Virtual Assistant Jobs
2 Jobs Posted
Location
Position Type
Experience Level
Date Posted
Ahmed Muhammad
Remote
Amazon FBA Strategist
Administrative Assistant III at CareSource
Administrative Assistant III
Remote
Full time
R5806
Job Summary:
The Administrative Assistant III is responsible for meeting the administrative needs of their executive and assigned organization within the company.
Essential Functions:
- Compose and prepare advanced business presentation documents and spreadsheets
- Assist with special projects, conduct research, compile data and maintain records
- Compose correspondence related to administrative matters and general office policies for executive approval
- Gather and prepare reports for consideration and approval by executive
- Answer telephone calls, provide information, direct calls or take messages concerning matters related to the department
- Schedule and maintain calendar of appointments and meetings. Make necessary arrangements such as securing meeting rooms and preparation of agendas
- Anticipate and prepare materials needed for conferences, correspondence, appointments, meetings, telephone calls, etc.
- Coordinate and secure travel arrangements for the executive and prepare itinerary
- Coordinate and prepare expense reports
- Attend meetings record minutes and prepare for distribution
- Establish and file a variety of documents, records and reports
- Maintain high-level knowledge of department activities
- Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries
- Perform any other job duties as requested
Education and Experience:
- High school diploma is required
- Associates degree in business or related field or equivalent years of work experience is preferred
- Three to five (3 to 5) years of administrative is required
Competencies, Knowledge and Skills:
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio and Adobe Professional
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently and within a team environment
- Effective listening and critical thinking skills
- Effective problem solving skills with attention to detail
- Strong knowledge of general office practice
- Ability to balance multiple priorities and to work under tight deadlines while providing consistent and professional service
- Ability to perform administrative and clerical duties with speed and accuracy without immediate and constant supervision
- Accurate and efficient typing skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills and high level of professionalism
- Maintain complete confidentiality, possess a professional demeanor, and exercise discretion at all times
Licensure and Certification:
- None
Working Conditions:
- General office environment; may be required to sit or stand for extended periods of time
- Flexibility to work overtime as needed, often with little notice
Organization Level Competencies
- Leveraging Feedback
- Customer Orientation
- Valuing Differences
- Managing Work
- Earning Trust
- Quality Orientation
- Adaptability
- Influencing
- Collaborating
Today’s businesses rely on virtual assistants more than ever to conduct their day-to-day operations. While the profession seems relatively new to the business landscape, virtual assistant jobs have actually been around for quite a long time. Technological developments, the ever-faster internet speeds, and the increased popularity of remote work have helped these jobs grow in relevance in recent years.
Virtual assistant responsibilities are many. To name a few, calendar management, and performing general admin tasks are more than likely going to be in the job description. You will almost certainly be required to be confident with word processing software, review customer spreadsheets, and have VOIP good practical experience.
Of course, if you deliver high-quality work and excellent administrative support, you will almost certainly be able to count on minimum supervision, flexible scheduling and work-life balance, solid financial benefits and competitive compensation, rewarding bonus programs, and, perhaps most importantly, a fun culture you can find with the best clients and employers.
So, whether you are looking for an entry-level job or you're a veteran in search of a new gig, this guide will help you make a more sound decision for your career.
Continue reading to find out all there is to know about virtual assistance as a career.
Roles
|
Role |
Key Responsibilities |
Remote Requirements |
Average Hourly Pay |
|
Virtual Office Assistant |
|
|
$19–$150 |
|
Online Administrative Assistant |
|
|
$20–$170 |
|
Online Personal Assistant |
|
|
$17–$200 |
|
Online Sales Assistant |
|
|
$18–$120 |
|
Virtual Webmaster Assistant |
|
|
$20–$150 |
|
Virtual Marketing Assistant |
|
|
$25–$180 |
|
Virtual Content Writing Assistant |
|
|
$18–$180 |
|
Social Media Virtual Assistant |
|
|
$15–$120 |
|
Virtual Physician Assistant |
|
|
$30–$200 |
|
Online Teacher Assistant |
|
|
$25–$200 |
|
Virtual Assistant (VA) Data Entry |
|
|
$17–$150 |
|
Virtual Finance Assistant |
|
|
$25–$200 |
|
Real Estate Virtual Assistant |
|
|
$30–$250 |
|
Legal Executive Assistant |
|
|
$30–$200 |
Virtual Office Assistant
A virtual office assistant is an independent contract worker who provides administrative, technical, and business services to one or more clients from a remote location - be it office sharing, a home office setting, or something else entirely.
