Meeting Title: Brainforge PMO Screening Interview Date: 2025-07-31 Meeting participants: Giselle Agot, Amber Lin
WEBVTT
1 00:00:10.300 ⇒ 00:00:11.320 Giselle Agot: Hi amber.
2 00:00:11.580 ⇒ 00:00:15.500 Amber Lin: Hi, Giselle, how are you doing.
3 00:00:15.500 ⇒ 00:00:17.170 Giselle Agot: Doing. Great. Thank you.
4 00:00:17.480 ⇒ 00:00:20.390 Amber Lin: I was just looking at the video, you said.
5 00:00:20.510 ⇒ 00:00:28.990 Giselle Agot: Thank you for sending that. You’re one of the only person who just said that because it’s a new. It’s a new thing. And you’re the 1st video I’ve watched.
6 00:00:30.320 ⇒ 00:00:31.339 Giselle Agot: All right.
7 00:00:33.916 ⇒ 00:01:01.850 Amber Lin: So this is a 1st round screening interview, and most the purpose of this is, just get to know you get to know what your goals are, what you want to have. I got a little bit of context from your video, but I would love to know more. So I have 4 questions that I want to ask you, and at the end I want to have space for you to ask me any questions about the company next steps for the position. And so the main 4 questions
8 00:01:01.850 ⇒ 00:01:04.514 Amber Lin: I will copy and
9 00:01:05.860 ⇒ 00:01:19.559 Amber Lin: So the main 4 questions gonna be what your career goals are what you’re good at, and then what you’re not good at. And lastly, how your past bosses would rate you.
10 00:01:20.100 ⇒ 00:01:27.310 Amber Lin: So I just want to start off with a quick introduction. So my name is Amber. I’ve been with Brainforge about
11 00:01:27.490 ⇒ 00:01:38.690 Amber Lin: 5 months now, and I joined as a project manager. And right now I’m helping establish our Pmo. And
12 00:01:39.070 ⇒ 00:01:47.829 Amber Lin: I, really, I really enjoy working here. And I really want to have someone to support me and support the Pmo as we grow.
13 00:01:48.220 ⇒ 00:01:52.640 Amber Lin: and so feel free to introduce yourself, and then we can get started.
14 00:01:53.190 ⇒ 00:02:19.420 Giselle Agot: Yeah, sure. My name is Marie Giselle Agat. You can call me G for short, and I am from Cebu City, the Philippines. I’ve been working remotely for a total of, I’d say, 12 years. I actually started working remotely when I had my 1st born. I’m a mother of 3, actually so. My 1st born. I was with the Bpo. Company for 7 years. I was already in the ladder of management.
15 00:02:19.715 ⇒ 00:02:42.190 Giselle Agot: However, there was a milestone came into my life. I became a mom. So that’s when I decided, like, I have to quit my 7 year job, and I have to stay at home and be a full time, mom? And then one of my friends told me like, Why don’t you try doing remote work? And that time it was not something that was really like, the same as what we have now. It’s
16 00:02:42.190 ⇒ 00:02:55.089 Giselle Agot: it was something that I’d say. Someone would say, it’s not stable. It’s just just a short time gig, but I still took the chat. I just took the risk I just tried. And then, luckily, I got accepted to a customer service role.
17 00:02:55.460 ⇒ 00:03:16.949 Giselle Agot: The reason for that. They accepted me because of my past experience with the Bpl Company. So it it was a a blank clothing company. So we sell out blank clothing to different institutions, like schools, offices. So what I did is more on the customer service side. I do inbound outbound calls emails. So
18 00:03:16.950 ⇒ 00:03:26.759 Giselle Agot: that’s what I did. And after 2 years with the company, they open up another business. It’s more on the website and development side and
19 00:03:27.340 ⇒ 00:03:37.569 Giselle Agot: they were looking for someone who will be able to manage the technical team way back that I did not have any knowledge. What website development was, I did not have any.
20 00:03:38.370 ⇒ 00:03:48.610 Giselle Agot: wordpress experience. What I know of is more on the customer service side, and of course, some technical of experience with the Bpo Company that I was working with. But
21 00:03:48.730 ⇒ 00:04:03.160 Giselle Agot: I still apply for the role, and of course I studied before I applied for the role, and luckily they were looking for someone who can communicate very well with their clients. So it was an advantage for me because I was from a customer service.
22 00:04:03.950 ⇒ 00:04:04.510 Giselle Agot: so I.
23 00:04:04.510 ⇒ 00:04:05.440 Amber Lin: Do so much.
24 00:04:05.440 ⇒ 00:04:17.250 Giselle Agot: This, I would think that I I’m very confident. Having these calls with their clients. So there was an advantage for me. So yeah, that’s how I got into the project management role. So I was.
25 00:04:17.250 ⇒ 00:04:17.820 Amber Lin: There you go!
26 00:04:17.820 ⇒ 00:04:42.169 Giselle Agot: Working with a team of web developers, graphic designers and content writers. And it was a startup business. So I was there. When we’re building out sops. You were building out processes. I was there also when like, you know, we’re hiring people to join in the team. So it was a very good experience for me. It’s more of like a training ground for me. And I started as a project manager. I
27 00:04:42.600 ⇒ 00:04:55.060 Giselle Agot: get to have a clear understanding what project management was, how it is to work with the team, how to manage a team, how to you know, make our clients happy, making sure the projects are on on time or within deadline. So
28 00:04:55.548 ⇒ 00:05:02.160 Giselle Agot: and also it gives me more confidence. The delivering projects. Folks delivering project, delivering project faces so.
29 00:05:02.160 ⇒ 00:05:02.500 Amber Lin: Okay.
30 00:05:02.846 ⇒ 00:05:03.540 Giselle Agot: Yeah, so.
31 00:05:03.540 ⇒ 00:05:27.350 Amber Lin: Yeah, that sounds awesome. Thank you for explaining that to me. And I really can tell from your customer service experience how you communicate to people. I wanted to ask you because you said you transitioned to project management, and I looked at your resume your Linkedin, and you’ve been in project management for quite a while and through quite a few companies. And I so wanted to ask you what your career goals are.
