Dealing with Global Clients: Real-life Stories of BSEd English Major Graduates Working as Virtual Assistants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21056334Keywords:
BSEd-English graduates, Coping strategies, Medical virtual assistanceAbstract
This study addressed the gap between the preparation of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English graduates and the communication demands of medical virtual assistant work. It aimed to explore the lived experiences of eight BSEd-English graduates who were working as medical virtual assistants using a qualitative phenomenological research design. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and were analyzed thematically to identify recurring experiences and coping practices. The findings revealed the following major themes: economic and practical motivations for career shift, challenges and limitations in the teaching profession, transferability of skills and search for professional fulfillment, linguistic and comprehension barriers, cultural and contextual communication differences, personal readiness, confidence, and technical constraints, strategic clarification and problem-solving approaches, self-initiated learning and continuous skill development, and adaptive communication and interpersonal adjustment. Participants experienced difficulties related to medical terminology, communication with foreign clients, and limited work exposure during their adjustment period. They managed these difficulties through continuous learning, communication adjustment, clarification strategies, and guidance from experienced individuals. The findings implied that educational institutions needed to strengthen industry-related communication training, digital readiness, and foundational medical knowledge to prepare graduates for emerging career opportunities outside the teaching profession. The study also implied the need for employers to provide structured onboarding, workplace guidance, and accessible learning resources for newly hired medical virtual assistants. The study concluded that integrating healthcare communication exposure and medical terminology support in English education programs could help graduates transition more effectively into medical virtual assistant work.
Downloads
References
Anakpo, G., Nqwayibana, Z., & Mishi, S. (2023). The impact of work-from-home on employee performance and productivity: A systematic review. Sustainability, 15(5), 4529. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15054529
Bugay, M. A. (2020). Communication challenges in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry: Input to English for specific purposes (ESP) for BPO agents. The Normal Lights, 14(1). https://po.pnuresearchportal.org/ejournal/index.php/normallights/article/download/1502/451?utm_source
Cabugsa, D. J. (2022). Pre-service teachers’ autonomy in English language learning. Saudi Journal of Language Studies, 2(2), 107-127. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJLS-03-2022-0025
Castro, E. A. G. (2024). Employability, career adaptability, and future-oriented emotional responses to work transition of college graduating students of a Philippine HEI: Post COVID-19 study. MOJEM: Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 12(3), 54-72. https://doi.org/10.22452/mojem.vol12no3.4
Chae, D., Kim, J., Kim, K., Ryu, J., Asami, K., & Doorenbos, A. Z. (2023). An immersive virtual reality simulation for cross-cultural communication skills: Development and feasibility. Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 77, 13-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2023.01.005
Chen, P. (2024). Research on Business English approaches from the perspective of cross-cultural communication competence. International Journal for Housing Science and Its Applications, 45, 13-22. https://housingscience.org/volume-45-issue-2/research-on-business-english-approaches-from-the-perspective-of-cross-cultural-communication-competence/
Giray, L., Alcala, M. A., Edem, J., & Sabacajan, T. M. (2022). English language anxiety among college students. International Journal of Qualitative Research, 2(1), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.47540/ijqr.v2i1.569
Giray, L., Alcala, M. A., Edem, J., & Sabacajan, T. M. (2022). English language anxiety among college students. International Journal of Qualitative Research, 2(1), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.47540/ijqr.v2i1.569
Janagama, S. C. (2025). The role AI played in offering virtual assistance to users. (Publication No. 32041442) [Doctoral dissertation, University of the Cumberlands]. Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://search.proquest.com/openview/c530368f00bd9971402e8bc4e4541a5e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Kässi, O., Lehdonvirta, V., & Stephany, F. (2021). How many online workers are there in the world? A data-driven assessment. Oxford Internet Institute. https://doi.org/.10.31235/osf.io/78nge