A virtual office assistant usually handles the tasks a regular office secretary or manager would do but does so from a computer in a remote location rather than the traditional front desk.
Let’s take a look at what employers looking to hire virtual assistants typically require:
General Responsibilities
- Virtual office assistant jobs entail managing contact lists and customer databases.
- Manage office calendars and schedule appointments.
- Make travel and accommodation arrangements.
- Prepare office reports, meeting materials, and administrative statements.
- Handle customer inquiries and complaints.
- Prepare and send out, as well as receive, office emails.
Key Skills and Competencies
- Advanced computer skills
- Word processing skills
- Oral and written communication skills
- Data collection and entry
- Reliability and personal discipline
- A high-school diploma is the minimum educational requirement.
Bonus Tip: The International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA) offers training courses and a certificate that could boost your career prospects as an office VA.
Online Administrative Assistant
These are remote secretaries of the management or administrative team of an institution or business. They perform similar tasks to regular office secretaries but usually work for the owners or administrative team, often overseeing the work of other secretaries, though from a remote location.
Whenever you see virtual administrative assistant job openings, these are the qualifications and responsibilities that entail:
General Responsibilities
- Handling office tasks such as filing reports and presentations
- Manage calendars and schedule administrative appointments
- Oversee communication between administrative team and other office departments
- Send and receive all emails for the admin department
- Attend to customers and visitors complaints and inquiries
- Ensure smooth cooperation and interaction between all company remote secretaries and assistants
Key Skills and Competencies
- Adept with technology and computer skills
- Verbal and written communication skills
- Data collection and entry
- Strategic planning and task organization
- Prior administrative or leadership experience
- Multilingual people may be preferred or required
- Prior experience in entry-level virtual assistant jobs at a minimum
- Associate's degree in the related field is often required
Online Personal Assistant
Online personal assistants are remote employees that handle administrative tasks on behalf of a single individual. Unlike administrative assistants, a personal assistant usually works for an individual, be it a company manager, sports star, celebrity, or doctor. As an online personal assistant, you'll work closely with your employer to ensure their daily administrative needs are met.
General requirements and duties for these virtual personal assistant jobs include the following:
General Responsibilities
- Management of files and all relevant documents
- Management of employer's PR and social media activity
- Screening employer's phone calls, emails, inquiries, and customer requests
- Organizing diaries, calendars, and business schedules
- Running miscellaneous errands upon employer's request
- Booking and managing travel arrangements and accommodation
Key Skills and Competencies
- In-depth understanding of the employer's daily routine
- Discretion and confidentiality as you will likely be privy to your employer's personal information
- Oral and written communication skills
- Proactivity and the ability to multi-task
- Ability to assimilate and apply new skills to suit your employer's needs
- Prior experience in remote virtual assistant jobs may be required depending on the client.
- A degree in business or management may also increase your chances or be required.
Online Sales Assistant
Online sales assistants are employees who work for retail businesses, often closely cooperating with the management team to boost sales and improve business prospects. Unlike regular sales assistants, online sales assistants work from a remote location, often acting as assistant managers with extensive roles in long-term business development.
General Responsibilities
- Customer service and inquiries
- May be required to manage business social media
- Help in business branding, advertising, promotions, and PR
- Market research to find new products and improve sales
- Keep business owners or managers updated on the state of the business
This type of virtual assistant job requires a specific skill set. Let’s see which qualities you need to possess:
Key Skills and Competencies
- Oral and written communication skills
- Computer and technology literacy
- Comprehensive understanding of your field of sales, e.g., clothing, food, sports equipment, etc.