32 00:05:28.383 ⇒ 00:05:46.219 Giselle Agot: Actually, I know that you can see that it’s I’ve been a project manager for quite some time. It was actually a goal for me to level up on project management. I wanted to get myself certified, which I haven’t had yet achieved. Getting a certification. I’m not sure. You know this, but getting here a certification in the Philippines is
33 00:05:46.629 ⇒ 00:06:00.789 Giselle Agot: quite expensive. So and also it takes time. So that’s what I’m planning to do, probably and hopefully, in the next 6 months to get myself certified, and of course, to level up from what I’ve been doing over these years. So.
34 00:06:00.790 ⇒ 00:06:21.280 Amber Lin: I see when you say leveling up, do you mean because there’s certain paths for Pms to level up? And there’s you can manage more project. You can manage bigger projects, you can start to manage project managers, or you can help establish processes. And so what direction do you want to go when you say leveling up.
35 00:06:22.254 ⇒ 00:06:29.180 Giselle Agot: I’ve been a project manager. I’ve been managing a team for quite some I wanted to teach now on, you know, like
36 00:06:29.230 ⇒ 00:06:43.639 Giselle Agot: establish project managers on how they can. You know they can be more efficient. I can like show them like the experiences that I’ve had and what I learned. Also, if ever I get myself certified, I wanted to like, be a teacher.
37 00:06:43.873 ⇒ 00:06:59.500 Giselle Agot: I’m working as a project manager. I’m more of like telling people like, okay, this is what needs to get done and all that. And it’s the same process that I do when I’m working with the team members that I’m working with, but it will be very different if ever I level up, because I will be the one teaching I’ll be the one writing it.
38 00:06:59.500 ⇒ 00:07:00.030 Amber Lin: Bye.
39 00:07:00.030 ⇒ 00:07:03.109 Giselle Agot: Includes and best practices, strategies, and all of that. So.
40 00:07:03.110 ⇒ 00:07:18.489 Amber Lin: Yeah, gotcha, that’s very exciting, and also want to mention so in our company all as long as you want to get certified and want to improve on what you do. The company will compensate the certification costs.
41 00:07:18.490 ⇒ 00:07:38.259 Amber Lin: So right now I’m also studying for certification, and when I take the exam. I will submit the expense to the company, and they will. They will compensate us. And then we also have partners with different programs, and they provide certificates and training programs as well. So as long as you’re willing to learn and want to do that, the company
42 00:07:40.170 ⇒ 00:07:41.180 Amber Lin: that’s that’s good to know.
43 00:07:41.180 ⇒ 00:07:50.170 Amber Lin: Yeah, I’m very happy about that, too. So the second question I have is, what do you think you are really good at? Professionally.
44 00:07:50.660 ⇒ 00:07:51.260 Giselle Agot: Well.
45 00:07:52.050 ⇒ 00:07:59.139 Giselle Agot: first, st I’d say, since I’ve been working as a project manager for quite some time already, I think my
46 00:08:00.900 ⇒ 00:08:07.680 Giselle Agot: communication skills since I’m working with clients. English speaking clients, like most clients I’m working with are being
47 00:08:07.680 ⇒ 00:08:17.289 Giselle Agot: in Australia and now United States. So I think an advantage for me is more of a good communicator, someone who can actually
48 00:08:19.885 ⇒ 00:08:24.929 Giselle Agot: communicate well with the clients. Of course you will be present. Project scopes different phases of the project, and
49 00:08:25.700 ⇒ 00:08:34.780 Giselle Agot: it’s very important that you are, so that the client will not have a hard time understanding, like, what are you trying to convey, or what are you trying to do?
50 00:08:34.780 ⇒ 00:08:35.270 Giselle Agot: Understand?
51 00:08:35.270 ⇒ 00:08:38.040 Giselle Agot: So I think that’s an advantage for me. And
52 00:08:38.610 ⇒ 00:08:44.740 Giselle Agot: it was also the main reason that had the role like years back. So I I think, that’s
53 00:08:45.107 ⇒ 00:08:49.520 Giselle Agot: I see a good quality that I could say that I have
54 00:08:50.303 ⇒ 00:08:53.290 Giselle Agot: also, over the years. I’ve learned.
55 00:08:53.290 ⇒ 00:08:56.060 Giselle Agot: be more process driven and detail oriented. So
56 00:08:57.162 ⇒ 00:09:03.140 Giselle Agot: I’ve learned also how to create systems, improve workflows, which is, I think, very vital with a role.
57 00:09:03.140 ⇒ 00:09:03.570 Amber Lin: Okay.
58 00:09:04.530 ⇒ 00:09:05.490 Giselle Agot: Not only
59 00:09:06.000 ⇒ 00:09:19.699 Giselle Agot: just being able to handle clients and project status updates, but at the same time be able to organize and put up a process so that let’s say a team member, a new team member comes in. So you have this
60 00:09:20.474 ⇒ 00:09:24.039 Giselle Agot: Sop in place and they can just follow through. So, yeah.
61 00:09:24.540 ⇒ 00:09:51.160 Amber Lin: I see. Would you be interested in some parts? Because a lot sometimes I work very closely with our operations lead, and we create a lot of sops together, and sometimes I also work a bit in the operations field, especially when it comes to managing people’s time managing allocations. How we run different meetings would you be interested in? I guess that’s that ties into my second question is, what are you
62 00:09:51.740 ⇒ 00:10:01.510 Amber Lin: not interested in doing? Because there’s many, many possibilities in a company like ours. And I’ve been able to morph between the different roles and
63 00:10:01.510 ⇒ 00:10:21.799 Amber Lin: project management is what I landed on. But I had opportunities to help sales. I had opportunities to help operations, help finance. So if you’re done listing what you’re really good at professionally, I would love to hear what you think you’re not good at, and not interested in.
