Catherine Martinez – Administrative Assistant

Hello! I’m Catherine. You can call me Cathy.

I’m a graduate of Bachelor of Science major in Psychology and master’s degree holder in Guidance & Counseling. I’m a Licensed Guidance Counselor too.

I became a mother 2 years after I finished college. I was working in the BPO industry for 6 years thinking it’s the only industry that offers above minimum salary and will let me save for my children’s future. But my health started to deteriorate due to the graveyard shift. So, I decided to apply to colleges/Universities. Luckily, I got hired in a University where it required me to obtain a Masters education and a license in Guidance & Counseling. I was happy with my then monthly rate.

It wasn’t enough to live a comfortable life, but I was satisfied. Until an unexpected life event got me. My father suddenly passed away and my mother had to undergo an open-heart surgery. I’m the eldest child, separated from my husband, and I’m taking the responsibility. It drained my little savings. I was also left with loans here and there, but my mother survived and is now healthy. However, I couldn’t continue paying for the loans as well as my children’s tuition, so I decided to look for a part-time job. I applied as English tutor since I had a short experience being one. My childhood friend who has been freelancing for a decade convinced me to try it. She referred me to her Australian client and without sweating for it, I was hired right away with a x5 increase from my office salary rate. I got overwhelmed, excited and what was supposed to be just a part time gig became full time. I had a good run with the company for 3 years wearing different hats like HR, Project Manager, Customer Service, Finance Assistant, Personal Assistant to the CEO and a lot more.

In between the 3 years of being full-time, I got curious what other online jobs are out there and if it was possible to apply for part-time. I learned about Real Estate VA, Social Media Management, Project Management, and I took courses about it. I had short projects in each field. I also learned that, in this industry, anything can happen, so you better be ready or be sorry. So, I continued to upskill.
I have 3 kids: 2 teenagers and a 1-year-old. I’m very resilient, I have a high adversity quotient and can work under pressure. All this I have developed throughout my journey as a single mother and a sole provider. I have had humbling experiences of rejections too (Career and personal) so I’m always open to take constructive criticism and grow from it.

Hope to speak with you soon!

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