Maria Ruth Padilla Fonte – CSR and Human Resource

maria-ruth-fonte-profileI was working in the BPO industry for more than a decade before I decided to pursue a career as a home-based Virtual Assistant so I could spend more quality time with the family.

I am a single mum (and grandmum!) and I don’t want to miss any more important occasions with them. And aren’t they glad to see me now when they wake up and before they sleep! Plus the fact that I need not stress with dressing up and putting on make-up gives me so much joy! I don’t have to worry about travelling to and from work. Constant traffic has been a regular scene in our place, and I’m glad that I finally don’t have to go through that daily!

Now I have more time to fix meals for the family. I enjoy cooking a lot. I don’t bake though, because I find cooking more enjoyable. I also like keeping the house clean and I am creative with house interiors. I was not able to finish college because I fell pregnant. I did all types of selling to provide for my young kids then before I got employed with a BPO company.

I just started my career as a home-based Virtual Assistant recently.

maria-ruth-fonte-bondingUnfortunately, I did not have much luck at my first job. The employer said it was a tough decision for him to let me go as he appreciated my efforts and excellent work ethics. He said I have excellent work habits but did not measure up to his high standards. My new colleagues were so surprised and saddened too when they learned that I’ll be leaving them soon. But, I had to respect his decision and move on. I am adaptable to constant changes and always excited to learn new things. I will not give up!

I have a strong background in sales, marketing, appointment setting, and customer service.

I have worked for a Telco company in Australia. I’ve made appointments for legal/financial advisors. I did an excellent job that even if I was no longer with the company, the client was contacting me to continue doing appointments for him. I’ve dealt with benefits administration and learned how extensive US benefits were, even for retirees. I did phone and email marketing to promote IT products. I’ve booked company attendees for webinars and events.

I worked for banking and financial services and was able to handle sales and inquiries for credit card services. I’ve spoken with people from the US, UK, Singapore and Australia. I enjoyed listening to people of different races and learned to accept that each one of us have our own culture that needs to be respected. Racial discrimination is still evident with some especially if they find out they are speaking with someone in the Philippines. But patience has its rewards. Once I’ve resolved the issue and found a good fit for their needs, some even ended up apologising for their rude behaviour.

My peers found me easy to work with as I am friendly, cheerful and approachable. They also find me sincere and honest enough to tell them when they’re off. That’s what friends do, right? I still keep in touch with them even if we are no longer working together.

I accept criticisms constructively. My former managers did not have any issues with me. If my attention is called, it means I have to retrace my steps and improve to be the best. And I never failed them!

I use challenges as tools to be better at what I do. I always try to keep a positive attitude. If something is going wrong, I pause and rethink. Possibly, you are being redirected to another path. I don’t dwell on closed doors. Time is important. We cannot take back lost time and opportunities. Be it challenges with personal life or career, we have to keep on moving with a smile on our face.

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