64 00:10:21.800 ⇒ 00:10:30.160 Giselle Agot: Actually mentioned it. I’m not really good with sales. I’m not the type of like selling a product, even like personally, with my.
65 00:10:30.610 ⇒ 00:10:36.435 Giselle Agot: you have something that I would want them to purchase from me, or something that I want them to buy from me.
66 00:10:37.220 ⇒ 00:10:37.740 Giselle Agot: Just
67 00:10:37.740 ⇒ 00:10:46.539 Giselle Agot: don’t know how to advertise it like I don’t have the skill or the talent like. Tell them, hey? I’m probably I’m not the type of person that
68 00:10:46.900 ⇒ 00:10:47.690 Giselle Agot: would like.
69 00:10:47.690 ⇒ 00:10:48.670 Amber Lin: All right.
70 00:10:48.670 ⇒ 00:10:52.410 Giselle Agot: Well, and let’s them purchased, or something to do with. But.
71 00:10:52.410 ⇒ 00:10:53.000 Amber Lin: I see.
72 00:10:53.000 ⇒ 00:10:55.429 Giselle Agot: I’m not really with sales. Honestly.
73 00:10:55.430 ⇒ 00:11:01.945 Amber Lin: Okay. I think when I when I asked that because there’s a component of
74 00:11:02.490 ⇒ 00:11:26.140 Amber Lin: advocating or upsell in our role, because we’re a very small company. And sometimes when we want to upsell a project, we want to expand a project, we do work with sales. To help them know. Okay, this is what we can do, so you will have. You won’t be the one selling, but it. It is something that you can consider
75 00:11:26.140 ⇒ 00:11:37.910 Amber Lin: going into. If you. I just want some people want to go into that so I’ll know that. And it’s not. And it’s not an issue. It’s just how we divide responsibilities.
76 00:11:38.400 ⇒ 00:11:44.220 Giselle Agot: Yeah. Just to let you know that the previous company that was where they actually give incentive like, let’s say, if you
77 00:11:44.560 ⇒ 00:11:50.747 Giselle Agot: have a client that upgrades to a plan, or probably away our hosting services. So
78 00:11:51.760 ⇒ 00:12:14.689 Giselle Agot: actually comes naturally, like, I already know, like how it is like, what are their plans. So if ever the client will be asking like, Do you have hosting services available? Then we have the Co. I already have. That in my head, like, Okay, yeah, we have this. And I just consider as a sale. I I see that something like that’s part that’s part of the discussion, especially when you have clients inquiring about something. So yeah.
79 00:12:16.970 ⇒ 00:12:25.690 Amber Lin: Sounds good. You said what you’re not good at. Can you tell me what you’re not interested in doing.
80 00:12:27.020 ⇒ 00:12:29.052 Giselle Agot: Not interested in doing
81 00:12:30.910 ⇒ 00:12:35.700 Giselle Agot: I can’t think of any right now. As long as it’s
82 00:12:36.640 ⇒ 00:12:54.269 Giselle Agot: I’m earning from it something that I could say that I get to earn, I get to I’m actually the reason why I’m working because I wanted to give my kids comfortable life. So I’m very willing to go the extra mile just to be able to provide them that. So if it’s something that I’m being asked to do
83 00:12:54.290 ⇒ 00:13:20.850 Giselle Agot: like, if it’s so challenging like what happened to me with the very 1st time that I got into the project management role. I I really go the extra mile to you know, to you know, to understand, to learn more and be able to get what I want. So I don’t want to think that. There’s nothing that I can do, because there’s always a way there, you can always find a way for everything. So if you really want it if you really someone that
84 00:13:20.850 ⇒ 00:13:26.060 Giselle Agot: would want to reach for it. So it’s it’s not impossible. So for me.
85 00:13:26.060 ⇒ 00:13:26.510 Amber Lin: Okay.
86 00:13:26.510 ⇒ 00:13:46.640 Giselle Agot: I’d say in my role. I don’t think there’s something that I’d say I cannot do. I’m hoping but I might be challenged. I might be, let’s say for the like, for example, in the long run, I’d say, Oh, this is something that I might not be able to be good at, but at least I give myself or I. I tried my best doing that. So yeah.
87 00:13:47.170 ⇒ 00:14:09.620 Amber Lin: See, I really appreciate that. I think when I ask people what you’re not interested in doing some. Sometimes it’s like, Oh, I’m not interested in doing sales. Okay, great. We don’t. We don’t. We won’t put you in somewhere that doesn’t give you doesn’t make you feel passionate about working. Sometimes people will say, Oh, I don’t like a lot of
88 00:14:10.015 ⇒ 00:14:24.420 Amber Lin: repetitive work. And with that I would say, like, Okay, we have an AI team that there’s hope they’re helping us develop these systems, especially as a Pm. I can show you later of what our team has developed for us, and they
89 00:14:24.480 ⇒ 00:14:47.050 Amber Lin: they help me generate the 1st draft of emails to help me. Sometimes they can help me create tickets for meeting transcripts. So when something I asked this question so that I know, okay, what are some places we can help automate? What are some? How can we place you in a position that of course we trust, and you’ll work hard, but it gives you energy. What you do work.
90 00:14:47.420 ⇒ 00:14:47.950 Giselle Agot: Yeah.
91 00:14:49.576 ⇒ 00:14:50.710 Giselle Agot: Is this.
92 00:14:50.710 ⇒ 00:14:54.219 Amber Lin: I guess on that like what? What motivates you like, what gives you energy.
93 00:14:56.405 ⇒ 00:14:57.415 Giselle Agot: It’s money.
94 00:14:58.490 ⇒ 00:15:02.752 Amber Lin: Okay, okay, I like the I like the honesty like me, too.
95 00:15:03.400 ⇒ 00:15:10.739 Amber Lin: To be honest, I asked for a raise recently, so I totally understand what you mean like. I want to get my family a comfortable life, and.
96 00:15:11.123 ⇒ 00:15:11.890 Giselle Agot: I see.
