Pros
What I like: 1) Stability — some people have been working there for 12+ years. Some of the teammates have bought vehicles, property, raised family from their employment in Qwerty. 2) Flexibility — they offer hybrid work and managers are actually approachable; they are all a chat message away. 3) The company gives second, third, nth chances to those who are struggling or need to be given a break. It reminds me of my family: it’s not perfect, but even if you lose your way, you know they’ll stick around for you. What I LOVE: They give benefits even in the middle of the pandemic: Group bonus (still in place as of 2022), transpo support, double the amount of leaves required by government. It is a workplace that genuinely rewards good results, both individually and as a group.
Cons
What I do NOT Like: Toxic people who stay for multiple years but do not perform well yet expect to be promoted. I also am not a fan of the aircon on the 4th floor as it can be too cold at times and too hot at times. I entered the company in 2021, during the pandemic. The world was more uncertain than ever and I was looking for a workplace that will fill not just my immediate financial needs but also my yearning for long-term security. I heard of a company that was shuttling its employees to and from their homes through private vans that was near my house. I didn’t expect much because many companies back then were laying off people, or requiring them to go on leave without pay, so I wasn’t sure if there were any job openings at all for positions that I will really like. Qwertyworks, as it turns out, was hiring in-house translators and project managers at its Antipolo office so applied to be a translator as I loved writing in my native language. After several interviews, a qualification exam and paid training, I passed and became a probational employee. To be honest, I was surprised to have a job that’s near my house and allowed me to do something that jives with my career plan. That’s when I found out about some of the ugly sides of the company. Some of the teammates were complaining that they were not being promoted after 3 or 4 years. Others were saying that they used to have certain managers who were no longer with the company and they miss those managers because they were kind to them. That’s when I decided to dial down my hanging out with those teammates because it was starting to affect my work. Translating, per se, is enjoyable for me, but there’s an aspect of translating that will require human interaction from time to time as you have to consult your colleagues (especially the ones who have been there longer). Some of those teammates were cliquish — they kept talking about a past era under a certain manager who bailed out just before the pandemic began. What I learned outside of that group of gossipers, was that Miss Former Manager was spoonfeeding her team members to the point that they were unable to cope when times got tough; in short, she was just a “fair-weather femme”. That got me thinking about what it means to be family: do you leave them when times get tough? Or do you stick with them through thick and thin because you know they will do the same for you? I then decided to "test" the Management and told them that I wanted to pursue an opportunity elsewhere that will allow me to grow further; thankfully, QwertyWorks supported my decision and even offered to give me a letter of Good Recommendation. It was one of the best things that have ever happened to me so far. Right away I remembered that since no two people are alike, we all have different POVs in life; the same thing seen at different angles will appear different to even the same person. As I enter new horizons, I am thankful to Qwerty for being there when I needed them the most. I won’t be where I am right now if not for the fact that they saw something in me that no one else saw. Because of the learnings from Qwerty, I am now able to pursue the next chapter in my language career. Oh btw, on the non-compete/NDA clause after leaving the company: it’s a non issue for me. I compared it with the contracts that my university classmates in their workplaces have, and it’s pretty much common sense: do not endanger the people you left behind. I actually feel safer because I know that it actually protects me as well from any liability after I leave the company.