Charles John Burio Aban – CSR and Real Estate Administrative Assistant

General Norman Schwarzkopf once said: “Success is sweet, but the secret is sweat.” This is indeed a true-to-life quote for me.

People from other nations would usually say that the citizens in the Philippines are poor – well, not everyone. Most likely, 25% of the population belong to the middle- and first-class families. Unfortunately, I grew up in a family that’s part of the other 75%.

Life back then was tough. Though we were able to eat thrice a day, I never had the chance to experience any form of luxury when we were little. My father was a company driver and my mother was a housewife. I, along with my 4 siblings, was taught by our parents that envy is no good, and that we should be thankful for anything that we have. I used to sell chewing gums, chips, candies, and other kinds of ‘snacks’ at school. A bowl of soup for my viand was enough for a day. In addition, there were days when I had to walk 5 miles after school just to be home.

So here comes high school life, but nothing seems to have changed. The beginning of every school year was a dilemma for my parents as they didn’t know how or where to find money to get us new school supplies. When my classmates had their expensive school bags, I had my old, poor ‘baggy’. I even experienced using an empty box and plastic cellophane as my temporary school bag. One day, I asked myself, “Am I going to be like this forever?”

I took numerous scholarship exams so I could go to college. Luckily, I got a full-tuition fee scholarship granted by one of the biggest schools in our city. I continued to be an academic scholar until my 3rd year in college. I also became a part of our school’s dance troupe which gave me another chance to avail full scholarship. Dancing became my passion!

Right after graduating from college, I got married and in the same year, we had our first child. At the age of 20, my wife and I had to work hard for our family’s future. I became a college teacher at a school that is 37 miles away from my family. I only got to see them during weekends. Unfortunately, the pay was low, so I had to find another job. That’s when I chose to be a call center agent. The pay was better, but I was farther from my family. I was a Customer Support Specialist at first. After years of hard work, I became a Team Leader/Supervisor. When we had our second child, I decided to go back home – finally! We now have a home that we can call our own. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would have my own house. It is the fruit of our labour – my wife’s and mine.

I started a new career and worked at home. I spent 3.5 years as a virtual assistant to a realtor in the USA. I used to handle REO properties, listing agreements and sales contracts, client communication, CRM management, marketing and other admin tasks. That was an awesome training ground for me. I work with a positive outlook and I am open to learning new ideas.

Right now, I am a full-time dad who wishes to work with a professionally growing team. My previous experiences equipped me to become an efficient and dedicated employee. My family is always my motivation.

I know I have a lot to tell about my life story and experiences, and I will be more than willing to share them with you when I get the chance. Thanks for reading my story!

For a copy of Charles’s resume please click here.