How to apply for a DOST Coursera Scholarship

UPDATE: 75,000 DOST & Coursera Grant licenses are fully filled-up!

After watching the video of Nas Daily a few days ago, I realized that we are in a serious situation because of the pandemic. We have to be careful for the next couple of years in order to survive. The economic recession is just starting. More and more people are losing their jobs and businesses are continuously shutting down. In reality, some jobs are simply not coming back. 

Nas said that it is important that we must spend our free time on education.  Get a skill that can make money fast. Businesses will hire people with internet skills. People who know how to edit videos, people who know how to run Facebook ads, build websites or create a sales funnel.

Thus, I am happy to share that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-Caraga) is offering a DOST Coursera grant to all Filipinos nationwide. Yes, even if you are not from the Caraga region, you can still take advantage of this grant. 

If you are not familiar with Coursera, it is an online course provider founded in 2012 that features different courses from top universities like Yale, Michigan, Stanford, and leading companies like Google and IBM.

Normally, these are paid courses but once you qualify for the DOST Coursera grant, you can take these courses absolutely FREE until December 31, 2020.

Some of the courses available are: 

• Facebook Social Media Marketing
• What is Data Science
• Psychological First Aid
• First Step Korean
• Fundamentals of Graphic Design
• Design Thinking for Innovation
• Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management
• Supply Chain Logistics

These are self-paced courses which means that you can take them during your free time. So even if you have an 8-5 job, you can still apply. This is also 100% online so you can join from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. 

If you are interested, you can apply here: http://bit.ly/ApplyDOSTCoursera 

Once again, you don't have to pay anything. The only thing we'd like to ask from you is to SHARE THIS POST so, that we can reach more Filipinos and help them acquire the necessary skills to adapt in these current times. The deadline for application is on October 31, 2020. After that, DOST won't be able to accept applicants anymore. 

I have been an online freelancer for more than 5 years and I just feel that my experience is not enough. This is the main reason why I availed of this scholarship grant. We should not stop learning and instead let us invest in ourselves as we continue to grow.

One more thing... Most courses come with a certificate so, this can also help you as if you are building your portfolio and credentials. 

Don't miss this opportunity! Just send your application via this link: http://bit.ly/ApplyDOSTCoursera today. Limited slots only.

Good luck and please comment below if you have sent your application! 

Online Jobs that you can take using your Mobile Internet

If you want to start your online freelancing career, one of the top requirements is having a stable internet. Ideally, you need to have a DSL or Fiber internet connection from a reliable service provider. 

Here in the Philippines, our major internet service providers are PLDT, Globe, Converge (available in some areas) and Skycable. DSL Plans start at Php 1,299 and is usually bundled with phone service. 

I had no problem with my internet service not until we moved to our new place. When I requested for our internet service to be moved to our new home last year, I was informed that the place was unserviceable. OMG! That is definitely a nightmare for an online worker like me. My biggest concern was "How can I work?" 

Moving to another house was not an option nor renting an office as it will defeat the purpose of me working from home. Our only option was to get mobile internet which I can use through a prepaid wifi modem or the tethering feature of my phone. 

We opted for a prepaid wifi modem however, this limited me with the type of online jobs and projects that I could take. With the unreliable connection, slow internet speed, and data cap, I had to say no to jobs that required me to take calls, make video chats or use a dedicated software or CRM.

On the bright side, I was able to discover a few more jobs and online gigs that's possible with mobile internet, and let me share them with you. 

1. Transcription - Whether it's legal, medical, or general transcription, one can take transcription projects.  Just download the audio file and you can now start working on it using a transcription software like Express Scribe. It does not need an internet connection to work. The only thing you need to do is upload your finished output upon completion. 

2. Blog Commenting/ Syndication Threads Support - If you are someone who's keen to become a Virtual Assistant for Bloggers, then providing syndication threads support is one of the services that you can offer. This usually involves activities such as blog shares, blog commenting, Facebook commenting, Facebook likes, Instagram follow for follows, and a lot more. Actually, you can also complete these tasks using your mobile phone. 

** By the way, if you are a blogger and would like to hire an assistant, I would be happy to help you. Just email me at clarice.mymetrolifestyle@gmail.com  

3. Content Writing - Aside from doing a little research, using the plagiarism checker and Grammarly, you do not really need a fast internet connection to finish a content writing job. Just make sure that you have a way to communicate with your client and submit your completed article. And you're all set. 

4. General Virtual Assistance - As a general VA, the list of tasks is so diverse as you can be assigned to handle the different facets of the business. Just like what I mentioned earlier, as long as you are not required to do calls, video chats and you are not required to upload a lot of files, then you still have a shot of being a VA with your mobile internet. 

Some of the VA tasks that you can handle are email support, scheduling, data entry, and simple research, bookkeeping (as long as you don't use the online version), graphic design,  social media management, etc. 

So, in case you don't have a DSL or Fiber internet connection yet at home, DO NOT LOSE HOPE. There are a lot of online job opportunities that you can consider. Just like Bruce Nauman said, If you really want to do it, You do it. There are no excuses.

P.S. You can make use of this type of internet service to work but once you have to opportunity to upgrade to DSL or Fiber, please do so because having a reliable internet will certainly help you improve your productivity as an online worker. 

I am also happy to share that this 2020 we already have DSL at home.