Janelle Brillante – Customer Service Specialist

Hi, I am Janelle Brillante, but I’d like to be called Ellie.

I am a fur mom to 12 cats, soon to be 15—what a huge family, right? I grew up in a broken family with seven siblings. My parents separated when I was eight years old, and my siblings and I ended up living with our mom. Life was tough, knowing that she was the only one providing for us.

I only realized how difficult our situation was during my elementary graduation. I didn’t have new clothes to wear, my uniform wasn’t neat, my hair wasn’t done, I had no makeup, and I didn’t have the ribbons that the other graduates had. My mom had to borrow 50 pesos from our neighbor just to buy me a garland and a piece of chocolate as a gift. At that moment, I realized I needed to do everything I could to help my family and my siblings because I didn’t want them to experience the same struggles.

After graduating from Senior High School with flying colors, I started looking for a job and landed a position in the BPO industry as a Customer Service Representative. I handled calls, responded to emails, left voicemails, and wrote letters. I admit it was exhausting but also fun because I made new friends and experienced a life away from financial stress—at least for a while. However, over time, it drained me. The graveyard shifts, heavy traffic, and long work hours made me realize that there was no real work-life balance in this industry.

After two years, I decided to quit my BPO job and explore new opportunities, which led me to discover the Virtual Assistant role. Aside from the competitive salary, I believe that transitioning to this field will help me manage my career better.

I’m still learning and eager to be trained, and with the support of my future team and management, I know I will excel.

For a copy of Janelle’s resume, please click here.