Tamira M. seems to have the whole work-life balance thing figured out, thanks in part to the flexibility of working for Appen. Originally from Brazil, Tamira now resides in British Columbia with her husband.
We spoke to Tamira about her time with Appen and her daily schedule, and she offered some fantastic (and inspiring!) advice on creating a schedule, finding time for fun, and never missing a workout.
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from? What do you like to do?
I’m originally from Brazil, and I moved to Canada after I met my husband. We used to have an IT company, but we’ve stopped doing that, and now we live in the middle of nowhere. My husband and I have a lot of chickens. When I’m not working, most of my time is spent weight lifting. That’s my main hobby, and I love it.
What was it that prompted you to look for remote work?
I was looking for extra income. I used to help my husband run his IT business, but I had plenty of free time to do some extra work, so I figured working from home was the way to go. Being able to have your own schedule is just very convenient.
How did you first hear about Appen?
I actually joined Leapforce at first before they joined Appen, but I already knew about Appen and had done some small translation jobs in the past when I searched for work from home jobs.
What was your first impression of Appen?
I was very impressed with the support team! You may have to study all the guidelines on your own, but whenever you have any questions, you can always rely on the support team.
How do you find your work/life balance?
It is a bit tough sometimes. Because I am able to decide when I work, a lot of times I find myself wanting to just do all of my work at the start of the week… but I think it’s very important to make sure that I have a schedule I can stick to. I didn’t have that at first. I think having the ability to choose your own hours can be a bit tricky sometimes if you are not careful with how you go about it.
Do you have any tips for staying healthy while working from home? That can be tricky for a lot of people.
I do. Exercise is a big part of my life, and I think being active is something all of us should be doing. I make sure that work does not ever get in the way of my workouts. Like I said, you have to have a schedule when you work from home and you have to stick to it. I go to the gym in the morning before I start working and I also workout in the afternoon. I think being active is a big help for clearing your mind when you have stressful projects you are working on. I think exercise is a huge help.
What has surprised you most about working for Appen?
When I first joined I thought I’d be alone when it came to learning my job, but I found that the community is great! I use the chat feature all the time whether I’m asking questions or answering them, everybody answered my questions when I was new and I like to think I’m giving back now.
What do you find most rewarding about the job?
I love working from home, and I also get to learn a lot of new things that I would never have learned otherwise, even sometimes while wearing pajamas!
What advice do you have for prospective Appen candidates?
If you have something you’re working on that is fairly stable, always make sure you have a schedule and you stick to it. Make sure that when it’s time to work, you really get your work done. It’s very easy to get distracted by everything else when you are in the comfort of your own home and you have no one to tell you to get back to work, so you have to be that person, telling yourself to get the job done.
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