High-Demand Job: How to Become a Virtual Assistant (or Digital Assistant)

You want to make money working from home as a virtual assistant? The pandemic has forced companies to re-structure and ditch the office for a work from home setup. That puts Virtual Assistant as a high-demand job right now.

Can you make money as a virtual assistant? Do me a favor and bookmark this post because we're going to go into detail and I'll be updating it throughout the month. As I see new VA jobs popup, I'm going to update this post. Let's discuss…

What Is a Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant (also known as a Digital Assistant or VA) is someone who takes care of administrative tasks for companies and clients from a remote location, usually their home.

What skills do you need to become a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistants need basic typing skills, organizational, and communication skills. This year, VA's are being recruited for content management, social media management, blog post writing, and graphic design.

These are ways that virtual assistants help companies, entrepreneurs, and professionals:

• Plan, Schedule, and Strategize Time
• Prioritize Revenue-Generating Tasks
• Batching Similar Tasks
• Communicating More Effectively
• Developing Sales Skills
• Basic Accounting
• Professional Development

I personally have a virtual assistant who handles all email that comes through any website. She works from home, answers all emails & we work together to create a professional template for any question that comes in. Then, she bills me every Friday. Hi, Holly!

Six Steps to Becoming a Virtual Assistant

Step 1: Plan a Business Strategy

There are a few factors to consider before you start a career as a VA. Your current location, your family situation, and your financial needs are a few.

Determine your needs first.

• How many hours can you work each week?
• Do you need health insurance?
• How much money do you need to clear each week?

If you need full health care, then, you'll want to consider a “work from home” position with a company rather than a self-employed freelance position. If you need part-time, you may consider a freelance – you set the hours and accept the gigs – position.

Step 2: Specialize Your Area

Once you have decided to become a VA, decide the field you are strong in.

If you are an expert in accounting, plan to become a VA in the finance department. It's incredibly rewarding when you work from home around your strengths rather than chasing money.

Having said that, there is no rule that says you can’t change the field once you start with another. This flexibility is what makes the Virtual Assistant jobs highly desirable.  You can also search for Virtual Assistant jobs here.

Step 3: Decide Your Pay Rate

Quoting a perfect rate for your service is crucial. Know the market rate by browsing other VA profiles and quote accordingly.

In Step 1, you will list out your needs including your pay. How much do you need to make while taking into consideration that you won't need money for gas, car, clothes and lunches?

Step 4: Expand Your Reach

There will be six different routes you can take to land a virtual assistant position. Here are the six and then, we'll discuss each one.

Route 1: The Gig
Route 2: The Freelancer
Route 3: The Agency
Route 4: The Manager
Route 5: Social Media Cleanup & Callout
Route 6: The Directory

The Gig

Route 1: The first route would be the freelance path where you land short-term and long-term gigs. You can use these platforms to setup your own gigs where employers come to you.

This route simply means you'll be self-employed while attracting clients who want to hire you on a per gig basis. I wrote this guide on how to create a side hustle that is perfect for working from home.

The Freelancer

Route 2: Once you have decided on your field, start to apply for VA jobs. You can use these platforms to apply for digital or virtual assistant jobs. You apply for the positions.

This route simply means you'll be working for one or two companies usually at a salary with benefits.

The Agency

Route 3: There are virtual assistant agencies who work with major companies, executives and firms who are looking for virtual assistants. Think of these agencies as a “temp agency” for VA's. They set the pay rate. I just started this new list of companies who hire virtual assistants for major companies. Click here to search for a virtual assistant job.

The Manager

Route 4: This popped up on my Linked In feed (actually in the comments) from someone looking for VA's. A medical specialist who runs a pharmaceutical store in New York looking for virtual assistants. I'm going to link directly to her page, so reach out to her directly if you're looking for a VA position.

Social Media Clean-Up and Call-Out

Route 5: Social Media Check-Up. I think in the 2020's this is going to be required when you are looking for a job. You'll need to Google yourself incognito mode to see how you come up in the search engines. You'll need to view your social media profiles as the head of HR viewing them. Clean them up. Then, create your own business Linked In. Create your business website. Create your own business social media. This will be YOU showcasing your best self. That way, when anyone from HR looks around, they'll be impressed. Also, you can use hashtags in your posts letting people know that you're available for #virtualassistantjob.

The Directory

Route 6: If you've been searching for jobs, especially a work from home position then you know how challenging it can be. There are a lot of 3rd party directories with a bunch of scams listed. You could use a company like FlexJobs who have a team that hand-screens each job to weed out the schemes. They have legit remote jobs and work with over 49,000 companies. Click here to search for job listings.

Step 5: Promote Yourself

If you choose the “gig route” or the freelance route, you'll want to promote your gig on social media platforms for wider reach. One of the best ways to showcase your talent is by training and teaching different aspects of your job. Related: Best Platforms to Find Virtual Assistant Jobs

Now only will you be sharing and inspiring others to make money, but you'll be attracting people who want to hire you.

Social Media has the potential to get you your dream Virtual Assistant Job.  If you're looking to get traffic to your website, try these 21 proven methods to get internet traffic.

New Mindset Around Applying for Jobs

I want you to wrap your head around this new concept for applying for virtual assistant jobs. Instead of filling out applications and chasing people, what if those people who needed a virtual assistant came to you.

That's how you use the social media platforms like TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram to SOCIALIZE and position yourself as the queen/king of virtual assistants. Does that make sense?

