What skills do I need to become a VA?

It so happens that the life of an adult is connected with work, as one of the main sources of our income, necessary for existence.

Now, with the advent of such a very useful invention as the Internet, we can save ourselves from going to work every day, performing it virtually, organizing our business, and allocating our time at our discretion. Such opening opportunities cannot fail to interest a person living in a modern, mobile world of rapidly developing technologies. So let’s get back to this dream and see if you have any skills, for example, the usual basic office skills. If yes, then there is no problem, and you can freely become a virtual assistant secretary and organize your own business.

Many managers are looking for an assistant today who will work remotely. Many people among them are ready to hire a student with no experience. What kind of profession it is – not everyone knows a virtual assistant. What is a remote assistant, why do you need a remote assistant on Amazon, how you can get this profession, and how much you can earn – it is written below.

Responsibilities of the virtual assistant

This profession has appeared on freelance exchanges as a new, more advanced version of the regular secretary. In life, the assistant should be close to the boss, but today it is no surprise to anyone that the assistant is in a different time zone or even in the other half of the world.

The terms of reference of the virtual assistant include simple, but responsible matters:

• scheduling;
• looking for new clients;
• control over the execution of orders by other employees;
• advertising;
• SMM promotion;
• purchase of goods and services
• content writing

Depending on the employer’s occupation, the assistant’s tasks may include proofreading, photo, and video editing. Also, you can learn creative writing to get better offers.

What a virtual assistant should be able to do

Depending on the direction of the employer’s business, working as an assistant may require different skills and qualities:

• possession of specialized programs;
• ability to work in multitasking mode;
• a constant presence in touch.

Some specialized knowledge may be required. Getting into the position of a virtual assistant is easier, but the job itself is more difficult. It can be difficult for an employer to choose a specific contractor since the hiring process is also virtual. For this reason, the manager often recruits the candidate on a probationary period.

Additional dances include the following skills that will help you become a virtual assistant:

• mobility;
• sociability;
• the ability to cope with stress;
• desire to develop;
• the presence of erudition.

The real and virtual secretary professions converge when it comes to professional ethics. They will have to remain silent about some of the intricacies of business or financial matters.

Personal qualities that facilitate advancement in this profession

To become a virtual assistant, a person must have certain qualities that will help him fulfill his job duties. The profession itself combines skills:

• manager;
• time manager;
• advertiser;
• referent;
• journalist;
• photographer;
• psychologist.

It is the variety of skills that makes this profession quite difficult. In some cases, to be able to fully fulfill their official tasks, it would be nice for a candidate to undergo training – to complete courses, read literature.

How do I become a virtual assistant?

No, this is not a computer game or a smartphone app. Let’s talk about real people who, for several reasons, prefer to conduct their activities via the Internet remotely. Namely, about virtual assistant executives.

Who are they? Of course, in this case, such a specialist is a living person who helps someone to manage the workflow or business in general.

He is not in the office next to the manager but sits at a computer at home or in another convenient place with a laptop and through the World Wide Web does the same thing that he would do at his desk in the office.

The reasons for such remote or virtual employment can be many: parental leave, disability, living in an area without offline employment, vacation or business trips to another country or even another continent.

Citizenship and Country do not matter.

The main thing is to have a computer or smartphone with good Internet access.

Is it easy to become a virtual assistant?

Yes, it is real and available to everyone. But with certain knowledge and skills. And also experience and specialization. For example, in-office work or in law.

What the Remote Executive Assistant does:

• deals with documents, e-mail, and correspondence with clients;
• sends commercial and business proposals;
• fills the corporate blog, pages, and accounts on social networks;
• prepares materials for presentation, meetings, webinars, negotiations, etc .;
• collects, processes and organizes information from various sources;
• looking for services, programs, or specialists to perform any tasks;
• controls contractors;
• leads his projects;
• monitors the schedule and adjusts it depending on the current situation;
• book and make orders for everything necessary for the manager.

As you can see from the list of responsibilities and work tasks, virtual assistants are practically no different from their office colleagues. However, remote professionals are sometimes even more in demand, since they can significantly reduce the cost of renting premises for offices, etc.

Remote assistants and assistants often work as independent contractors and take on one-off assignments. But there are also options when an employee becomes a full-time employee in the company but on a “remote” basis.

What does an employer need?

In addition to skills and knowledge, business owners prefer to look for candidates with specialized education and office experience, oddly enough in this area.

That is, to become a virtual assistant, you must first undergo training for a classic assistant and have, albeit a small, but still work experience in the office.

Freelancing is a great plan if you have a specific skill set to fully meet a client’s needs. And earnings can vary based on VA vacancies. But remember: first you need to learn, and then you earn. First, you need to earn experience in some area, and you will definitely gain more.

Your next Steps?

VAA’s free 3 day quick course (15 minutes a day for 3 days).

Take a course to grow your skills – build a professional resume.

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Author:

Thomas Lore is a 25-year old writer. As a creative and diligent freelance blogger, he is always seeking new ways to improve himself.