5 Tips on How You Can Be a Good Virtual Assistant

According to JobStreet’s Decoding the Digital Challenge report, more and more workers are attracted to digital jobs. This is due to the perks these offer such as flexible work setups and job security in this age of automation. One of the most sought-after roles in the digital workforce is virtual assistant. To help you land this job, we give you tips on how you can be a good virtual assistant.  

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

Virtual assistants (VA) are outsourced talents who work in a variety of industries. They help businesses be more efficient by performing routine tasks such as research, coordinating schedules, data entry, and communicating with clients. However, they can also be experts in high-level work such as accounting, network administration, and managing customer relations. Instead of working as a direct employee of an organization, VAs are self-employed. In short, they treat businesses as their clients.

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VAs are in demand because they:

• Are more cost-effective compared to full-time employees.
• Perform the same tasks as regular employees and deliver quality results.
• Able to work under tight deadlines.
• Free up the regular employees for more profitable and urgent tasks.

Top 5 Industries Virtual Assistants Work in

Here’s a virtual assistant tip: more and more businesses are hiring VAs because of the wide range of skills they offer. Some of these remote workers have honed their expertise in specific fields, making them even more attractive to employers. Here are the top industries that VAs thrive in.

1. Human Resources (HR)

VAs support HR  by taking on clerical tasks that don’t require experience in workforce management. They do this by answering or writing emails, configuring documents, itemizing lists of expenses, and managing schedules.

2. Legal services

It’s no secret that the legal industry requires loads of paperwork. Even without a law-related degree, VAs can familiarize themselves with basic legal terms and transcribe proceedings. They can also arrange schedules, conduct research, input data, and correspond with clients.

3. Marketing

Marketing opens up lots of tasks for VAs such as managing social media, graphic design, blogging, and writing content.

4. Information Technology (IT)

IT professionals can work as part of the tech support team, answering customer queries and guiding them in troubleshooting hardware or software.

5. Real Estate

Real estate is a highly competitive industry that involves lots of routine tasks. While agents and brokers are busy closing sales, real estate companies hire VAs to screen leads, schedule house tours, update listings, and reply to queries.

5 Benefits of being a Virtual Assistant

After knowing what virtual assistants offer to business, it’s time to learn how being one can work for you. Here are some of the benefits this role offers:

1. More freedom

As a VA, you can choose whether to work part-time or full-time. You can even schedule vacations while working as long as you have a laptop and steady internet connection. Thinking of curating the services you offer? Being a VA allows you the flexibility of choosing what you want to focus on. This way, you get to accomplish only your preferred tasks.

2. Setting your own rate

Some employers let jobseekers set their own rates, provided they have the experience and skills to prove their competence. That’s the only catch with this perk—if you set a high rate, prepare to meet your employer’s equally high expectations!

3. Working from home

If you’re the type who dislikes wearing restrictive office wear, then working as a remote VA is perfect for you. You can spend the day in your favorite house clothes without thinking of how you look. In between duties, you can easily destress through a quick nap or workout.

4. Big savings

In your home office, you don’t have to spend on clothes, lunches, or traveling to and from the office. Another perk about being a VA is its low start-up costs. You only need a computer and fast internet to accomplish your tasks.

5. A wide range of gigs

Being hired as a part-time VA doesn’t stop you from taking more gigs. As long as you manage your time well, you can juggle several jobs, potentially increasing your income.

Top 5 Tips for Virtual Assistants

VAs need a mix of skills in management, critical thinking and computer literacy to succeed in their role. We break down the many ways these self-motivated employees provide excellent support to their clients.

1. Practice good communication.

Being a professional remote employee means that you have to communicate well with your client. With the differences in culture, time, and language, it’s important that nothing is lost in translation. Good communication includes using the messaging applications your client prefers, clarifying instructions, getting feedback, and reporting progress.

2. Prepare a work-conducive environment.

Minimize distractions in your home office. Make sure it's a quiet place, so you can properly participate in meetings. Prioritize your comfort by investing in a good chair and a desk big enough to accommodate the things you need. Organize your supplies—and files, whether they’re virtual or actual. Always back up data and update software.

3. Boost your time management skills.

It’s impossible to do everything at the same time, so learn to break down tasks. Identify the priority assignments and those that can wait. With this “first things first” technique, you can better accomplish tasks according to schedule. Stay on track and try not to get distracted. You can also download task management software that helps track your progress.

4. Add to your knowledge and skills.

Industries are constantly changing. The skills your target employer needs today may change in a few years. This is why you need to be always willing to learn new things. If your dream job requires a few skills you don’t have, learn them on your own. Take online classes and research. The internet offers unlimited resources to boost your resume.

5. Be positive.

Virtual assistance may be challenging work, but having a proactive attitude can help you power through. Study the tasks on your plate. How can you best approach them? Plan your steps and think out of the box. Most of the time, you need to work independently. So, you have to be resourceful and creative in resolving issues.

How to Find Work as a Virtual Assistant

Being a VA demands self-assurance, diligence, and reliability. Satisfying your clients paves the way to more jobs as you build experience. Once you’ve proven your mettle in this field, you get to grow your career in ways as flexible as your work arrangements.

Ready to find a virtual career job? #LetsGetToWork by creating or updating your profile. For more jobs, visit JobStreet or download the JobStreet app on Google Play or the App Store. 

Need help with writing your resume or practicing for an interview? Check out our Career Tools. Then for more expert tips, head over to  Career Resources.