In today’s digital age, a virtual assistant skill has become one of the most sought-after. As remote work becomes the norm, businesses increasingly rely on VAs for flexible, round-the-clock support, free from the confines of traditional office settings.
This article highlights what it means to become one and how you can become a successful VA.
Who is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant, or VA, performs the same tasks as a personal assistant, which typically involves handling a company’s administrative duties. However, while a personal assistant works onsite, a virtual assistant operates remotely.
Apart from offering a great work-from-home opportunity, this role is also more flexible and is typically offered on a contract basis.
What Does a Virtual Assistant Do?
A virtual assistant provides administrative support and technical skills to brands or businesses. Their duties include, but are not limited to:
- Email management
- Handling phone calls
- Scheduling appointments
- Content creation
- Social media management
- Bookkeeping
- Project management
- Writing and editing blog posts
- Graphic design
How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 5 Steps
1. Assess Your Current Skills and Interests
What are your strengths? What do you enjoy doing? Answering these two questions will help you determine the type of virtual assistant you should be. This step is crucial because it helps you choose your focus area as a virtual assistant, a broad field with a wide range of services. Selecting services based on your strengths and interests can make your life as a VA much easier.
2. Choose Your Services
Once you’ve identified your skills and interests, decide on the services you want to offer your clients. For instance, if you’re good at writing, you might offer content creation, email marketing, and social media management. If you’re a people person, consider services like customer support, lead generation, and appointment scheduling. Ultimately, the services you offer should align with your interests.
3. Get skilled
The more skills and knowledge you can get, the better results you can deliver to your clients. To become a highly sought-after virtual assistant, you need to learn about your selected services by taking courses and putting that knowledge into practice. Some of the best learning platforms you can use include YouTube, Coursera, and Udemy. In Nigeria, platforms like ALX Africa also offer free programs at no cost.
4. Create a Portfolio
Clients want to see proof that you can do the work, and your portfolio is the evidence. If you don’t have any prior experience, don’t worry. You can create a portfolio by either designing an imaginary client and performing all the tasks a VA would do for them or by pitching your services to an ideal client for free. Document the work you do and use it as your portfolio.
5. Start Applying to Virtual Assistant Roles
To increase your chances of landing a job quickly, target entry-level positions. These roles are more open to beginners compared to those at large, established companies that may prefer experienced professionals. Some of the best job boards to find VA roles include LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor.
