Browse Denver Jobs Articles

How to become a virtual assistant

  • March 11th, 2010 10:49 am MT
 

Virtual assistants are increasing in popularity in the workforce every year. With companies cutting back on expenses, having an assistant that works from home is another great way for companies to save money. Virtual assistants are also great for those entrepreneurs who work from home themselves but need an assistant to help with office work. Virtual assistants can really do whatever you need them to do and some specialize in certain areas. Writing articles,  researching, taking care of  travel plans, responding to emails and any other computer related tasks can be done by a virtual assistant. If you have a work background including secretarial experience or administrative assistant experience then this may be a great telecommuting job for you.

Many virtual assistants have their own business and contract with one or more clients. They can work part time or full time and usually have the flexibility to build their own schedules. Denver area owner of The Permanent Record, Michelle Schoen has been doing it since 1991. Michelle works with real estate agents and brokers and enjoys the flexibility that working from home allows her. She turned her job into a full time  career when recurring back injuries forced her to stay home. Michelle says "Being able to work from home has allowed me the freedom to take time off as needed for my health.  It’s also allowed me the freedom to live and work anywhere that I want without worrying about how I’m going to get to the office." For those interested in getting started in the virtual assistant field as well, she suggests signing up with one of the virtual assistant firms such as Team Double Click or Peggy Murrah. They offer a variety of different jobs to work on that will give someone new in the field a wide range of experience and may help you find a niche that you prefer.

If you have no prior administrative assistant or office experience but would still like to get started in the field of virtual assistants you may want to take an online training course from Virtual Assistance U. To increase your credibility you may also choose to get certified, although it is not required. The International Virtual Assistance Association offers certification and you can also list yourself in their database for employers who are looking to hire a virtual assistant.

Other virtual assistant companies to apply to include;

 

 

For more info: Visit Telecommuting Moms for a larger list of virtual assistant companies to apply to.
 

 

 

 

Comments (1)

  • by Gillian Slater 4 months ago

    Hello
    This is a very useful article for any aspiring VA. I just wanted to say that I used VAnetworking.com to start my VA business and couldn't have done it without them. I purchased their Virtual Business Startup System which guided me through every step of starting up my own business from scratch. However, even if you're not in a position to purchase this valuable resource, their free networking forum is amazing and there are just thousands of VAs willing to share their experiences or offer their advice to aspiring VAs.

    I would highly recommend anyone wanting to travel down this path to review their website for all the information they'll ever need on Virtual Assistance.

    Good luck

    Gillian
    www.bushmillsva.com

What do you think?

Already a member? Log in to Examiner.com. or connect with Facebook to comment

Please do not alter this field

Got something to say?

Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!