Judy (Young Publisher Review)

Full Transcript

Petya -- Hi Judy, thank you for joining me for today's interview.

Judy -- Hi Petya, I'm excited.

Petya -- Me too. Okay, so um, I've known you since a while now, but um, for the rest, could you please introduce yourself, who are you, what you do, and how long you have been with Young Publisher?

Judy -- So, I am Judy. Um, my first name is actually Judy Anne, but you can always call me Judy for short. And I'm a virtual assistant at Young Publisher and I've been with the team for a year now.

Petya -- You do a lot of things actually, and you help with a lot of new tasks because I remember that initially you were hired to do one thing and as time passed by and you've shown to be reliable and finish tasks on time, you were given more tasks. Um, more different tasks I mean. Well, what made you decide to apply to Young Publisher in the first place a year ago?

Judy -- Yeah, so what happened with that is that so I remember that's July of year 2025 and I resigned from my work in the BPO company that I worked with because I've been working from home since 2020.

Petya -- Oh wow, six years now since COVID.

Judy -- Yes, since COVID when I delivered my baby, you know, I I was forced to stay at home and take care of my child and I have to find a way on how I can provide for my family even when I'm at home, you know. So I really like the work from home set up, but um July 2025, they are forcing me to go back on site. So that's uh like four or five hours commute daily from my home and that's uh we can't afford the uh the commute, the, you know, and that who will take care of my son. We have no helper at home. And so I I was forced to resign and while I'm scrolling uh through onlinejobs.ph, I saw the the job ad of of the Young Publisher. I read the description, the task, and I decided to go for it because it's a very attractive um job ad I think for me because the the schedule is day shift. The salary is international salary which is twice from what we are earning here in the Philippines. And um I read there that it's a young and supportive company. So uh I researched, I investigated the Young Publisher website and I read all of the employee testimonials and even the FAQs there, like I'm an employee there like um how to submit the invoice. You know, I read all that um while I'm applying and yeah, so um I know that this is a legit um company because um you said there that you are not um asking for uh us to do the test task that is not paid. Um, my sister is also a freelancer and she advised me that you only do the test tasks that are paid because those are the sign that the client is a legit client if they are paying for your time, if they are paying for your effort. And true enough, when I received the money through uh through Paypal, so I know that Young Publisher is a legit website and yeah, uh you know, uh Petya, it's like this is a dream job for me because all of the criteria that I am looking for in a job is all in Young Publisher.

Petya -- Oh, thank you so much for uh sharing this so openly and so precisely because um it's been a year, but I I see that you remember it very vividly and uh also thank you for the kind words uh regarding the job because over the years, we've made a lot of mistakes, I'll be honest, and uh yeah, we tried to learn from those. We tried to like say, "Okay, maybe this is not working out that well." What we decided, let's shift it, and actually what worked best was asking people for feedback because sometimes they would be reluctant and um they, you know, Filipinos, you are very polite and you're very caring and careful and empathetic, and sometimes people would be reluctant to say if they didn't like something um in your face, not like literally in your face, but written communication. And other times they were a bit more direct, depending on the person. So we made sure to ask, "Okay, you know, what's important for you or um how could we do this better?" "Is there anything that you missed in here that you would like to see differently, than differently?" And we actually tried to implement what we heard, especially if we heard certain things multiple times because then there would be a pattern, right? And um yeah, we just wanted to be very upfront with stuff. Um so thank you also for the honest feedback regarding ads and stuff like that 'cause we asked you guys, um "hey, what is important for you to see in an ad first and what conveys trust?" Because it works both ways. And yesterday I spoke with Bianca and I said, uh "really churn is one of um a company's big problems because if you constantly have to switch people and find new ones, it's exhausting, it's like taking a few steps back." "And it's also not a nice experience for anyone, not for the employee, not for the employer." So it's best if we could retain talent and you know keep working together and that's why we also said, "Okay, um if there are other things, if at some point you get bored or um you know, things get a bit more stuck with routine, you could always try something new." And um I think with VA roles, it's really visible how that uh comes into practice 'cause you are doing a lot of different tasks and you're doing them well and even though it's a few different fields, you do them daily and you become better and better. And yeah, I I find it exciting. Honestly, so just so as a reminder, you know, you could always uh tell us if you're interested in another type of task and take it on. And I think if someone is driven and capable and really um dependable, you know, you could give them new tasks and they would still do well because they have the initiative to do well, they have the intention of doing well, they have the habit of finishing what they start. So yeah, anyway. How has Young Publisher allowed you to change your life for the better outside of work? So with any other activities and important aspects of your life?

Judy -- Yeah, Young Publisher made me healthy again. Yeah, because you know, I'm used to working the graveyard shift. Yeah, so the graveyard shift, the shifting schedules, and you know, um it's tiring and it uh I can see the effects on my body uh with that schedule and you know, I'm surprised that Young Publisher offers the day shift schedule and also the uh the high salary, you know, everything. Um, and also outside of work, I can really feel the work life balance, you know, because here in the Philippines the BPO companies are like promoting the work from uh work life balance setup, but in Young Publisher, I can really feel it because um you are very understanding uh in my needs. For example, if I don't feel well, um Young Publisher allows me to and encourages me to take the day off, to take the day off and to rest and to prioritize my health. And if there's something that my family needs to attend, you know, like occasions, emergencies, you are very considerate and very understanding to allow us to take the day off as well. And not just a day off but you are paying us, you know, for that leave and that is something that I really appreciate for Young publisher and that's why I'm doing my best to retain this job because um I really like it here.

Petya -- Oh, thank you Judy. I'm first of all I'm truly happy that you're feeling well where you are and that you're motivated and driven and that you also feel understood because we really think that it's important to pay attention to your health and family. And if things are well there, of course when you're at work you will focus because you are not worried about stuff. And yeah, I'm I'm just really, really happy for that because I think health is the most important. And from there on, peace of mind with the family and everything else can be adjusted and can be can fall into place easier like that. So thank you for sharing it so openly and so enthusiastically. And one last question before we wrap this up. It is if a friend or family member um would ask you what it's like working at Young Publisher and would you recommend it and why, what would you tell them? Like in simple words.

Judy -- Okay, so I'd like to tell them to give it a try, to remove your doubts. Um to remove your doubts and also be ready for focused and serious work because the stakeholders, the CEO they are serious about the task, the job, you know. So um they will really give you the benefits that you want, the company, the culture that you want but also from our side uh we need to do the effort to the work, to really exert the needed effort to do to do the job well, you know, and to comply and to uh improve our work and listen to the feedback. And be teachable always. Yeah.

Petya -- Oh, that's an amazing um that's an amazing takeaway, be teachable. I like it. Like keep learning, keep um be open to feedback, you know, and uh just keep improving. Judy, thank you so much for today's interview and for all the amazing work that you keep doing. You are really on point, really fast and you know, you save us a lot of time also with critical thinking and with implementing good ideas. So sincerely thank you for being here and for showing up with your face today, that's a big thing. And I wish you many more successes in Young Publisher together. Many more wins.

Judy -- Thank you so much. I appreciate you so much too Petya.

Petya -- Have a great day ahead.