Fresh after her Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development degree, Nur Adila binti Latif started freelancing. This was back in 2013 when the gig economy in Malaysia was in its nascent stage and far from the powerhouse industry accounting for 26 per cent of the country’s economic growth today.
Her first gig was a design project where she crafted a product catalogue for a stationery company and a company profile. The more she got her feet wet, she realised something crucially overlooked – with freelancing challenges come great opportunities to further develop personal capacity.
As any gig worker may know too well, client management can be a major pain point, a skill forged through painful fire. Through the ‘Managing Your Client and Deliverables’ module of the Mereka Digital Entrepreneurship, Nur Adila found real-world help. Utilising the wisdom of the mentors helped her manage a difficult client she was facing at that time.
Post-programme, Nur Adila has seen an increase of 20% in her income. She even received two jobs after applying knowledge learned from the ‘Personal Branding for Employability’ module!
Currently, the 31-year old is working in a consulting firm where she works on programmes to develop students from disadvantaged backgrounds for a sustainable future. Giving back to society and being a part of something meaningful drives Nur Adila.
Coming from a low-income family, she worked hard to get scholarships from primary school to tertiary education. And she hopes to inspire and empower others while giving back to society to the best of her ability. This quote from a community engagement and transformation excellence workshop she attended in 2016 has always stuck with her:
“We utilise our expertise and give back to our community. Make our years of effort in establishing ourselves worth it. Not simply for title, awards or professorship, but also to contribute to our society, community development. Make those years of learning meaningful.”
In her free time, Nur Adila reads personal development books while offering freelance services in data analytics and web app development. She also gives free coaching for data analytics and web app development using an instant app builder, leap.my.
To those currently unemployed, Nur Adila shares that the Digital Entrepreneurship programme can be a push start button to entering gig work. For those already in the gig economy, this programme shares current trends which helps keep you competitive in the market. “It may even spark off ideas on how to start your business, thus creating future job opportunities for yourself!” she imparts.
Check out what this budding entrepreneur gets up to by following her portfolio.