- Knowledge of inventory techniques
- Teamwork, as you will likely be a part of a sales team
- Certificate in business administration may boost your prospects
Virtual Webmaster Assistant
Webmaster assistance is one of the unique virtual assistant services. Virtual webmaster assistance is all about website management. It involves operating, maintaining, and improving a company’s website to drive sales and engagement. A virtual webmaster keeps tabs on everything relating to the company's website, from speed and design to marketing and content management.
General Responsibilities
- Manage website functionality, i.e., speed and performance
- Design or improve website layout
- Update website to match the current needs of the company
- Manage content posting and website interactions
- Optimize website to drive sales and customer interactions
Key Skills and Competencies
- Advanced knowledge of graphic designing
- Experience with WordPress and HTML
- SEO and content writing skills
- Basic knowledge of website marketing
- A web design certificate may be required or helpful
Virtual Marketing Assistant
Virtual marketing assistants help drive sales and commercial success through content creation and marketing campaigns. Virtual marketing assistants work remotely and can have multiple clients simultaneously.
General Responsibilities
- Content formatting
- Planning new marketing strategies to fit the current market
- Planning advertisement and marketing campaigns
- Analysis of the current market trends and customer interests
Key Skills and Competencies
- Must be adept with technology and have computer skills
- Must be familiar with social media and digital marketing
- Website and graphic designing
- SEO and content writing skills
- Teamwork is key as you will be working with a marketing team.
- Virtual assistant jobs usually require a bachelor's degree in communication, marketing or business.
- Prior experience working in a marketing or advertising team may be required.
Virtual Content Writing Assistant
It's often said that content writing is the "currency of online business," and virtual content writing assistants are the cornerstone of many successful businesses. Their job mainly consists of writing professional articles, blogs, and other web content to help promote businesses, boost traffic, and turn web visitors into valuable customers. Of course, these are virtual assistant remote jobs that often require handling multiple clients simultaneously.
General Responsibilities
- Writing articles and blog posts
- Keyword research and placement
- May be required to draft letters, announcements, and other written content
- Editing and rewriting content
Key Skills and Competencies
- Excellent writing skills
- Great computer skills
- Punctuality in getting work done and meeting deadlines
- Prior experience with SEO and keyword placement
- Strong research skills
- Experience with WordPress and HTML
- A certificate in content writing will likely boost your prospects
Social Media Virtual Assistant
Social media virtual assistant jobs are some of the most common assistant-type of jobs. Social media virtual assistants handle everything a social media manager normally would, except they work from a remote location. They help oversee a company or client's social media presence, allowing the client to focus on other administrative tasks and core business activities.
General Responsibilities
- Handling social media posts and announcements
- Interacting with audiences and customers across social media channels
- Generating new content ideas
- Making content calendars and schedule postings
- Researching trends and social media metrics
- Handle social media promotions, bookings, and advertisements
Key Skills and Competencies
- Adept with computers and technology
- Must be familiar with social media and media marketing
- Must have good writing and communication skills
- Should have an in-depth knowledge of the client's brand and public image
- Should have a creative mindset
- The ability to create and execute PR and marketing strategies
Virtual Physician Assistant
When it comes to assistants, a virtual physician assistant provides telemedicine care and advice for patients, and sometimes after-hours telehealth support, via the internet from a remote location. It's one of the best virtual assistant jobs for nurses who need a part-time job or people looking to expand their knowledge and experience in medicine.
General Responsibilities
- Answer phone calls and emails from patients
- Collect and analyze patient's medical data and history
- Give medical advice and health counseling to patients
- Collaborate with other members of a patient's health care team to provide a good health care plan
- Relay patient complaints and relevant information to supervising doctors and medical professionals
- Recommend and review medication for patients
- Schedule patient appointment with doctors
Telemedicine jobs for physician assistants require the following skills and qualities:
Key Skills and Competencies
- Solid computer skills
- Good verbal communication skills
- Excellent understanding of medicine and health care
- Data collection and analysis skills
- Should have a compassionate personality
- Prior health care and medical experience is often required.
