How to Become a Virtual Assistant and Companies That Hire

Q: What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

Virtual assistants can work as executive assistants , administrative assistants , personal assistants , and in other related positions, depending on the client. A typical virtual assistant job description may include any combination of the following: Calendar and schedule management Travel arrangements File and document organization Email monitoring and organizing Answering and directing calls Billing and accounting activities Writing and maintaining records Vetting potential clients, projects, partnerships, etc. Maintaining or updating a client’s social media or professional profile Because so many virtual assistant duties are done through a computer, excellent typing skills and being highly comfortable using different computer programs are a must.

Q: What Makes a Good Virtual Assistant?

Great job candidates possess virtual assistant skills like phenomenal written and verbal communication and open and transparent communication practices where they are viewed as a reliable, reachable partner by their clients. Time management and organizational skills are a must, as is a natural ability to take charge of a situation and organize it for the benefit of a client. Also, experience with or knowledge of cloud-based communication technologies like file sharing, password managers, and phone and videoconferencing is important. Finally, people who hire virtual assistants are looking to lessen the stress and disorganization in their lives. Don’t wait to be asked to do specific tasks—if you see a client is struggling, offer to help them with something you aren’t currently doing. This gives you more work to do and lets them rely even more heavily on you.

Q: Virtual Assistant Salary: How Much Do Virtual Assistants Make?

Payscale shows a wide range of pay for virtual assistants , depending on their skill level, years of experience, industry, and clientele. The range is $22,000 to $60,000 per year. Hourly virtual assistant pay ranges from $10.75 to $27.46, with a median hourly rate of about $17.

By Jessica Howington, Senior Content Manager

Virtual assistant jobs are a fairly well-known and highly coveted type of remote work. If you’ve been wondering how to become a virtual assistant, or where to find virtual assistant jobs, read on!

What Is a Virtual Assistant? Definition & Meaning

Every virtual assistant job is a little bit different, of course, but there are some general components to expect. Most virtual assistants provide support to their employer or clients in the form of answering emails, transcribing documents, preparing statements and letters, organizing files, coordinating schedules and calendars, making travel arrangements, and generally taking charge of administrative tasks to help a client focus on the other aspects of their jobs (or personal lives).

What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?

Virtual assistants can work as executive assistants, administrative assistants, personal assistants, and in other related positions, depending on the client. A typical virtual assistant job description may include any combination of the following:

Calendar and schedule management
Travel arrangements
File and document organization
Email monitoring and organizing
Answering and directing calls
Billing and accounting activities
Writing and maintaining records
Vetting potential clients, projects, partnerships, etc.
Maintaining or updating a client’s social media or professional profile

Because so many virtual assistant duties are done through a computer, excellent typing skills and being highly comfortable using different computer programs are a must.

How Do You Become a Virtual Assistant?

If you have no direct experience or are looking for virtual assistant jobs for beginners, here are some ways to get started. Have you booked appointments, made travel arrangements, managed someone’s calendar or email, blogged, or promoted something on social media? All of these are common virtual assistant tasks. Even if you believe you have no experience, you may have transferable skills that can set your resume apart.

You may already have the right skills to become a virtual assistant without realizing how valuable they are. To give them the proper context, these skills should be detailed in your virtual assistant cover letter. If you need to brush up on some areas, virtual assistant training and certifications can be obtained through self-study or taking online virtual assistant courses to learn best practices.

As a virtual assistant, you can work directly for employers, or for a virtual assistant agency that provides services to other companies, or offer your own services on a contract basis. If you wish to go into business on your own, determine ahead of time which virtual assistant services you’ll offer, perfect your resume, and start networking.

If you offer social media, web design, content production, or creative services, consider maintaining an online portfolio with examples of your work. After becoming a virtual assistant and working for your first clients, be sure to collect positive testimonials that can impress new clients.

How to Find Virtual Assistant Jobs & Companies That Hire Virtual Assistants

According to the FlexJobs database, the companies below frequently hire for virtual assistant positions:

There are many other companies that commonly hire for virtual assistants too. When it comes to virtual assistant job titles, be on the lookout for titles like virtual administrative assistant, administrative coordinator, virtual secretary, personal assistant, executive assistant, and similar titles.

What Makes a Good Virtual Assistant?

Great job candidates possess virtual assistant skills like phenomenal written and verbal communication and open and transparent communication practices where they are viewed as a reliable, reachable partner by their clients. Time management and organizational skills are a must, as is a natural ability to take charge of a situation and organize it for the benefit of a client.

Also, experience with or knowledge of cloud-based communication technologies like file sharing, password managers, and phone and videoconferencing is important.

Finally, people who hire virtual assistants are looking to lessen the stress and disorganization in their lives. Don’t wait to be asked to do specific tasks—if you see a client is struggling, offer to help them with something you aren’t currently doing. This gives you more work to do and lets them rely even more heavily on you.

Virtual Assistant Salary: How Much Do Virtual Assistants Make?

Payscale shows a wide range of pay for virtual assistants, depending on their skill level, years of experience, industry, and clientele.

The range is $22,000 to $60,000 per year. Hourly virtual assistant pay ranges from $10.75 to $27.46, with a median hourly rate of about $17.

Work Environment for Virtual Assistants

Just like any other remote job, you’ll need to have a dedicated home office in order to work as a virtual assistant. In addition to a computer with a high-speed Internet connection, you’ll also need a printer, copier/scanner, and fax. Most likely, you will need a dedicated landline (or two) as well.

Finding Virtual Assistant Jobs From Home With FlexJobs

Virtual assistant jobs come in all shapes and sizes: full-time, part-time, employee, freelance, temporary, and alternative schedule. Many virtual assistants work with more than one client at a time on a freelance basis, combining several part-time projects to create a full-time business for themselves.

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