97 00:15:11.890 ⇒ 00:15:13.779 Amber Lin: I would like to have a raise.
98 00:15:13.780 ⇒ 00:15:25.279 Giselle Agot: Yeah. So let’s say, for example, like the pay is good. So of course I would really want it. I would. I would work hard for it. I will make sure that I am giving exceptional you know, output.
99 00:15:25.280 ⇒ 00:15:44.679 Giselle Agot: That’s actually what I think, because if you have a motivation like, I’d say I want to give my family a very comfortable life, and the compensation is good. So I really want this. I don’t want to fail. I want to really push myself hard, to be better, to be someone that they that the company is needing some, some someone that the company wants.
100 00:15:44.680 ⇒ 00:15:45.180 Amber Lin: And.
101 00:15:45.180 ⇒ 00:15:46.019 Giselle Agot: So that gives.
102 00:15:46.430 ⇒ 00:15:46.860 Amber Lin: Read it.
103 00:15:47.300 ⇒ 00:15:57.670 Giselle Agot: So if I don’t have the motivation. So if if if I’m not, I say, okay, this is just something that that’s not worth, you know working because.
104 00:15:57.670 ⇒ 00:15:58.519 Amber Lin: You love it.
105 00:15:58.520 ⇒ 00:16:02.949 Giselle Agot: I’m not being paid. It’s delayed. I don’t have any like. I’m not providing for my family then
106 00:16:03.350 ⇒ 00:16:06.979 Giselle Agot: that that doesn’t motivate, that that doesn’t motivate me.
107 00:16:07.370 ⇒ 00:16:20.218 Amber Lin: Yeah, totally, I understand. And I know, currently, we’re talking about the Coordinator role. But to give you context, I also started as a coordinator. But I it was really fast.
108 00:16:20.920 ⇒ 00:16:28.989 Amber Lin: I think my trial period was only a month, and then I became a full time project manager, and then, after that I was able to follow
109 00:16:29.190 ⇒ 00:16:37.599 Amber Lin: help with the Pfo. And correspondingly, when I transitioned to a full time project manager, I got a raise on that as well. So
110 00:16:37.640 ⇒ 00:16:53.360 Amber Lin: I think I know. I think Ryan recommend you, and I think he also recommended people who’s our OP. Operations lead, and I think both of them are people who ask for more work, and they work really hard. And I think.
111 00:16:53.360 ⇒ 00:17:08.349 Amber Lin: especially with our department. There’s there is already levels that you can go up to, and I think each level is going to be a raise in both money and responsibility. So if that’s something you’re interested in. I can.
112 00:17:08.349 ⇒ 00:17:22.139 Amber Lin: I can show you the progressions in the Pm. Pass this. This is like what you’re interested in doing, and we have vacancies for a full time project manager. We have vacancies for someone who wants to lead the Pmo. And
113 00:17:22.833 ⇒ 00:17:26.640 Amber Lin: that’s something I really see you could grow into.
114 00:17:27.030 ⇒ 00:17:27.780 Giselle Agot: Yeah.
115 00:17:32.680 ⇒ 00:17:35.080 Amber Lin: I know where it kind of.
116 00:17:35.760 ⇒ 00:17:41.209 Amber Lin: we’re probably gonna go over. So I just wanna make sure you still have time to this conversation.
117 00:17:41.620 ⇒ 00:17:42.180 Amber Lin: Yeah, no problem.
118 00:17:42.180 ⇒ 00:17:50.680 Amber Lin: Yeah. Sounds good. Probably take another 10 to 20 min, and then I’ll I’ll have to pop. So my last question is
119 00:17:50.810 ⇒ 00:17:58.199 Amber Lin: for your last 5 bosses, and how will they each rate your performance on a 1 to 10 scale when we talk to them?
120 00:17:59.340 ⇒ 00:18:10.440 Giselle Agot: Oh, yeah, the last job that I have was was with business marketing engine. I was with the company for almost 3 years. I was a project manager. I got laid off.
121 00:18:10.610 ⇒ 00:18:24.979 Giselle Agot: I believe, a month ago. June. Yeah, if I remember it right, I got laid off from the company because one of our biggest clients pulled out. The business was not anymore working very well. So of course, if there’s
122 00:18:24.980 ⇒ 00:18:43.690 Giselle Agot: few clients project manager would, by the way, be a fact. So it was a very sad you know. Goodbye for me, like we, my boss myself. We were in a policy, miss this one and yeah, I probably told him that I’m happy with the experience that I’ve had with the team. I met with the team like
123 00:18:43.690 ⇒ 00:18:56.350 Giselle Agot: we went to Manila, I think, the last year, and then we met with we actually had a family even up to now we’re still communicating, but it was just so sad. And I just fully understand, because it’s it’s part of the business.
124 00:18:56.350 ⇒ 00:18:59.720 Giselle Agot: And if it’s with rating I’m
125 00:19:00.304 ⇒ 00:19:06.800 Giselle Agot: how we are now, the the relationship that I have now with the team and the boss that I’m with
126 00:19:07.629 ⇒ 00:19:09.930 Giselle Agot: in the last company that I was working for. I’d say
127 00:19:10.725 ⇒ 00:19:12.719 Giselle Agot: they would be rating me in the
128 00:19:12.720 ⇒ 00:19:15.780 Giselle Agot: 8 and 9. I don’t see myself a perfect 10.
129 00:19:16.095 ⇒ 00:19:19.900 Giselle Agot: This they were also they were always a minimum of improvement for me, like I always get
130 00:19:20.770 ⇒ 00:19:29.141 Giselle Agot: from my project management project manager lead like telling me like this is how you should be doing for this client. But
131 00:19:29.670 ⇒ 00:19:30.980 Giselle Agot: Over the years
132 00:19:31.100 ⇒ 00:19:39.579 Giselle Agot: I was very thankful with the company for helping me go through all those challenges that I’ve had helped me develop the confidence that I need, and at the same time
133 00:19:40.743 ⇒ 00:19:43.450 Giselle Agot: be the best project manager that I.