- A bachelor's degree in health care and a physician assistant license are required.
Online Teaching Assistant
Online teacher assistant positions are some of the most widely available virtual assistant jobs online. An online teaching assistant's job is mainly to provide custom digital education services, help educators with their day-to-day tasks, and assist students in their academic development both in and out of the classroom.
General Responsibilities
- Helping students who need extra academic support
- Grading student tests and assignments
- You may be required to act as a substitute teacher
- Collecting relevant student data
- Helping teachers in planning class schedules and learning activities
- Filing reports and performing other virtual assistance/office tasks on behalf of the teacher
Key Skills and Competencies
- Strong computer skills
- Written and oral communication skills
- Organization and data collection skills
- Enjoy working with kids or teenagers
- Familiar with online teaching tools
- Should have an in-depth knowledge of the courses the teacher is teaching
- Prior experience teaching is seen as a plus
- A high-school diploma is typically the minimum requirement to be an online teaching assistant
- Any online or offline teaching certificate is also a plus
Data Entry Virtual Assistant
Data entry tasks are time-consuming and mundane, and businesses often look to outsource them to save time and focus on other pressing tasks. This is where a virtual data entry assistant comes in. Virtual data entry jobs involve updating and entering relevant job data into a computer system for future reference.
Data entry positions are often part-time jobs and require a contract where the assistant is paid by the hour or the amount of work they put in.
General Responsibilities
- Preparing and sorting out data for entry
- Crosscheck previously entered data for accuracy
- Updating data to meet current needs and deleting outdated data and files
- Perform regular backups and preservation measures
- Sending and receiving data to and from other parties
These virtual assistant jobs are perfect for college students due to their part-time contracts. However, you’d still need to have a relevant skill set, and we’ve listed it below for your convenience:
Key Skills and Competencies
- Computer skills
- High understanding of math and English
- High concentration and accuracy levels
- Organization and time management skills
- Excellent knowledge of databases and spreadsheets
- A high-school diploma is often the minimum requirement for a role as a data entry virtual assistant
- An associate’s or bachelor’s degree may be required depending on the virtual assistant requirements
- The UK Society of Virtual Assistants (SVA) offers excellent online data entry courses.
Virtual Finance Assistant
Virtual finance assistants are remote workers helping with the financial administration of a business. They can also handle a client’s personal finances, though most virtual finance assistants are employed by large companies to assist the financial department in the day-to-day financial-related business tasks.
Most of these virtual assistant jobs require full-time work with the following duties assigned to assistants:
General Responsibilities
- Take calls from clients about inquiries and transactions
- Draft and respond to finance-related emails and forward important emails to employers
- Keep all business accounts reconciled at all times
- Prepare monthly financial reports and statements including balance sheets and profit and loss statements
- Data entry and bookkeeping
- Handle business transaction and keep receipts
Key Skills and Competencies
- Solid computer skills
- Written and oral communication skills
- Exceptional mathematical skills
- Must be organized, error-free, and proactive - skills typically required for virtual office assistant jobs
- Data collection and entry skills
- Good with bookkeeping and data entry software
- A bachelor's or master's degree in finance, business administration or accounting
- An online or training certificate in financial planning can help your chances of getting a virtual job in this field.
Real Estate Virtual Assistant
Time is a valuable asset in the real estate industry. Providing real estate assistance requires a lot of customer service and administrative tasks, which is why real estate virtual assistants are invaluable. Real estate virtual assistant jobs involve doing a real estate agent’s mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on core business activities.
General Responsibilities
- Answering inquiries from customers
- Research into real estate fundamentals like immigration, lending rates, and property and land value
- Preparing real estate forms and documents
- Collecting and entering client data
- Bookkeeping
- Scheduling meetings and appointments
- You might be required to handle some marketing and PR tasks
Real estate virtual assistant jobs are an excellent opportunity for communicative individuals. Let’s see which qualities you need to work as a real estate assistant:
Key Skills and Competencies
- Computer skills
- Written and oral communication skills
- Data entry skills
- Knowledge of bookkeeping and business administration
- Working knowledge of social media
- Experience in marketing, accounting or administration
- A bachelor's or master's degree in a related field will often be required.
