Nicole Ann Castillano – Junior Software Developer, Shopify Store Manager

Hello everyone! I am Nicole Ann Castillano, you can call me Nicole. I am 22 years of age and I graduated with a degree in Information Technology major in Information and Network Security, from the University of Makati, Philippines. I started working as a virtual assistant while I was still a student. I was looking for a part-time job to support my studies and help my family in a small way. One day, I bumped into a YouTube ad about an online platform for freelancers, and I didn’t expect that I would be able to get clients on my own through that platform.

At first, it wasn’t an easy journey because I was balancing both studying and working. There were many responsibilities, and at times it was overwhelming, but I’m proud to have persevered. Before I graduated, I considered working for a company in the Philippines to experience the office setup and corporate world. However, many opportunities as a virtual assistant started coming my way, with several client inquiries. This made me believe it was a sign from God to continue on this path. Additionally, I feel that working from home is one of the biggest blessings here in the Philippines, given the challenges many workers face in commuting and working outside. So, I decided to pursue this path full-time.

I’m happy to share that I’ve worked with different people from different countries who helped me gain valuable experience in this field. I learned more about e-commerce, managing Shopify, social media accounts, email management, and administrative tasks. I also became a junior software engineer, where one of my clients gave me the opportunity to learn programming. He became a good friend of mine, and it means a lot when someone believes in you, so I always do my best at work. We developed an app and I contributed to the design and the coding. I believe these experiences are an advantage because they demonstrate my flexibility when it comes to work and tasks.

As a virtual assistant, I value trust, respect, and teamwork. I believe in the saying, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” So despite my experiences, I know there is still a lot to learn from the people I will work with. I am very open to feedback and criticism because I know they will help me improve. This is the value I want to share with the clients I will work with.

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