Engineering the Balance: This document controller works better offsite

The Philippines boasts a huge pool of engineering talent, and relocating for work is common among young professionals. Filipino engineers have worked overseas on large-scale, international projects—gaining industry experience and exposure to new business cultures. According to a Deloitte report, the engineering and construction industry may be experiencing a recession in 2020 but it is slowly recovering and gaining ground to capture growth opportunities in nation building. But for many, the prospect of career development onsite means sacrificing time with their families back home. “

That’s what Senior Document Controller Monark Castillo experienced during his early career working in Saudi Arabia. 

“I worked abroad for 8 years. The training and experience were invaluable—but it was only when I returned to the Philippines that I built a healthy work-life balance”, Monark explains. He finally found what he was looking for at Cybalink—access to world-class E&C projects, a supportive work environment, and more time with the family. 

Monark left the Philippines over a decade ago—moving to Saudi Arabia to work as a building electrician on a remote project for a leading Filipino E&C firm.  He knew what to expect—his father had worked overseas before as an electrical specialist—and the potential earnings were attractive.   But there were sacrifices too. Living in a workers’ camp in an industrial area of town was worlds away from life at home with his wife and newborn child. Looking to make better use of his Computer Science degree, he found a new job as a data encoder for an oil & gas project with SABIC.   “I focused entirely on the work. I was committed to providing for my family financially—but it was hard being away for so long”, Monark recalls.

Onsite at SABIC, Monark moved between roles, first to the accounting department as a payroll clerk, and then to quality control as a document control assistant. His background in computing meant he adapted to the new software and business processes easily. Over the next few years, Monark was promoted consistently—reaching the leadership position of Senior Document Controller. “I was certified in ISO 9001:2008 with Awareness and Internal Quality Auditing—and I enjoyed managing a team and seeing projects through from start to finish”, he says.  Alongside the technical skills he learned, Monark valued the relationships he developed at SABIC—building a rapport with colleagues from Europe, Asia, Africa and America, and learning their cultures. But after 8 years away from home, onsite work was losing its appeal.

Monark decided to leave SABIC and return to the Philippines—looking for a better balance between career and family life.  He took a year out to recharge and spend time at home— giving himself space to research his next move. He wasn’t sure he’d find the type of E&C opportunities he wanted while remaining in Manila—but that was before he came across Cybalink.  “I wanted to work with Australian companies—that’s where the most exciting projects in my industry are. But I hadn’t realised how possible it was to do that locally”, Monark explains. There are many BPO companies in the Philippines but as Monark found out Cybalink emerged as top choice as a BPO partner among Australian clients.

Monark is now in his fourth year with Cybalink—working as a Senior Document Controller for a leading Australian E&C firm—and settled at home in Manila. “Working closely with my counterpart in Australia I’ve been impressed by the efficiency of everything—new tools and new processes that optimise the workflow”, he comments. He’s glad to be back—his commute is now only an hour each way—and he has evenings and weekends free for family time. But it’s not just the location that makes a difference—he values the supportive culture he’s found at Cybalink. “They provide health insurance, generous vacation time—and a café and gym onsite”, says Monark. “I feel better coming to work. I can focus more—and dedicate myself fully to my clients.”

At Cybalink we like to create an environment where talent like Monark can flourish. We like a healthy balance between work and home life.  We like our teams motivated, our culture dynamic, and our clients impressed.  As to the advantages why Philippines is the best outsourcing partner, we at Cybalnk have the best talent with high-quality English skills and Western cultural compatibility in addition to low-cost outsourcing savings.

And there’s no-one remotely like us.