Legal Executive Assistant
A legal executive assistant is a virtual legal assistant that works for a law firm or company, providing support for attorneys during and in-between legal cases. They are qualified by training, education, or work experience and work from a remote location under the supervision of an attorney, performing delegated legal work.
General Responsibilities
- Answer calls, emails, and client inquiries
- Perform legal research to help with ongoing cases
- Collect and maintain legal databases on clients and cases
- Maintaining calendars and schedules for attorneys
- Create and format legal documents like wills, briefs, affidavits, subpoenas, etc.
- Question clients to develop cases
Key Skills and Competencies
- Good computer skills
- Superb oral and written communication
- Sound knowledge of legal practices and procedures
- Adept at legal research
- Problem analysis and resolution skills
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- An associate's degree is often required.
Virtual Assistant as a Profession
As remote work is gaining more ground, companies around the world increasingly hire virtual assistants, and even virtual assistant companies are becoming more common.
While there are many pros to having an online assistant, traditional on-site assistants can’t be fully replaced. With that said, most tasks performed by traditional assistants can now be done by virtual assistants, thanks to the internet and the latest technological developments.
Best Communication Software for Virtual Assistants
While nothing beats a face-to-face meeting, for virtual assistants, communication via the internet is key. Virtual assistant jobs done from home require constant and consistent communication and information sharing with the employer and clients. So here are five handy pieces of communication software for virtual assistants:
1. Dropbox
Dropbox is a popular tool that allows you to share work files and documents with employees and clients. Once you add a file to your Dropbox account, anyone with access can view it. This is an excellent way of sharing work assignments and other relevant documents with your employers for approval and receiving virtual assistant reviews.
2. Slack
Slack takes teamwork and collaboration to the next level. This tool allows you to create or join a virtual workspace to discuss and share work information. One of its main benefits is its customization; you can create different channels for different facets of your business.
For example, you could have a #writers channel, #admin channel, #finance channel, etc., where all communication about that department can take place. These channels serve as virtual offices. You can also upload files, and images and store data on Slack.
3. Skype
Skype is as close as it gets to a face-to-face conversation between virtual assistants and their clients. This tool allows you to connect with anyone, anywhere, through a video chat. Skype has many advantages, the chief of which is its familiarity and ease of use.
Most people have a Skype account and are accustomed to how the software works. This means you can set up easy and stress-free meetings with employees and clients. Skype also has group call and PowerPoint features, making virtual teamwork a breeze.
4. Asana
Asana is another wonderful communication tool for virtual assistants. It's effective for a company starting a virtual assistant business as the simple interface makes work easy to navigate and understand. It has one of the best business-oriented interfaces, allowing you to assign tasks, set deadlines, communicate easily, and even draw up content management sheets.
One of Asana's best features is the "my task" view, which gives every team member a clear view of who is assigned to what and the exact requirements and deadlines for ongoing projects.
5. Trello
Trello is another brilliant option for newbie virtual assistants. Unlike most other project management tools, Trello is fairly easy to grasp, helping with communication and task delegation. It’s often used by high-end VA companies and has many amazing features that are sure to aid you as a VA, including event planning, task scheduling, and group communication.
Even though it is widely used among high-end companies, Trello is also popular among new VAs due to its flexibility and its amazing communication features.
Best Task and Time Management Tools for VAs
Time management is everything for virtual assistants. Whether you are working part-time or full-time virtual assistant jobs, chances are you'll need to be meticulous in managing your time to get work done efficiently. With the advent of new time-tracking technology, there are many time management tools VAs can use to run a successful virtual assistant career.
We’re going to turn our attention to four of the very best on the current market that can be used for various purposes, including free virtual assistant training:
1. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is as good as it gets when it comes to task management and time tracking tools. It's a web-based tool that allows you to store files, assign and receive tasks, track time and screen activity, and many other unique features designed to help remote workers optimize their time.
