Meet the Winner of Payoneer’s ‘Best Freelance Story’ Contest!
With the rise of remote work around the world, many people find themselves taking that leap of faith into the world of freelancing. However, starting a freelance career is no piece of cake. In fact, you may find yourself changing professions, landing yourself in an unfamiliar field of work, and not knowing which step to take next.
At Payoneer, we applaud all individuals who sought out their future in this industry and in order to show our support for freelancers, we launched the “Best Freelance Story” campaign!
Earlier this month, we called upon global freelancers to submit their inspiring stories for the chance to win our Work-From-Home package: a new MacBook Air (1st prize) and iPad Air (2nd prize)!
Out of all the stories submitted, we are delighted to introduce the winner of our campaign!
Get to know our winner below with his inspiring story!
Kristian Allen Pulanco
Client Relations Manager, B2B Prospecting Group Inc.
La Union, Philippines
Freelancing really isn’t easy in the beginning, however, if you want it, go for it. What’s important is that you do your research.
Kristian’s Story
For 7 years, Kristian worked as an IT Engineer in Malaysia and in 2017, he made the brave decision to quit his lucrative job and move back to the Philippines in order to stay closer to his family. Although he had already filed his resignation, he was asked by many of his former co-workers if he was really sure of his decision. Even though he had some money set aside, the amount did not seem enough to provide a good livelihood for him and his family. This brought upon a lot of pressure onto Kristian which made him more doubtful of his decision. Despite this, he decided to move back to the Philippines.
He then applied to Upwork, a leading online platform that connects freelancers to companies and businesses seeking quality talent for work. At first, Kristian’s application was rejected a few times, but he continued to update his profile and was determined to find new work. Soon enough, his application was approved!
Fortunately, he was able to land his first job with a client from France, who had employed him as a part-time server administrator. During his time at this job, Kristian admitted that the monthly income he was receiving was not enough for his family needs, having only enough to pay their rent, causing him to re-think about how he left his job in Malaysia.
Once his contract ended at his part-time job, he started looking for clients again and ended up connecting with a client from the U.S. who worked with him for a quick project and who later on promised to hire Kristian for a long-term position.
Six months later, the client from the U.S. finally offered him the long-term position and now Kristian works as a Client Relations Manager in a lead-generation company.
Kristian expressed that he is extremely grateful for this job. His client-turned-employer had supported him and given him many opportunities that contributed to his current success. Kristian would not have been able to provide for his family without this job.
Congratulations Kristian! We at Payoneer salute you and your success!
We also want to thank all the freelancers who participated in our contest and hope to see you again next year!