Everything you post / every piece of content you do should be a “this is how I solve x” for companies, brands or entrepreneurs. You'll showcase your work, how you solve the problems and create a brand “you”.

Then, two things will happen:

1. You'll use these platforms to apply for the virtual assistant jobs.
2. Use your hashtags and those people will contact you.

You can even give a call to action like:

“Need a Virtual Assistant? I'm available for hire. Here's how to contact me!”

Spread a message of positivity, love, kindness, acceptance and fun AND you'll start crushing this game. Click To Tweet

If you choose the “job” route, then you'll want to create a professional Linked In & do a quick social media clean-up check. This clean-up is a way to remove all your unprofessional social media posts & present a more professional version. Yes, this is important to landing your first VA job.

Most employers will do a quick Google search, review your social media posts and double check what kind of energy you're putting out there.

Step 6: Build Relationships

Building a good relationship with your past and present clients gets you a constant flow of business as they hire you again for gigs. Also, every gig is an opportunity to get a 5-star rating, a review or a reference for your Linked In (or resume).

Word of mouth plays a big part in your growth as a VA. I also find that shoutouts & helping others build their business helps BUILD yours.

What Skills are High Demand Right Now

While there is an endless number of services you can provide, here is the list of some of the skills in high demand.

• Social Media Management
• Copywriting / Content writing
• Email / Telephone Management
• Calendar Scheduling
• Graphic Designing
• Online Researching
• Photo/Video Editing
• Customer Service

My advice is to keep as professional as possible when delivering your work. If you have any of the above skills, then you will have no problems landing gigs or high-paying jobs.

What Platforms Can I Apply for Jobs

• Job Platforms for Virtual Assistants
• Freelance Platforms for Work from Home
• Best Freelance Platforms for Graphic Designers
• Job Platforms for Web Developers
• Freelance Platforms for Videographers
• Best Freelance Platforms for Writers
• Job Platforms for Photographers

What Tools Do Virtual Assistants Use?

It's time to improve your proficiency when completing tasks as a virtual assistant. The faster you complete the tasks, the more productive and professional you become.

Here are the top tools to help you save time & make more money:

Website Builders:

WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace are top contenders for website building. 

• WordPress is my favorite because you can create a stand alone resume type of blog or add offers & coaching offers to your website. Here's a step by step on how to install WordPress. Did you know you can also charge $200 to $1,000 to build WordPress sites for local businesses?
• Wix is a cakewalk when it comes to ease of use. It offers a drag-and-drop system to create websites in minutes. No coding required.  They allow you to get started for free at your basic level. Click Here to Check Out Wix
• Squarespace is more professional in design. It provides excellent templates to start with. It demands some technical knowledge to create websites.  Click Here for More Website Builders.

Professional Email Service

Build customer trust by giving everyone in your company a professional email address at your domain, like susan@yourcompany and joe@yourcompany. Also create group mailing lists, like sales@yourcompany.

Choosing a custom email provider is easy. As a Virtual Assistant, you should go with the one that is easy to set up and easy to use. Professional customer support is highly beneficial.

We actually started using GSuite because they provide an unlimited cloud storage for less than $12. And, it comes with all the business apps that integrate with Google.

• Unlimited Cloud Storage
• Your Own Custom Email Address (instead of gmail)
• Meet Video Conferencing
• Team Chat Messaging Platform
• Business Calendar
• Word / Sheets / Slides
• Sites Website Builder
• Access from Any Device

Click Here to Check Out Google's Suite of Tools

You can also setup your own blog & use the free email service that comes with your hosting company. That will give you the name@yourdomain.com email address that looks more professional.

We recommend Bluehost because you get a free domain name for one year, and you can build a professional site for less than $4 per month.

Click Here to Install a Blog with Bluehost

Communication Tools for Virtual Assistants

Reliable and fast communication is the foundation of Virtual Assistant jobs because of the remote nature of the job. A faster response time builds trust between the VA and the client.

These three tools come at the top:

Time Tracking Tools for VA's

Tracking the time you worked on each task is crucial in a Virtual Assistant job. For per-hour payment jobs, it is a must-have tool. 

File-Sharing Tools for Digital Assistants

Sharing the files over email and losing track of them is the thing of the past. File sharing and management tools are key to succeeding at Virtual Assistant jobs.

The top tools in this category are:

Payment Tools

If you are not a contract employee from freelancing sites like Fiverr or Upwork, then you need a third-party billing system. You can use a payment tool that supports international currencies to get paid for your work.

• PayPal: The most popular tool for payment. Despite its high commission fees, it remains to top preference all over the world.  Although they come with a ton of complaints and have screwed many entrepreneurs over the years. We do not recommend using them for your business.
• Payoneer: This is an effective alternative to consider. It supports direct withdrawal. 
• Coinbase: Recently, I started paying my sales agent using Coinbase. Coinbase allows you to buy any cryptocurrency and convert it into most currency around the world. The only drawback is they have really high withdrawal fees.

How to Become a Virtual Assistant Summary:

Are you ready to make money as a virtual assistant? Which route are you going to take? Are you going the freelancer path or are you going the work from home job?

Make sure you bookmark this page as I’ll be updating it as often as I can to keep you informed on How to Become a Virtual Assistant or Digital Assistant.

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If you know anyone looking for How to Become a Virtual Assistant or Digital Assistant, please share this page with them. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.