Hubstaff's time tracking is one of its most impressive features, with its URL tracking and productivity calculators being a great asset for VAs. Hubstaff's features are also perfect for general virtual assistant training.
2. Google Calendar
Are you part of a large virtual assistant team or a VA with many clients? Either way, Google Calendar is one of the best ways to organize yourself and let others know your schedule.
Not only is Google Calendar free, but it also comes with many features that help you make the best use of your time. This tool helps you share your schedule with clients and employees and sync your schedule with your clients to plan meetings and other work-related activities.
3. Time Doctor
Time Doctor is your perfect all-in-one solution for tracking time as a remote worker. People who work freelance virtual assistant jobs without having regular office hours often have difficulties managing their daily working hours. Time Doctor is the perfect time management software as it helps you keep track of your working hours daily.
With Time Doctor, you can see the specific amount of time you spent on a particular project, talking to clients, on particular websites, and even time used during work breaks. One of this tool's biggest advantages is you can sync it with other popular VA tools, such as Asana and Trello, giving you the ultimate time and task management system.
4. Toggl
Toggl is yet another great tool that helps you measure and decide just how much your time is worth. Virtual assistant jobs worldwide can benefit from this tool as it is effortless and hassle-free, allowing you to track your time at work and how you spend it every day. Toggl's “report” feature is its biggest advantage — it shows the breakdown of the time you spent on every project with every client and every website in a clean and easy-to-understand graph.
With Toggl, you can decide when to start tracking time or use the auto-track feature, which enables Toggl to track your time automatically once certain programs or keyboard triggers are set off. This tool is also used for virtual assistant training and entry-level VA jobs.
5. Clockify
While this software may not have all the extra features and compatibility of other tools in this list, its best advantage is its functionality. Unlike most other time management tools, Clockify is 100% free. Its time tracker and timesheet app let you and your team track working hours for as long as 24 hours every day for free, with no user limits. This is exactly what online virtual assistant jobs online need.
Other features of Clockify include customizable reports, the ability to enter all-time reports into timesheets, and export reports as PDF and other document formats.
Virtual Assistants’ Preferred Payment Methods
These aren't what you’d call regular jobs; hence, they often don't get paid like regular jobs. Cash and check are two of the most common forms of payment for mainstream staff. However, when it comes to salaries for virtual assistant jobs, the preferred payment method is likely neither. So how do VAs like to be paid?
1. PayPal
PayPal is the most common form of online payment for virtual assistants. With PayPal, a VA can send an invoice to a client or employer, allowing the client to send funds through a safe web space into the VA's PayPal account. The VA can now withdraw the funds into his/her personal bank account or make payments for bills and other expenses through PayPal.
2. Payoneer
As far as PayPal alternatives go, Payoneer is the next best thing in terms of ease and safety of online payments. Payoneer provides online money exchange services, ensuring all transactions are safe and hassle-free. Making an account on this service is extremely easy, and you can start receiving funds with zero deposit at a fairly low cost, too.
3. Skrill
Skrill is another online payment behemoth and is currently almost neck-and-neck with PayPal and Payoneer in terms of market popularity. Skrill's major advantage over the other two is how many more countries its services are available for.
It is also more flexible in transactions, paying virtual assistant fees, and allowing multiple payments simultaneously. Still, Skrill typically charges more in transaction fees than the other two payment system operators.
4. Bank Transfer
Wired payments directly into bank accounts may not be as popular as some other payment methods, but it's a simple, effective way of making payments. These are particularly useful in cases of large payments, as online merchants like PayPal and Skrill may have trouble processing exorbitant amounts or may demand huge amounts in transaction charges.
Pros and Cons of Being a Virtual Assistant
If you're considering becoming a virtual assistant and working toward high-paying virtual assistant jobs, you might be wondering what advantages and disadvantages will come with the terrain in relation to regular office jobs. Read on for a quick summary of what to expect as a VA.
Pros
These are some pros of VA jobs:
Being Your Own Boss
Who doesn’t like working remotely with as much freedom as they please, away from the office and employers' watchful eyes? Being a VA means you set your schedule, decide who you work with, take breaks when you want, work as early or as late as you like, etc.