134 00:19:44.684 ⇒ 00:19:54.560 Amber Lin: Okay? So when you say they wait.
135 00:19:54.900 ⇒ 00:20:06.439 Amber Lin: if I guess professionally, is is it because you did really good on projects as you help them upsell. What would be like the objective reason why they would raise you.
136 00:20:07.040 ⇒ 00:20:16.130 Giselle Agot: Yeah, it’s always an advantage for this. With customer service. I always get a kudos from our clients. Clients like they tell me that
137 00:20:16.460 ⇒ 00:20:22.490 Giselle Agot: Giselle is taking good care of me taking good care of the business we make sure that we are top
138 00:20:22.600 ⇒ 00:20:52.239 Giselle Agot: with the project. We’re always time. So the clients. I always make them feel they’re happy, and it’s an advantage because I was with customer service. So I think that was one factor that would say that would be giving me that score, because, of course, the clients are the one giving us money. They’re the ones giving our salary. So it’s my goal to like really make them happy. At the same time making them feel that they’re in good hands, since I am the one managing the project.
139 00:20:52.380 ⇒ 00:21:03.270 Giselle Agot: So I’d say, that’s 1 and since I’m a very process driven person, I I always make sure that we’re we are organized.
140 00:21:03.410 ⇒ 00:21:28.389 Giselle Agot: I make sure that since we are using project management tools, I always make sure that we are putting in proper documentation for the team that I’m working with detail. I always put in detailed descriptions of every task. I follow the arc process. It’s asked reason and context, so that I think that’s 1 of the best practices that I’ve had showed with the team.
141 00:21:28.470 ⇒ 00:21:44.839 Giselle Agot: because myself, if ever I will be given a task and there’s no details to it, I’d be more confused. I’d be I’d say, what is this for? How do I go about? I really need sales. So I gave them that idea. So I think that’s 1 thing that I’d say that was really
142 00:21:45.603 ⇒ 00:21:46.030 Giselle Agot: you know.
143 00:21:46.880 ⇒ 00:21:47.370 Amber Lin: Let’s see.
144 00:21:47.370 ⇒ 00:21:48.970 Giselle Agot: But give, give them, Linda, give me that.
145 00:21:48.970 ⇒ 00:21:49.540 Amber Lin: Yeah, that’s.
146 00:21:49.901 ⇒ 00:21:55.379 Giselle Agot: And as well as being able to. We work well with people
147 00:21:55.990 ⇒ 00:22:03.860 Giselle Agot: mentioned. I have good relationship with the team that I’m working with. I’m still communication with them up to today. So I make sure that we have
148 00:22:04.430 ⇒ 00:22:07.210 Giselle Agot: good relationship, although it’s remote. But still I
149 00:22:07.610 ⇒ 00:22:10.759 Giselle Agot: we have good relationship with the people that I’m working with.
150 00:22:12.119 ⇒ 00:22:36.879 Amber Lin: That sounds awesome. I noted everything down because I’m gonna show my advisor and show our CEO as well. So thank you for being very detailed, and letting me all letting me know all this stuff. Let’s move on to the company before that. So what would you say your boss there! What rating would they give you.
151 00:22:37.941 ⇒ 00:22:44.210 Giselle Agot: The the company before the last that I’ve had was it was an e-commerce company. So
152 00:22:44.989 ⇒ 00:23:05.610 Giselle Agot: it was with Ozarky. It’s not the same with business marketing engine, because we’re more of the goal of the company is more of being able to launch a product right away, making sure that we are able to e-commerce. We want to make sure that it’s added to Amazon to shopify support. Everything was fast paced.
153 00:23:05.740 ⇒ 00:23:08.720 Giselle Agot: So I’d say
154 00:23:09.310 ⇒ 00:23:28.607 Giselle Agot: I was not like really 100 project managing. It’s more of like making sure that the process is followed internally, only internally, like I I did not have like. I did not walk. I did not work with operations. It was just an internal you know, pass for me as a project manager. So
155 00:23:29.190 ⇒ 00:23:35.720 Giselle Agot: I’d say, it’s a 7 or yeah, something like that, because I I did not see myself like
156 00:23:36.213 ⇒ 00:23:42.890 Giselle Agot: that that’s really giving off like something that would say, Oh, wow! To the client. It’s more of like, just
157 00:23:43.497 ⇒ 00:23:48.279 Giselle Agot: doing what I need to do. And then making sure that it, the product is launched on time. Then that’s it.
158 00:23:51.350 ⇒ 00:23:52.330 Amber Lin: Okay.
159 00:23:53.580 ⇒ 00:24:08.570 Amber Lin: So was it, do you think that’s because you’re less interested in that type of work because it sounds like there’s not much room for your creativity. It was very much established processes, and there’s not much
160 00:24:08.810 ⇒ 00:24:18.640 Amber Lin: you as a person is contributing. Is that why, you would say that wasn’t as a use for this project. Is that why 7 out of 10.
161 00:24:18.830 ⇒ 00:24:32.779 Giselle Agot: Yeah. The scope that I was with the company is not the same scope that I had with the last one that I have a business marketing engine. It’s just a minimal scope. I’m just focused on making sure that the product is launched on time making sure that it’s coordinated with the
162 00:24:33.260 ⇒ 00:24:35.899 Giselle Agot: with a person team with a you know.
163 00:24:36.290 ⇒ 00:24:37.050 Amber Lin: Oh!
164 00:24:37.400 ⇒ 00:24:39.559 Giselle Agot: It’s just like that. It is.
165 00:24:40.120 ⇒ 00:24:44.530 Giselle Agot: I don’t have like 9 calls like this one like I don’t get.
166 00:24:44.530 ⇒ 00:24:45.100 Amber Lin: Oh, yeah.
167 00:24:45.100 ⇒ 00:24:45.980 Giselle Agot: Of internal.
168 00:24:45.980 ⇒ 00:24:46.370 Amber Lin: Okay.
