, sales, and management.  I have almost 40 years of work experience which dates to 1994. So, to enumerate them one by one might be too tedious for you to read and for me to write. I have been on both sides of the fence too; I have experienced being an employee and likewise as an employer. This gives me a clear and objective perception on both sides. My decision to switch careers was due to the huge demand for qualified people and of course it paid well.

Let me share my journey in the outsourcing space. I started my career in the outsourcing world back in 2006. Like any career switcher, I had to start from the bottom. At that time, my ego got hit badly. I felt that my experience was not accounted for, and I had to start from the very bottom. Luckily, my recruiter told me if I keep up the positive attitude, work hard and be excellent at what I do I will get promoted in no time. Just as my recruiter predicted, I was promoted to supervisor in just seven months and then to manager in just a year.

I have worked for banks, healthcare providers, airlines etc. My work in the outsourcing industry gave me insights and knowledge on industries that I was unfamiliar with. This opportunity gave me the challenge and kept me enthusiastic. I am inquisitive by nature; I love learning new things and I like challenge. I live by the mantra, what doesn’t kill just makes me stronger. I enjoy picking people’s minds. But living in a city that’s known to have one of the worst traffic in world, it put a toll on me, ergo a switch to freelancing.

My freelancing adventure started back in 2017, it was quite new at that time. My nephew, my sister’s son introduced me to it.  He told me that I can work from home and still get paid well. I was skeptical at first but willing to try. Like my experience when I switched careers in the past, it was a struggle at first. I had to start all over again. I started as a cold caller then moved on to being a general virtual assistant for a property management company then an assistant property manager. All this was through an agency, luckily after working for a client for two years they bought off my contract with my agency and now I work for them full-time as an office manager.

You might wonder, why is this guy looking for another job when he is currently employed full-time, I completely agree with you. My clients are based in the US and have a different time zone, I also have a lot of free time. Just like in the past, I have mastered all my responsibilities and deliverables with my clients and I’m looking for a new challenge.

I found my new career in the virtual world as a new lease on life. I tell myself sometimes that I can do this even when I’m old, it does not discriminate. I’m sorry to say but I felt I was a dinosaur when I was working full-time in the regular workspace. I know I still have what it takes to add value to an organization, there’s still a lot left in this old guy.

I look forward to working for a dynamic and lively organization that I will grow with.

For a copy of Ariel’s resume please click here.