Virtual assistant jobs for students, for example, have all the benefits of flexible jobs, allowing you to set your schedule to accommodate both work and school activities.
Work From Wherever You Want
The ability to work remotely is one of the best perks of being a VA. No more rushed showers and breakfast in the morning or stressing over traffic while commuting to work. You can ease into your day and work with maximum comfort, from home, at a coffee shop, or wherever you like. This consequently saves you a lot of time and money in the long run.
Flexible Pay
With office jobs, you will likely have a fixed salary with performance-based raises. However, with virtual offices, your financial landscape expands exponentially. You can set your own rates with no one to tell you how much you are worth.
Income is also unlimited: You can work with as many clients and on as many projects as you like and if you deliver high-quality work, your winning attitude will likely reflect in your income and possibly even perks such as life insurance options.
Cons
If you are contemplating your next job and are already filtering your job search to and canvasing job boards for employers that hire virtual assistants, consider the disadvantages of even the best virtual assistant jobs:
Competition
Due to the ever-increasing popularity of virtual assistant jobs, the VA market is getting tougher with each passing day. Unlike traditional office jobs, where there is a steady supply of work given to you by your employers, VAs constantly have to compete for new clients and work, and landing clients can often be tedious, given how competitive the market is.
Distractions
Virtual assistants often say working from home is their favorite part of being a remote worker. However, kids, pets, and TV are some of the most common distractions around the home that may limit productivity compared to being at an office.
Virtual Assistant Jobs Scams
One major downside to working as a VA are scams or fraudulent jobs. Due to the high demand for VAs on the market, certain people use it as a chance to prey on job seekers who think they've found a legitimate VA job. A common scam is an “employer” looking for a VA to ship certain goods which are illegal unbeknownst to the VA and may land the VA in trouble with authorities.
Other scams include an employer who will have you work and refuse to offer payment for your services. To ensure you are applying for legitimate virtual assistant jobs, research all potential clients thoroughly and crosscheck job details to ensure the work you accept is legitimate.
Things To Know About Being a Virtual Assistant
If you've set out on a path to becoming a virtual assistant, we’re sure this guide has been beneficial. But you still need to know a few things about being a VA.
What Should I Consider When Looking for the Best Virtual Assistant Jobs?
Finding a VA job that fits perfectly with your daily schedule is the hardest part of becoming a virtual assistant. The moment you find a stable first project, the only way is up for your VA career. Here are some important tips and things to consider:
- Your first client is important. The first person you work with as a VA will affect your mindset going forward, so ensure you work with a client on a similar wavelength as yours.
- Any job you take must be within your expertise and fit your schedule. Taking on an overwhelming job might affect other projects and leave you with more work than you can handle. All virtual assistant services jobs you take must come from a place of know-how or expertise.
- Be flexible with your pricing when starting out. While your price should reflect your abilities, lowering the cost of your services is your best chance of landing clients early on due to market competition. Adjust your price as you build your reputation and portfolio as a VA.
- It is advisable to have some background experience or training in any field or service you wish to offer clients as a VA. It could be educational degrees or online training courses, but most clients will demand some prior experience before hiring a VA.
Do Virtual Assistant Jobs in the US Require You To Pay Taxes?
In the US, virtual assistants and other remote workers are considered self-employed and responsible for their own tax payments. Unlike with regular office jobs where your employer is often responsible for deducting taxes from your salary, there are no taxes taken out for VAs from clients, and planning and preparing for taxes is your sole responsibility.
Do Virtual Assistants sign contracts?
Akin to traditional assistants, virtual assistants often sign law-binding contracts with clients. You may be wondering why you need a contract as a VA.
Well, the reason is to confirm that both parties understood the terms and conditions of their working relationship, protecting both the virtual assistant and your client from future complications. A typical virtual assistant contract will include a job description, a timeframe, payment terms, and other working conditions.
