Remote work remains as popular as ever—with virtual assistant jobs being one of the most sought-after roles.
However, not everyone seems to understand what it takes to be one.
If you’re one of the people wanting to become a virtual assistant (VA), here are some things you need to know.
Gain Prior Experience And Skills First
To become a virtual assistant, you must develop the right skills first.
This way, it’s easier to determine which niche to pursue later on in your career.
Are you a right fit for data entry jobs? Or do you have a way with words for online writing jobs?
Most importantly, you must have excellent administrative and organizational skills.
After all, you could be providing support to company executives, or a whole office.
Having prior experience might make transitioning to virtual assistance easier for you.
Prepare Yourself Mentally
Working from home provides a lot of people with flexibility.
(Not everybody can say they can do their dishes or laundry while on the job, after all.)
However, remote work can have a profound impact on your social life.
Becoming a virtual assistant can feel lonely, although you can do a lot of things to cope.
Learn Marketing Skills
Finding clients as a remote contractor is tough.
You have to compete against both newbies and experienced virtual assistants while dodging scams or ghost jobs.
So, learn how to market yourself.
You can start by keeping an updated portfolio that shows your best work.
Staying active on LinkedIn can help you land a client too. Just be sure to avoid these red flags on your LinkedIn profile.
You can further grow your professional network by attending business events or participating in relevant online communities.
However, if you want to avoid the tedious process of finding clients, you can sign up with a staffing agency, like Remote Staff.
Apart from helping you find the right role faster, these companies also vet their clients so you won’t have to worry about them skipping out on your pay.
Factor In Overhead Expenses When Setting Your Rates
When negotiating with clients, don’t forget to include your overhead costs in your asking rate.
As a remote contractor, you’ll be in charge of your own equipment, utilities, and working spaces.
If needed, sit down and write all of your expenses so you don’t end up selling yourself short.
Upskill or Pick a Niche Down the Line
Technology is constantly evolving, so you need to stay on top of things as a virtual assistant.
Artificial intelligence (AI) poses a threat to many online jobs, so you might have to learn how to use it to your advantage.
Thus, you want to make yourself as difficult to replace as possible, and niching down in a field with few experts helps.
Forget Doing the Regular 9-5, Go Remote!
Being a virtual assistant can be fun and fulfilling.
Yes, you might be doing a hundred things all at once, but when you get the hang of it, you’ll probably never want to go back to a physical office.
So, are you ready to work online?
If so, head on to Remote Staff’s regularly updated job listings to find a role that best fits your qualifications.
Interested? Register today!
