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Everyone would agree that we all face a lot of different circumstances in our day-to-day lives may it be something personal or work-related, what you are going to wear, which viands are you going to take on for the day, and so much more; not to mention the drastic changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic with our well-being.

But have you ever been fascinated with how it is from a top executive’s perspective? Then, we are one of the fortunate ones to have this opportunity to talk to Celine Marie Refol, iHR Buddy’s newly appointed Chief Operating Officer!

What do you think are your qualities that made you stand out as a COO?

Celine Marie Refol started her journey in iHR Buddy as a virtual assistant and eventually had the great opportunity of working closely with its CEO, Kenn Collier. It is her commendable work ethic and passion for her job that she considers to be her outstanding qualities. She claims that she really loves what she is doing regardless of its complexity and she puts much needed determination with her role to deliver what is expected from her; another key trait is her leadership skills which she was able to hone and develop further while working with Kenn as he was not only a boss for her but was a mentor all throughout her journey.

Who is your model in life?

It might come as a surprise, but she does not have a role model whom she idolizes or looks up to in life. She did not have a really close relationship with her parents while growing up; Celine even recalled her mom’s advice to avoid being too picky and rather settle for something that is easily available which she interpreted as a way of limiting herself to aim for higher goals or dreams in life. She often thinks differently, has a different perspective on things and someone who thinks outside the box paved the way for her to build herself and stay true to her core. She never settles for less and does not want to be stuck in the same position for so long, she drives for her career growth or development, and has the mentality of “being so much more” than what or where she is at present. Despite some of the roadblocks, she puts all her efforts and work for her family to reap the fruits of her labor along with delivering her commitment for the entire company’s success.

How do you spend your leisure time?

Going out or hanging out with friends is not her cup of tea even before the pandemic happened. Celine spends most of her time at home, watching movies with her family, binge-watching TV series and shows, playing games like Sims (as she is fond of creating things and it utilizes her creative juices), and also doing a little bit of writing on the side. She used to have this dream of becoming a novelist before, but had to work on a different path, so she just keeps on writing from time to time so as not to completely detach from one of her greatest passions. Doing nothing for an entire day is a legit plan and way to spend your leisure time for Celine!

What is the best thing about being a COO?

As the new COO of iHR Buddy, she is more than excited as she now has the avenue to really showcase her full potential and capabilities, as well as execute her ideas. Recommendations and idea suggestions were part of her role as a virtual assistant, but it is a reality that as a COO, she now has more control on this with coordinating and working hand-in-hand across functions to materialize all the plans. Celine’s greatest achievement would be to flawlessly execute all her plans and bring the company to a higher level of success — it would be a great proof of all her hard work and commitment for the organization as a whole.

What are your top priorities in terms of development within iHR Buddy?

In addition to that, Celine would really want to develop and grow the business further. She acknowledges the fact that iHR Buddy might be in a plateau at the moment and she is eager in pushing the organization to upscale not only in terms of employees and clients, but also in looking at different aspects of the business where there is opportunity to scope in other services.

Have you had any challenges or difficulty during your stay with iHR Buddy?

Celine has a different take when it comes to new items, concerns or issues as most would consider these as areas of difficulty: she tends to focus on figuring out what the problem is and thinks of possible solutions first instead of dwelling and pressing on the problem itself. Another thing she learned throughout her career is to be more professional when it comes to work and that certain instances may require you to set aside your personal sentiments.

What tips do you have for aspiring employees to succeed in their roles?

Celine generously shared a few tips for employees who aspire to become successful in their chosen careers:

You must always be present, never be late nor absent, and even opt out taking VLs

She does not want to sound as if she is encouraging employees to become too workaholic to a point that you sacrifice having work–life balance, but it really is a plus factor if you are always there and that the management and your supervisors see you as someone who is reliable and dependable. It doesn’t mean you won’t take a break, it just means you have to pay your dues, until you become indispensable to the company so you can have the freedom to come in to work anytime you want.

Consistency and initiative as a VA

An employee must be consistent in delivering all that is expected from him/her and more importantly is that an employee takes the initiative. There is no point in waiting for instructions on what to do: make yourself productive and efficient with your time, do an extra mile from what is expected of you, and find something that will create value for you and your clients.

Embrace the grit

Take these challenges for you to grow and prove your capabilities. Mind you that even those who are already in position still face certain difficulties (e.g., WFH setup had to force most to go back with their basics and learn to be independent) and that you just have to be resilient as all your hard work will soon pay off.

You must have integrity

We all know that working in a virtual setup opens the risk of some individuals to slack off as no one is closely monitoring them as compared to when in a physical office setup. If you want to earn your client’s trust, you must have the mindset that you are doing things right even when working remotely and that you do not need to be reprimanded before being responsible.