Virtual Assistant or VA is one of the most popular and in-demand freelance and home-based jobs today. A virtual assistant is a highly-skilled person who works independently and remotely to provide a variety of services to business people or companies. Many people can earn money as a virtual assistant by performing various tasks.
In layman’s terms, a VA is an executive secretary working outside of the client’s office whose main tasks include providing administrative support, conducting research, managing schedules, etc. A VA can do almost everything that a client requires, from a company’s marketing plan, down to the executive’s exclusive assignment.
To give you a much bigger picture of what is it to be like being a VA, here are some of the specific duties that he or she performs regularly:
- Administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, answering phone calls, booking travel orders, calendar, and email management
- Social Media Management and Content creation that includes writing and creating content (like graphics and videos) for regular posting on different social media platforms and the company’s website
- Financial Management roles like keeping budgets, recording and tracking expenses, and making purchases
- Research and Analytical duties involve examining and understanding data to keep track of competitors, customer movement, and the company’s growth
- Personal assistant service covers one-to-one support like handling diaries, arranging meetings and travels
VA’s tasks can be amazingly diverse, and the list can go on and on as if it doesn’t have an ending.
What are the Requirements to Become a VA?
There is no educational or age requirement to become a VA, but having a high level of skill set is a must. Aside from innate experience, you can acquire the necessary skills through training and certifications. Some important qualities of a VA are:
Excellent communication skills – should have good oral communication and writing skills so you can express yourself efficiently (verbal and written), and be able to understand instructions easily.
Word processing and computer skills – must have proficiency in using the computer and its programs like Microsoft Word and Excel. Also, literacy on the Internet is needed.
Efficient Decision Making – must possess critical and fast thinking, can rationally solve problems, and manage time effectively.
Flexibility and Dependability – can adjust and adapt to any changes without losing composure. A good VA is reliable and trustworthy who can work independently, even without his or her boss’s closed supervision.
Obedience and Discipline – must be capable of complying with the rules and directions. Being on their best behavior entails security and trust at work.
Self-motivation and Being Proactive – must always have the drive to keep pace despite challenges, and the ability to handle unexpected situations with confidence. When you are proactive, you can identify and prevent possible problems that may come in the future.
Being in the VA field is continuous learning of diverse knowledge and skills. Aside from the qualities mentioned above, willingness to learn is critical in this job to grow consistently. You must be eager to learn for you to be competent and achieve success.
Types of VA Jobs
Since a VA manages a lot of tasks, its type can be categorized based on the main job or specialization a Virtual Assistant performs. If you want to earn money as a virtual assistant, be aware of the different types of VA jobs that you can do.
1. Virtual Marketing Assistants
Virtual Marketing Assistants are accountable for preparing a list of well-defined marketing duties assigned by a particular client. They can help business owners in designing marketing plans and strategies for their company.
2. Virtual Administrative Assistants
Virtual Administrative Assistants, aka GVA or General Virtual Assistant responsibilities, are managing calendars and emails, preparing records, reports, and presentations, setting meetings and appointments, and other clerical functions.
3. Social Media Virtual Assistants
Social Media Virtual Assistants take care of the different social media accounts owned by their clients. They are skillful in managing social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. Conducting research to create new content for social media posts, scheduling posts, and building and engaging audiences on various social media channels are all part of their tasks.
4. Data Entry Virtual Assistants
Data Entry Virtual Assistants’ main job is inputting and updating data in a computer system database or CRM. Some of their roles are planning, organizing, and classifying data for entry, updating and checking records for accuracy, and keeping documents of activities and operations.
5. Virtual Assistant Writers
Virtual Assistant Writers act as ghostwriters or creative writers for many business owners. Most often, business owners do not have much time to write articles, blogs, copies, and content for their social media and websites. That is why Virtual Assistant Writers are critical to the success of their businesses.
6. E-commerce Virtual Assistants
E-commerce Virtual Assistants play a vital role in e-commerce business owners. Their responsibilities include product data entry, administering transactions, maintaining daily inventory, writing product descriptions, and a lot more. Some of the most popular e-commerce platforms are Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, Wix, WooCommerce, etc.
7. Virtual Bookkeepers
Virtual bookkeepers or Virtual Bookkeeping Assistants supervise the bookkeeping or the financial records of a business. They assist in budgeting, payroll processing, banking, and other monetary operations of their clients.
8. Real Estate Virtual Assistants
Real Estate Virtual Assistants are committed to accomplishing a wide variety of real estate assignments, like planning and arranging paperwork, answering email requests, organizing meetings, and more. They must also know data scraping using classifieds software from different websites like eBay, Flynax, Craigslist, and Oodle.
9. Virtual Research Assistants
Virtual Research Assistants are responsible for researching information on the Internet as required by their clients. Researching is essential for businesses to gather intel and data about their customers and competitors. Some of their specific roles involve obtaining info from reliable sites, compiling and presenting research data, searching for requisite statistics, and recognizing opportunities for business extension.
How much can you earn as a VA?
A VA’s pay changes depending on the years of experience and the skills they can contribute. But one thing is for sure, a VA job is a job that can sustain your family’s daily needs, and can even provide you with pleasure if taken with hard work and dedication.
Virtual Assistants around the world can earn anywhere between $3 and over $60 hourly. An estimate of a General VA’s monthly rate ranges from $500 to $800. Meanwhile, VAs with specialized skills such as SEO, graphic design, web development, and other specialties can make more money, generally ranging from $800 to $1,500, or sometimes, more.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a Virtual Assistant in the United States as of June 2020 is $19 an hour. Hourly wages can be as high as $35.34 and as low as $6.25. The majority of VA’s salary currently ranges from $12 to $24 per hour.
That’s how lucrative the compensation you can earn as a freelance Virtual Assistant. If you have any questions or suggestions, comment down below. Good Luck!
