“We always dream about who we will be in the future, but probably no one dreams that they will one day become a freelancer.”

In the last days of high school, we always dream about who we will be in the future. Some people thought about being a teacher or an engineer. Others thought about becoming a businessman or a senior manager in a company. But probably no one ever dreamed that they would one day become a freelancer.

- What is your ideal image of working?

When I was young, my image of an ideal life was simple. Everyday I would dress in a business suit and commute to the big office building in the city centre. I would sit in a big chair and work at a beautiful modern table. In fact, that ideal life came true. I did all that.

I worked for a travel company helping them develop their business in tourism and event management. I learned many things about travelling and life skills. I also had opportunities to meet new foreign friends. But the biggest thing that changed my life was my perspective on working. Everyday I was exposed to new experiences, discovering new lands, and learning about different cultures. The more I went to work, the more I found the world is so big and that there are so many interesting things in the world that I still wanted to discover.

However, a regular office job would not allow me to do that. I could not leave my job for a long time on a continuous basis. In addition, I still needed to work to collect income and to carry out my dreams.

- What did you do to change your life?

I started to think about possible new jobs where I could manage time on my own and with more flexibility. However, overwhelming reality soon swooped in when I got married and had a baby. But I am happy to say that ever since then, I have loved the time spent with my children, and whenever possible, the time spent for journeys with them. This is the very first reason why I began to participate on Workshift.

- Was it difficult to adapt to the freelancing work-style?

Joining Workshift, I learned a lot. Freelancing does not mean that I am “free” to do whatever I want. Freelancing only allows me to have flexibility with time and work within my ability. I still need to distribute work, manage time and follow a work schedule that allows me to deliver my work on time. I must also have a sense of responsibility for the work that I have received.

- Did you come across any surprises while working at Workshift?

Freelancing helps develop new relationships. At Workshift, I was fortunate to work with a client from Japan, and we still keep in touch. That time when the client had the opportunity to come to Vietnam, the client and I arranged an appointment. I had prepared a lot for our meeting because I thought the client would ask me a lot about a job they had assigned to me. But no, the meeting was just an occasion to meet and greet, allowing both of us to get to know each other better.

We did not talk about work at all. As my client said “work is work, and I am meeting you here and now to understand you better, let’s leave work aside.” It can be said that the whole world admires Japan and Japanese. For me, Japan and the Japanese developed more rapidly than what we think or what the press writes about.

- What did you learn from working at Workshift?

The interesting feature of being a freelancer is to work with a positive attitude. Sometimes that can mean just simply wearing a nice dress and sitting down wherever I feel most comfortable. It can be at a coffee shop with a comfortable sofa, or just laying on the floor while my kids playing around. Essentially, every time I work I can choose where I work. I am free to do everything my way. It is truly amazing! If you engage your work with a respectful attitude you too will get to enjoy this freelancer work style!