169 00:24:46.370 ⇒ 00:24:50.120 Giselle Agot: So I don’t see myself like doing the well rounded project manager.
170 00:24:50.120 ⇒ 00:24:51.140 Giselle Agot: Everyone. Yeah, that rule.
171 00:24:51.521 ⇒ 00:25:07.540 Amber Lin: I see, I mean for for the scope that they hired you for do you think they’re they’re happy, so not not in terms of project management, just for the scope that they hired you for how would they rate it.
172 00:25:12.520 ⇒ 00:25:17.260 Giselle Agot: I can see myself being able to deliver what they were asking for, I’d still say.
173 00:25:17.740 ⇒ 00:25:19.410 Giselle Agot: but I did not give.
174 00:25:19.410 ⇒ 00:25:19.940 Amber Lin: Exactly.
175 00:25:19.940 ⇒ 00:25:21.620 Giselle Agot: It did not go beyond the extra mile like.
176 00:25:21.620 ⇒ 00:25:22.520 Amber Lin: I see.
177 00:25:22.520 ⇒ 00:25:22.860 Giselle Agot: And we.
178 00:25:23.199 ⇒ 00:25:23.540 Amber Lin: Okay.
179 00:25:23.540 ⇒ 00:25:27.099 Giselle Agot: Because they already have process in place and.
180 00:25:27.100 ⇒ 00:25:27.490 Amber Lin: We’ll leave
181 00:25:28.295 ⇒ 00:25:28.670 Amber Lin: Yeah.
182 00:25:28.670 ⇒ 00:25:32.150 Giselle Agot: I was suggesting. But they said that we just have to follow this.
183 00:25:32.150 ⇒ 00:25:32.640 Giselle Agot: Yeah.
184 00:25:32.640 ⇒ 00:25:34.570 Amber Lin: We already have this.
185 00:25:35.570 ⇒ 00:25:39.120 Giselle Agot: Not able to like, really give off what I no.
186 00:25:39.120 ⇒ 00:25:41.780 Giselle Agot: my experience I have to just.
187 00:25:41.780 ⇒ 00:25:42.100 Amber Lin: Thank you.
188 00:25:42.100 ⇒ 00:25:43.280 Giselle Agot: What the instructors need to do.
189 00:25:44.427 ⇒ 00:25:52.109 Amber Lin: Let’s see. I mean, actually, your reason made me like
190 00:25:52.940 ⇒ 00:26:10.950 Amber Lin: that made me see who you are as a person even more, and I do like what you’re telling me. I want to be conscious of time because I want to give you time to ask me questions. Just have like a 1 extra question. So what do you do outside of work like, what is your hobby? And what do you put time into.
191 00:26:11.430 ⇒ 00:26:15.047 Giselle Agot: Yeah, I’m trying to get myself fit again.
192 00:26:15.500 ⇒ 00:26:16.070 Amber Lin: Okay.
193 00:26:16.300 ⇒ 00:26:23.359 Giselle Agot: Gave birth 2 years ago, and after that I got lazy. I was actually with crossfit before, like I was in competition.
194 00:26:23.360 ⇒ 00:26:24.140 Amber Lin: Oh!
195 00:26:24.140 ⇒ 00:26:24.590 Giselle Agot: Oh!
196 00:26:24.590 ⇒ 00:26:25.330 Amber Lin: What?
197 00:26:25.330 ⇒ 00:26:31.100 Giselle Agot: To go back. But I don’t see myself anymore that strong weight. I have to go back. So I really.
198 00:26:31.420 ⇒ 00:26:31.970 Amber Lin: Ignoring.
199 00:26:31.970 ⇒ 00:26:34.820 Giselle Agot: To get back to fitness. So like I just do it.
200 00:26:34.820 ⇒ 00:26:35.290 Amber Lin: Okay.
201 00:26:35.290 ⇒ 00:26:47.009 Giselle Agot: And I don’t do it every day before I go to the gym every day. But I just do it this time on weekends, so I try to go back, and I’m signing up for marathons hopefully. I’ll be able to keep up with the.
202 00:26:47.010 ⇒ 00:26:50.120 Amber Lin: You already? Did you ever do another call before.
203 00:26:50.290 ⇒ 00:26:54.889 Giselle Agot: I did, I and I. I was so jealous
204 00:26:56.140 ⇒ 00:27:00.090 Giselle Agot: like they joined in Hong Kong, the latest one, the
205 00:27:01.850 ⇒ 00:27:06.170 Giselle Agot: yeah. They’ve joined this competition, and I was like, okay, so yeah.
206 00:27:06.605 ⇒ 00:27:07.040 Amber Lin: Excellent.
207 00:27:07.040 ⇒ 00:27:11.020 Giselle Agot: It’s not because I gave birth. So yeah, I wanted to go back to track so hopefully.
208 00:27:11.020 ⇒ 00:27:12.089 Amber Lin: So cool.
209 00:27:12.385 ⇒ 00:27:12.650 Giselle Agot: Yeah.
210 00:27:12.650 ⇒ 00:27:25.471 Amber Lin: Yeah, I I used to do powerlifting and then work started. And then it’s just so hard to work out when you’re working. And I’m trying to. I’m trying to go. It’s hard.
211 00:27:25.860 ⇒ 00:27:31.119 Giselle Agot: Yeah, it’s not where you can do it every day, because you have all the free time. But now.
212 00:27:31.120 ⇒ 00:27:31.520 Amber Lin: Yeah.
213 00:27:31.540 ⇒ 00:27:32.300 Giselle Agot: It’s been.
214 00:27:32.300 ⇒ 00:27:33.150 Amber Lin: I know.
215 00:27:33.477 ⇒ 00:27:47.362 Giselle Agot: So I just do it on weekends. So we go hikes, but it’s not the same as before, like, let’s go hiking, and then next time. Go to the gym like we can. You can do everything in one day, but this time just hike for like 5 kilometers. And then, okay, that’s it.
216 00:27:48.130 ⇒ 00:27:49.100 Giselle Agot: little Violet.
