Lily May G. Gaamil – CSR, Sales and Marketing Assistant

Hello! My name is Lily.

I am from Cagayan de Oro, Southern Philippines. I am the eldest of two children. I graduated college with a Bachelor in Elementary Education – Major in Special Education – a licensed teacher and a career service professional. Being a college student, I ventured into part-time jobs to see the outside world. I worked as a Sales Representative by promoting our products in the streets. I have experienced being rejected and ignored by all sorts of people. Over time I have gained confidence and worked on overcoming my shyness. Then when I worked as a student assistant in one of the departments I took on an administrative role.

When I graduated college, many told me to pursue teaching because of the salary and stability. But I felt that it is not really what my heart truly desires. I have always visualised myself working in an office and performing administrative tasks until I grow old. 🙂 I tried applying for various jobs in the government office but there were none available for my qualifications. It was then that I landed a job as an Internet Researcher / Media Marketing Associate in a Digital Marketing Company which opened my eyes to the online marketing world. But right in the middle of starting my career, a big surprise came – I fell pregnant at the age of 21! I made the hard decision to leave my first job and find work that allowed me to remain home so I could also look after my baby. I was hired as a virtual assistant to the Managing Directress of an online shop and digital marketing company in Ireland.

While I was working full-time things became very tough. I was as a single parent with no other source of financial income. One day in 2013, I was blessed to receive an opportunity to work in Dubai, so I left my online job. One of the hardest decisions in my life was leaving my one year old daughter, to go and work overseas. But I needed to take this opportunity so my daughter could have the future she deserved.

While in Dubai, I was hired as a Personal / Executive Assistant to a Regional Business Development Manager where I learned and gained valuable skills. My boss was more than just a mere manager, he was a great leader to me. He also became a good friend and family. From him, I learned to treat work as more than just a job, and the workplace has become my home. After three years of working as his assistant, I handled the customer service department then was promoted to Customer Service Supervisor. For more than five years of living and working there the experience sharpened my wits a lot. Being a home to more than 200 nationalities, I learned to face and deal with different people from various cultures and attitudes.

I got married in 2017 and I recently had our son. I am on maternity leave however, I am looking for things to keep my hands busy during his time. Also due to the rising needs of the family, an extra income can be a lot of help!

When I am not at work, I try to cultivate my love for music – in fact, I had challenges finishing this short biography because I couldn’t stop singing! 😀 Anyways, I just love how the atmosphere changes when there is music. One of my favourite things to do is play the electric/acoustic guitar at church with the band. I like to meet old and new friends for long chats and do things together. I discovered my new and improved talent for cooking since becoming married so now it has recently become one of my hobbies.

Thank you for reading my story. 🙂

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