Training and Courses for Virtual Assistants
While some people earn their VA credentials by getting an associate’s or bachelor's degree; online certificates are also a great way of building your CV while looking for a VA job. Even if you have a degree in a certain field, acquiring a new skill is often a vital part of being a successful VA.
There are lots of top-notch training courses for virtual assistants online to help build their careers, and here are some of the best:
The International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA)
The IVAA offers paid training courses to virtual assistants, offering training certificates and job opportunities to members and graduates of its VA school. The aim of the IVAA is the development and education of members of the VA profession worldwide. It also offers members many benefits, including mentoring through the first few steps as a VA, networking, and referrals.
Other top organizations offering virtual assistant courses include the Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA), The Alliance for Virtual Businesses, and the Australian Association or AVAA.
The International Association of Virtual Office Assistants
The IAVOA offers a 10-week training program for virtual assistants. These courses teach VAs how to start a virtual assistant business and turn it into a full-blown career.
The IAVOA also has training courses for various assistant roles, such as real estate virtual assistants, a Pinterest virtual assistant, administrative assistants, and other VA positions. In addition to getting its certificate, you can also get its referrals and recommendations to businesses looking for assistants.
Hubspot Academy
Hubspot Academy offers some of the best business VA training on the web. Its webinars are free of charge and include on-demand classes taught by experts, giving you a chance to get a globally recognized certificate on your CV or LinkedIn profile to show potential employers you know your stuff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a virtual assistant?
Virtual assistants are independent contractors and remote workers who perform administrative jobs and tasks for clients while working away from the client's office. They perform similar tasks to traditional office assistants but from a remote location.
Daily activities and duties may include managing contact lists, preparing office reports, scheduling appointments, answering calls and emails, handling customers’ inquiries, optimizing websites, content writing and editing, and many other tasks depending on the employer’s characteristics and criteria.
How do I become a virtual assistant?
There are a few steps involved in becoming a virtual assistant. It also helps to have a certificate or degree in whatever field of service you'll be offering, although it's not necessary. Then, all you need is a fast internet connection, a business model, and some clients.
Finding your first few clients can be difficult, but freelancing websites are always littered with potential clients if you don't know anyone looking for a VA.
What skills do you need to become a virtual assistant?
Rating a business or an individual’s qualities plays a vital role in their success. For this reason, every VA must have certain skills and requirements to get good reviews from clients. Some core skills include computer skills, communication, reliability, and time management.
Other required skills include teamwork, resourcefulness, proactivity, and a certain level of independence. Depending on the niche you offer, you'll also need certain professional skills like copywriting, WordPress, and graphic design.
How do I find VA jobs?
Once you're set up as a VA, finding your first client and your first steady stream of jobs is often the most tasking part of the entire VA process. However, there are a few steps you can take to boost your chances of finding your first client:
- Search job postings and enquire about job openings from your network or friends.
- Apply to a company looking to hire virtual assistants.
- List yourself on a flexible jobs website.
- Take a paid VA training course, most help their graduates find jobs upon the completion of their training services.
- Create a website and advertise your services.
How do I apply for a virtual assistant job?
Once you find a client, convincing them you're the right VA for the job is a different ball game. While applying for a VA job, the key is to convince your potential client you know your stuff. Your cover letter should tell them why they should pick you and provide your credentials, prior experience, certificates, recommendations, and anything else that is of consequence.
Next, you should highlight your soft skills like communication, organization, and reliability. Attach a portfolio of your previous work samples, and you stand a good chance of getting hired.
Some of the best virtual assistant jobs are available with traditional employers with a solid human resources department. If going for one of these, opt for an equal opportunity employer that wouldn’t discriminate against a prospective employee based on age, disability, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or veteran status.
How much money can you make as a virtual assistant?
As a VA, there is no income limit. A successful VA can earn exorbitant amounts of money, so there isn't a set income or salary cap. However, research has shown that the average successful VA earns about $73,000 annually.
That number drops to approximately $57,000 annually for average-income VAs and $28,000 annually for low-income VA businesses. Therefore, if you’ve been wondering whether virtual assistant jobs pay well, then rest assured, you’d receive hefty paychecks in this line of work.