This article was written by Amasilis, 24Slides Support Lead, based in Lima, Peru, as part of 24Slides’ #StorytellerProgram.
My name is Amasilis, but most people know me as Ama. I was born and raised in Venezuela, but I moved to Peru a couple of years after I got married. I’ve been with 24Slides for 4 and a half years, as I started just a couple of weeks after the Peru office was formed. Although I started out as a proofreader/customer support agent, I’m currently taking on a new role as Support Lead, based at 24Slides Peru.
The Ad That Changed it All
When I look back on my life, it’s hard to believe I ended up where I am now, having taken the path I did. Originally, I studied Fashion Design and worked as a costume maker and cosplayer for well over a decade, going as far as representing my country in international competitions long before I joined the company.
Back then, I thought I would always work in that same line; however, when my son became old enough to start school, it was time for me to find an office job with a stable schedule that could match his.
Having nothing more than costuming experience in my resume, finding an office job was no easy task; so I had to turn to my other notable talent: English. I’ve always loved English, and I used to write stories in English and do translations as a hobby when I was a teenager, so I decided to use that to my advantage. I joined a small office that worked with a Paralegal firm based in LA as a bilingual assistant, translating and drafting legal documents for their Spanish-speaking customers. I quickly earned the trust of my employers and rose through the ranks to become the Office Manager. However, after my second child was born, I once again felt the need to find a different job with better conditions that would allow me to take proper care of my family.
I went through a few interviews with no luck until I came across a listing from a newly started office in Peru with just 7 members on their team. Truthfully, it seemed too good to be true and even a little suspicious, but I decided to give it a shot and sent my application. As time passed and the closing date for the ad approached, I became nervous as I hadn’t heard back from them, and started worrying that maybe I had missed something in my application. I went back to check the ad, and indeed it turned out I had forgotten to submit my cover letter, so I wrote a comment on the listing, and I quickly got a response from Tobias, the CEO, sending me a few tests and later asking me to come in for an interview.
After the interview, I knew for a fact that this was the place I was looking for. The culture completely aligned with my way of thinking, and the people seemed amazing; I couldn’t believe this type of company existed. I immediately resolved to do my best during the training process to get the job. Admittedly, this did take a toll on me initially, as I was going through a rough time at the moment with my husband being unemployed and a 6-month-old baby to take care of, and the stress made me develop severe migraines. However, the company was fully supportive and understanding and really made me feel that they cared. This was extremely important to me at a time when I most needed it, and it’s something I’m always grateful for.
Building an Office from the Ground Up
When I joined 24Slides, the office in Peru had just been created; it had only been a couple of weeks since it was established. My job position at the beginning was quite vague, as the ad listing was for a Proofreader and Content Writer, but also mentioned a bit about Customer Support. So I started receiving training from different people and with very different tasks, which unexpectedly was a lot of fun. However, as the Peru office started settling down and our needs were made clear, I ended up going completely to the Support area.
Working in the Support area was always strange in the beginning, as we were a team of only 2 people, and we had to figure out a lot of things that we couldn’t replicate from the Indonesian office. Each learning experience made me more excited and invested, as I always felt that I was helping to build something important.
When the pandemic struck, things took an unexpected turn. Although we had to leave the office and start working from home, we kept hiring new people and growing. It was strange to have many new coworkers that we had never met in person, but that didn’t stop us from getting along with each other. Having more people on the team also helped to make my position clearer, as the tasks could be more easily distributed.
Although working from home allowed us to have more time with our families, we missed the daily interactions with our colleagues; so, when the restrictions were lifted, and we were able to get a new office, we were super excited to finally see each other in person. The timing also aligned with the company’s 10th anniversary, so we had a big celebration with everyone in the new office, where we were joined by Tobias and Robert.
With the steady growth of the company, it became evident that we needed to have leadership positions in Peru in order to allow the office more independence. The selection process for the new Support Lead in Peru was nerve-wracking, as there were excellent candidates. However, I put in my best effort and all my love for the company and eventually ended up being selected for the position.
Currently, I’m learning about all my tasks and responsibilities and learning more about the inner workings of the company as well, and everything helps to reaffirm that this is the right place for me to be. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that life has many unexpected turns, and you never quite know what’s going to happen, but I truly hope that I can continue growing with 24Slides for many more years.