Keller, M. C. (2023). If words could speak: A discourse analysis of emails from global virtual teams. (Publication No. 30315183) [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Alabama]. Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://search.proquest.com/openview/7e535ea1ca882b960cd7a058bd009e06/1?pqorigsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Kim, J. (2016). Understanding narrative inquiry: The crafting and analysis of stories as research. SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi.org/10.4135/9781071802861
Kruse, C. S., Krowski, N., Rodriguez, B., Tran, L., Vela, J., & Brooks, M. (2020). Telehealth and patient satisfaction: A systematic review and narrative analysis. BMJ Open, 10(9), e036317. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-016242
Lee, J. E. (2022). English ability, transnational business, and the global labor market: The case of instructors in English language schools in the Philippines promoted by Korean-Filipino enterprises. Journal of the Asia-Japan Research Institute of Ritsumeikan University, 4, 18. https://doi.org/10.34389/asiajapan.4.0_18
Lehewych, D. (2022, October 27). Demand for virtual assistant jobs continues to explode — market is set to grow by $4.12 billion. Allwork Space. https://allwork.space/2022/10/demand-for-virtual-assistant-jobs-continues-to-explode-market-is-set-to-grow-by-4-12-billion/
Lincoln, Y. S. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry (Vol. 75). sage. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2oA9aWlNeooC&oi=fnd&pg=PA7&dq=lincoln+and+guba+naturalistic+inquiry&ots=0vqCYdQ9Do&sig=2uRsdmoxP2kS8ymCRGRdBnm4b5Q
Milne-Ives, M., de Cock, C., Lim, E., Shehadeh, M. H., de Pennington, N., Mole, G., Normando, E., Meinert, E., & van Velthoven, M. H. (2021). The effectiveness of artificial intelligence conversational agents in health care: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(10), e23737. https://doi.org/10.2196/20346
Ogbogu, P. U., Noroski, L. M., Arcoleo, K., Reese Jr, B. D., & Apter, A. J. (2022). Methods for cross-cultural communication in clinic encounters. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 10(4), 893-900. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaip.2022.01.010
Patalinghug, T. C., Montealto, R. G., Suarez, A. P. A., & Naparan, G. (2025). Describing the educational journey of bachelor of secondary education major in English students. Journal of English As A Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 5(1), 47–64. https://doi.org/10.31098/jefltr.v5i1.3249
Pontillas, M. S., & Fajardo, D. F. B. (2023). Employability status of English language studies graduates in a polytechnic state college in the Philippines. English Journal Literacy Utama, 7(2), 718-727. https://doi.org/10.33197/ejlutama.v8i1.229
Quinto, J., & Cacanindin, M. (2023). Pinoy tells: The typology of English language learning strategies. Advanced Education, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.20535/2410-8286.309352
Rodriguez, E. C. (2023). Language learning strategies and grammatical competence of English-major students in Zamboanga del Norte HEIs. Sprin Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 2(4), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.55559/sjahss.v2i04.99
Rokicki-Parashar, J., Phadke, A., Brown-Johnson, C., Jee, O., Sattler, A., Torres, E., & Srinivasan, M. (2021). Transforming interprofessional roles during virtual health care: The evolving role of the medical assistant, in relationship to national health profession competency standards. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 12, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/215013272110042
Sajulan, M. R. (2025). The midnight hustle of virtual assistant parents: A phenomenological study. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research, 8(10). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v8-i10-15
Shadiev, R., Wang, X., & Huang, Y. M. (2021). Cross-cultural learning in virtual reality environment: Facilitating cross-cultural understanding, trait emotional intelligence, and sense of presence. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(5), 2917-2936. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-10044-1
Shonfeld, M., Cotnam-Kappel, M., Judge, M., Ng, C. Y., Ntebutse, J. G., Williamson-Leadley, S., & Yildiz, M. N. (2021). Learning in digital environments: A model for cross-cultural alignment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 2151-2170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-021-09967-6
Veto, N. G. N., Cariño, J. S., Saldo, I. J. P., & Zamayla, G. M. C. (2025). Virtual assistants’ job satisfaction and productivity: A correlational study. American Journal of Educational Research, 13(2), 71-77. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ian-Jay-Saldo/publication/389321668_Virtual_Assistants'_Job_Satisfaction_and_Productivity_A_Correlational_Study
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
