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A virtual assistant, also commonly referred to as a virtual office assistant, is a person who provides support to businesses or individuals virtually over the internet, usually from a home office. Virtual assistants provide technical, administrative, personal or creative assistance to their clients. Duties will vary from job to job, but may include things like email and telephone conferencing, appointment setting, bookkeeping, marketing, handling correspondences and email, transcribing, organizing meetings, and taking/making phone calls.
Anything that can be done as an office or administrative assistant can be done as a virtual assistant, and this is good news for the aspiring telecommuter with experience in an office environment. Competition is often fierce for virtual assistant jobs, but with the right skills and training, you might be able to land the job of your dreams. Typical pay is anywhere from $20-$60 per hour, and in most cases the hours are extremely flexible.
Virtual Assistant Training
There is no formal training or certification required to become an internet virtual assistant, but it can help to take some refresher classes to sharpen your skill set and ensure you’re ahead of the competition. Office administration classes offered by your local community college can be of immense value, but if this isn’t an option, there are numerous online classes that can provide the training you need.
1.) Virtual Assistance U – This Company is one of the most highly respected in the virtual assistant training field. They are known for setting the benchmark for VA training, and provide expert training and coaching for anyone desiring a VA career. The program is expensive, but its money well spent if you really want to work at home and give yourself an edge over your competitors. They also offer scholarships so that most anyone can take advantage of the program.
2.) International Virtual Assistants Association – The IVAA is a wonderful starting point for aspiring virtual assistants. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to the professional education and training of their members. They offer a ton of resources for new and experienced assistants that can’t be found anywhere else on the web. They also offer their own certification at a very affordable price and a mentorship program.
How to Become a Virtual Assistant
Once you’re confident in your skills as a virtual assistant, there are two paths open to you. You can promote yourself and work as an independent contractor, or find a company that hires virtual assistants as employees. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you’ll need to find what works best for you and your lifestyle.
· Working as an independent contractor – This may be the most difficult road to take for a new virtual assistant and requires promotion of yourself and your services. Creation of your own website, social networking, attending job fairs, and posting ads on relevant websites such as Craigslist and Guru.com are just some of the many things you can do to promote yourself as a virtual assistant. It takes time and hard work, but it is possible to carve out a living as a freelance VA.
· Become a virtual assistant employee – There are several companies which hire virtual assistants, and this could save a lot of time and effort promoting your services, as well as provide steady, full-time work for a single company. VIPDesk is one such company, and they are known as the pioneer of home-based virtual contact solutions. They aren’t always hiring, as the turnover rate is very low. However, they sometimes offer independent contracting situations in addition to hiring employees.
Virtual Assistant Help and Support
For more information and support, there are numerous online communities and virtual assistant forums you can join. Here are some of the most highly recommended:
These are the basic guidelines to become a virtual assistant. Keep in mind that it is a job, and like any job hard work and time will be required. If you have determination and the ability to take the bull by the horns, you can work from home as a virtual assistant, no matter what your experience level. Those with applicable real life experience will have an edge, but don’t let that stop you if you think this is the career for you.
Comments
...very informative article, thank you Cindy!
As a co-founder and a managing partner of Office Divvy, a leading provider of Ready-to-Use Offices, Virtual Office Solutions, and Administrative Services, we see the value we're adding to our clients' business or practice, while saving them literally thousands (maybe tens of thousands) of dollars annually.
We provide an all-inclusive product which consolidates virtual assistants, phone answering, administrative services, and a fully furnished, equipped, wired, and staffed business location all in one. With plans starting from $99 a-month, we received a warm welcome from anyone in professional and business community.
Business people and professionals are looking for productive, progressive, and cost-effective platforms to focus on their business and not the details that go into setting up and running a business location and an office; and a virtual assistant compliments that goal.
Sincerely,
Ky Ekinci
Office Divvy, LLC.
I've found that it's easier to market your virtual assistant services if you're part of a company because then, you can offer more variety of services and skills. That's what we aim to do at Pepper Virtual Assistants... be the one-stop shop for small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Thank you for your comment, Ky. Virtual assistants most definitely add value to many businesses.
Hi, Nikki. Thank you for your comment. I can also see the benefit in becoming an employee or contractor for a VA company as opposed to starting from scratch for yourself. I'm sure many others feel similarly, and I'm glad there are companies out there to help aspiring virtual assistants get started in the field.
Hi Cindy,
You offer some very good information in your article. I wanted to add one more valuable recourse to your list. Its VAnetworking.com. This community offers resources, a forum for questions and networking, weekly free training eSeminars and more. I have been a member here for a long time and I love and find it very useful all the time.
Hi Cindy-
Great article! Very informative for anyone interested in working as a VA, and you reference some great resources such as TelCoa and more.
I am the PR Director with VIPdesk, and want to clarify that we don't actually provide virtual assistants to our clients, instead we provide virtual concierge and virtual contact center support (via our team of Brand Ambassadors).
A Home-based Concierge handles telephone calls and emails from our clients customers. Typically, customer requests generally fall into one of the following categories: Dining, Entertainment, Travel, Sports & Recreation, Tourist & City, Household, and Shopping.
A Brand Ambassador is a customer service professional, handling incoming requests via email, phone and online chat.
Again, great article!
-Linda Dickerhoof
PR Director
VIPdesk
Hi Cindy,
Thanks so much for all the wonderful information. I wish this kind of information was available when I was starting my own virtual assistant business. You can find out some more tips on becoming a virtual assistant check out BecomingAVA.com
Thanks again Cindy
Thank you for posting the links. I want to be successful in this venture and industry of virtual assistance. I'm going to bookmark this and share with my friends who are also interested to work at home.
Work From Home
By the way, here's another link that you can include on your list. http://www.homebusinessbug.com/
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