217 00:27:49.100 ⇒ 00:27:50.620 Amber Lin: Cool. Okay.
218 00:27:51.290 ⇒ 00:28:09.000 Amber Lin: I mean, feel free to ask me any questions. I can show you our internal AI platform that they built, which is really helpful, especially for our Pm. You can ask me about next steps about a company I want. You have, like we have 12 min or so. Ask away.
219 00:28:09.311 ⇒ 00:28:11.180 Giselle Agot: What? Pm, tool are you using.
220 00:28:11.990 ⇒ 00:28:29.869 Amber Lin: We’re using linear. So it’s it’s not that different from Clickup. And I noticed you say clicks up. I used it before as well, it’s very similar. We just picked it because it has a lot of api integration. It lets that lets up, lets us pull all the data.
221 00:28:30.700 ⇒ 00:28:39.900 Giselle Agot: Okay, alright and how many teams do you have? Currently, at the like? You have a wide theme.
222 00:28:40.280 ⇒ 00:29:07.330 Amber Lin: Currently, I would say, we have. So have clients. That’s a lot bigger for longer contracts. These are usually, say, from 10 to 30 k. Clients. So for that we have around say, 3 or 4, and then for smaller clients, which is around 5 k. They’re in the earlier phases, phases of engagement and the product a lot smaller and flexible. So for those we usually have around
223 00:29:07.380 ⇒ 00:29:11.929 Amber Lin: 5 or so and so right now.
224 00:29:12.030 ⇒ 00:29:21.710 Amber Lin: each project will probably have from 2 to 4 team members and usually team members are staffed simultaneously on 2 projects.
225 00:29:22.270 ⇒ 00:29:22.740 Amber Lin: Oh.
226 00:29:25.580 ⇒ 00:29:29.779 Giselle Agot: And the hours, the work hours, is us time same as this one. Right?
227 00:29:30.359 ⇒ 00:29:36.149 Amber Lin: Generally. Yes, our work hours are flexible. As long as
228 00:29:36.350 ⇒ 00:29:42.870 Amber Lin: we’re able to attend client meetings and complete the task on time. So generally
229 00:29:43.110 ⇒ 00:29:49.610 Amber Lin: the timeframe we require around 4 h overlap with the Us. Time zone. So
230 00:29:49.750 ⇒ 00:30:03.899 Amber Lin: mostly in the probably in us mornings, and for us at night, and then other times you can to work as long as projects go. Clients are happy. We usually don’t force you to be online because there’s no point.
231 00:30:04.420 ⇒ 00:30:05.389 Giselle Agot: Okay, that’s cool.
232 00:30:07.185 ⇒ 00:30:10.700 Amber Lin: Last question, are you Singaporean? Or
233 00:30:10.700 ⇒ 00:30:13.129 Amber Lin: Oh, I’m Chinese, I’m Chinese. I
234 00:30:14.450 ⇒ 00:30:18.370 Amber Lin: I went to school in Canada and then
235 00:30:19.000 ⇒ 00:30:30.910 Amber Lin: I I actually studied in Hong Kong in a year as well. But right now I’m in the States because my partner is here, and I don’t really. I don’t really want to leave so.
236 00:30:31.160 ⇒ 00:30:31.700 Giselle Agot: Alright!
237 00:30:31.700 ⇒ 00:30:32.340 Amber Lin: Yeah.
238 00:30:32.340 ⇒ 00:30:37.350 Giselle Agot: I was thinking like, is she in Singapore? Some somewhere in Asia? But it’s morning there. So I was like.
239 00:30:38.930 ⇒ 00:30:43.700 Amber Lin: Yeah, I’m I’m in a Starbucks, because my Internet recently has been really, really, really bad.
240 00:30:44.550 ⇒ 00:30:46.550 Amber Lin: So that’s that.
241 00:30:47.260 ⇒ 00:30:55.130 Amber Lin: are you? Were you affected by the floods before. We have a few people from the Philippines, and the flood has been really bad, like a week ago.
242 00:30:55.130 ⇒ 00:30:59.530 Giselle Agot: No where I’m at. I’m in the southern part, so we don’t. We don’t get affected.
243 00:30:59.530 ⇒ 00:31:00.290 Amber Lin: Oh, yeah.
244 00:31:00.290 ⇒ 00:31:11.809 Giselle Agot: And the area that I’m with is like high level. So that’s the reason I I actually we, we chose to live here because 1st I want the one I want.
245 00:31:11.810 ⇒ 00:31:13.440 Amber Lin: The kids like building experience.
246 00:31:13.440 ⇒ 00:31:18.080 Giselle Agot: Blood. I don’t want them to. Because I when I was a kid, I do experience flood like.
247 00:31:18.449 ⇒ 00:31:18.819 Giselle Agot: Yeah.
248 00:31:18.820 ⇒ 00:31:21.600 Giselle Agot: The like I have to walk from school like that, and I don’t want.
249 00:31:21.600 ⇒ 00:31:24.800 Amber Lin: How old are your kids?
250 00:31:25.000 ⇒ 00:31:27.989 Giselle Agot: My youngest is 23, and I have.
251 00:31:27.990 ⇒ 00:31:28.800 Amber Lin: Wow!
252 00:31:28.800 ⇒ 00:31:32.380 Giselle Agot: And have a teenagers already 14.
253 00:31:32.380 ⇒ 00:31:33.110 Amber Lin: Wait!
254 00:31:33.110 ⇒ 00:31:33.590 Giselle Agot: Yeah.
255 00:31:33.590 ⇒ 00:31:34.300 Amber Lin: Wow!
256 00:31:34.300 ⇒ 00:31:41.110 Giselle Agot: While I’m working remote. This is actually the reason why I work. I’m working remotely. That’s why.
257 00:31:41.430 ⇒ 00:31:43.780 Amber Lin: That’s that’s so impressive.
258 00:31:45.400 ⇒ 00:31:51.449 Amber Lin: Okay, I do see you have a strong motivation to provide a lot of mouths to me.
259 00:31:52.155 ⇒ 00:31:52.730 Giselle Agot: Yes.
260 00:31:53.380 ⇒ 00:32:06.359 Amber Lin: It’s so funny. My brother is also 4 years old, and we’re so far apart, and then that whenever I go back to China and like help pick him up. And people think I’m his mom like, no, this is not mine.
261 00:32:07.690 ⇒ 00:32:11.440 Giselle Agot: Yeah, when you have your kids, soon you will understand me. Like, okay, I really.
262 00:32:11.811 ⇒ 00:32:14.040 Amber Lin: Give them. Yeah, yeah, I know
263 00:32:14.480 ⇒ 00:32:24.740 Amber Lin: I I feel very different. Before I had my part before me and my partner got together before I’m like, I don’t really need money right now. But actually I could do.
264 00:32:24.740 ⇒ 00:32:27.910 Giselle Agot: Well, they said, money can buy happiness, but I don’t.
265 00:32:27.910 ⇒ 00:32:28.480 Amber Lin: Whoops.
266 00:32:28.900 ⇒ 00:32:33.760 Amber Lin: Well, most of the times it can prevent you from a lot of unhappiness.
267 00:32:34.629 ⇒ 00:32:35.499 Giselle Agot: Exactly.
268 00:32:37.308 ⇒ 00:32:45.289 Amber Lin: Once I wanted to show you our what our AI team built. So this is our
269 00:32:45.730 ⇒ 00:32:51.319 Amber Lin: Zoom system and all the AI agents. So what this does is all our meetings are recorded.
270 00:32:52.467 ⇒ 00:33:00.609 Amber Lin: So here you can search for any meetings, and you can search them by client, so I would just take.
271 00:33:00.950 ⇒ 00:33:13.129 Amber Lin: Say, I would take. It’s loading. I’ll take one of these meetings, and then then we have the summary.
272 00:33:13.460 ⇒ 00:33:14.010 Giselle Agot: Oh, yeah.
273 00:33:14.010 ⇒ 00:33:31.709 Amber Lin: Transcripts and wish you could take this and work with AI about it. You can create linear tickets and they can help you create the email or slack summaries, and you can chat here. You can chat with the transcripts. And you can say, Okay, summarize this
274 00:33:32.060 ⇒ 00:33:47.870 Amber Lin: from this meeting. And this is really helpful, especially I will forget what people said in the meetings. I’m not there at a meeting, and then I need to create tickets. And so this is what I use. And I read this like, oh, this, this, this. Yeah.
275 00:33:48.150 ⇒ 00:33:58.790 Amber Lin: And so this is really helpful as a pf, and there’s other stuff usually let’s see so
276 00:33:59.560 ⇒ 00:34:01.209 Amber Lin: so you can
277 00:34:01.740 ⇒ 00:34:26.590 Amber Lin: use this to create project. Roadmaps already has a template in there and then there’s this one which I usually put down notes or transcripts and document longer documents. So what I’ve wrote on roadmaps and it’ll create the different tickets for me. Then I can put it into linear, which makes it a lot faster than having to write each one manually.
278 00:34:27.370 ⇒ 00:34:28.070 Giselle Agot: Wow!
279 00:34:28.199 ⇒ 00:34:31.800 Giselle Agot: This is really amazing. It’s my 1st time seeing this. But.
280 00:34:33.150 ⇒ 00:34:33.900 Giselle Agot: Yeah, it. It.
281 00:34:33.909 ⇒ 00:34:34.639 Amber Lin: And.
282 00:34:34.639 ⇒ 00:34:38.829 Giselle Agot: I know, slack. But the the platform. Actually, this is really nice, like it.
283 00:34:39.159 ⇒ 00:34:45.659 Giselle Agot: Yeah, European. But this gives you more time to do other things. So it’s really.
284 00:34:47.020 ⇒ 00:34:55.720 Amber Lin: Yeah, I will. I. My, our AI team is really awesome. I have a meeting with them later to tell them, okay, this is what I need as well.
285 00:34:56.196 ⇒ 00:35:21.159 Amber Lin: Okay, so that’s it. We can conclude this call. I know we went a bit over time. I really enjoyed talking to you. I think the next steps is for me. I’m gonna show this. I’m gonna type up a summary and send it to my boss. We’re gonna review, and then we’ll reach out about the next steps. So the next steps gonna be more detailed. We’ll ask you about
286 00:35:21.650 ⇒ 00:35:23.809 Amber Lin: what you were
287 00:35:24.120 ⇒ 00:35:34.120 Amber Lin: so for each position that you’re hired to do? What did you? What did you do there? How did you accomplish? And then sorry.
288 00:35:34.680 ⇒ 00:35:37.329 Amber Lin: And then also a bit of technical
289 00:35:37.450 ⇒ 00:36:02.589 Amber Lin: project management questions, maybe scenarios. Oh, okay, this is a tough situation we’ve encountered before. How would you solve that? And after after that round of interviews we usually start a trial period if we think might work out and then the trial period could be part time and then could develop full time and so that’s sort of the timeline.
290 00:36:02.900 ⇒ 00:36:03.720 Giselle Agot: Okay. Yeah.
291 00:36:03.720 ⇒ 00:36:09.980 Amber Lin: Yeah, okay, if you don’t have any questions, I think that concludes our interview.
292 00:36:10.280 ⇒ 00:36:10.710 Giselle Agot: Okay.
293 00:36:10.710 ⇒ 00:36:11.740 Amber Lin: Thank you. Nice.
294 00:36:11.740 ⇒ 00:36:12.399 Giselle Agot: Talking to you, Amber.
295 00:36:12.400 ⇒ 00:36:14.849 Amber Lin: Thank you. Nice to meet. You have a good one.
296 00:36:14.850 ⇒ 00:36:15.360 Giselle Agot: You, too.
297 00:36:15.360 ⇒ 00:36:16.330 Giselle Agot: Oh, right.
298 00:36:16.440 ⇒ 00:36:18.720 Amber Lin: 5.