Becoming a virtual assistant: the keys to the profession

the Indeed editorial team

Do you want to become a virtual assistant administrative and work from home without having to pursue lengthy studies? Keep in mind that this job requires great versatility and a good entrepreneurial spirit, because you will have to manage all aspects of your business on your own.

This article explains how to get started in this booming field and reveals the essential qualities to build a thriving career.

Points to remember:

The virtual assistant is a versatile independent worker who offers diverse services to his clients, ranging from customer service management to event planning.
A career as a virtual assistant requires good preparation and various skills, and it is recommended to train before starting, in particular through online courses.
To become an effective virtual assistant, you need to determine your specific skills, have the necessary equipment, define your services and establish a marketing strategy.

What is a virtual assistant?

The virtual assistant is a freelancer who offers administrative and technical services to companies. Also called "AV", he takes care of different tasks, in order to help his clients focus on their main activity. Even if he may be required to carry out missions internally, he most often works remotely and provides his support as a freelancer.

The responsibilities of a virtual assistant can vary greatly depending on the needs of their clients. Their range of services will therefore generally be defined according to their training, skills and the direction they wish to give their career. To give you an idea of the type of tasks you could take on, here is a non-exhaustive list of responsibilities often delegated to a VA:

manage customer service and employers' schedules;
support their digital and telephone communications;
write blog posts;
search for information on the web;
supervise or boost the company's presence on social networks, like a social media manager ;
plan events for the company.

The tasks of the virtual assistant are therefore very varied and can potentially concern all of the missions likely to be outsourced.

How to become a virtual assistant?

Becoming a virtual assistant doesn't happen overnight. This requires good preparation and multiple skills, not to mention the time needed to build up a reliable clientele. If there is no official training, it is however recommended to get proper training before getting started.

Online training

For example, you could consider training using online courses, particularly provided by various infopreneurs (people selling their knowledge on the Internet).

When it comes to these online courses, the programs can be very different and the instructors are not all equal. To avoid throwing your money out the window, take the time to analyze in detail the skills taught and find out about the reputation of the instructor.

Diplomas already obtained

If you have already obtained certain degrees, choose your virtual assistance specialty carefully so that it corresponds to said academic achievements. In other words, certain diplomas will be more relevant than others when it comes to advertising yourself as a virtual assistant: management, administrative, accounting, web design, SEO, marketing, etc. .

What to know before becoming a virtual assistant

What matters most in the profession is your personality. You will have to know how to adapt to all kinds of requests and blend into the culture of different companies, sometimes during the same day. Strong interpersonal skills are also essential to maintaining good relationships with customers.

With a little experience, you will also have the opportunity to select the clients with whom you want to work. This informed choice will sometimes be more difficult than it seems. To make the right decisions, you will have to learn to rely on your past professional experiences as well as on effective monitoring tools.

Do you need experience to become a virtual assistant?

Since there is no formal training, you probably think that having experience in managing virtual assistant administrative tasks is essential to entering the profession. Think again ! In reality, you may already have all the keys to success.

For example, if you have secretarial or communication skills, you are already off to a good start. Likewise, all the knowledge acquired during your studies, your internships or as part of your past professional experiences may be useful to you.

If you have any doubts, here are some tips to help you take your first steps in the profession:

list all of your skills on a piece of paper to highlight your strengths;
determine your computer knowledge and your ability to use the Internet wisely (cloud, emails, videoconferencing, etc.);
assess your written and verbal communication skills;
assess your ability to manage your time, organize and prioritize various tasks;
define accordingly the services that you will offer as well as your prices;
equip yourself with all the equipment necessary to exercise, such as a computer, a smartphone and a good Internet connection;
create a professional page on different social networks and, possibly, a website;
define the marketing strategy that will allow you to land your first contracts;
Create your business as well as your management and accounting tools.

Performing all of these tasks will already allow you to start training. Indeed, the work that you will have to undertake for your clients may sometimes be very close to what you will have to undertake to establish your business and make yourself known.

What are the qualities of a virtual assistant?

Although this profession is accessible to everyone, this does not mean that just anyone is able to practice it. To earn a living as a VA, you will indeed need to possess or develop many qualities and skills.

Flexibility

While practicing a digital profession at home has many advantages, it also has some disadvantages. You could thus assist foreign companies requiring availability in different time zones. This situation is in fact not uncommon and sometimes involves very irregular working hours.

Cultural or operational differences also require you to be able to juggle different communication styles. For example, you may need to use informality and a friendly tone with some of your customers, while others will require you to adopt a more formal attitude.

The availability

It is sometimes difficult to refuse an urgent mission just because it is a public holiday! These dates differ from country to country, which means that you will sometimes have to work on national or religious holidays.

You can, of course, go on vacation and take some time off, but remember to give your clients plenty of notice. You should also be easily reachable during your working hours to facilitate communication.

The direction of the organisation

Organizational skills go hand in hand with versatility. Your tasks will be numerous and may have similarities between your different clients, without being completely identical.

Knowing how to juggle your multiple tasks without making a mistake will therefore be essential to successfully carrying out your missions.

Listening

The client will probably give you instructions on how to properly carry out the tasks assigned to you. Taking notes or recording your telephone conversations (with the explicit consent of the person you are speaking to) will allow you to put in place the appropriate actions for each of your missions.

With experience, you will also be able to define exactly what your needs are for each type of project and guide your clients on the tools and information that will be useful to you. In addition to making your job easier, this approach will reassure your employer about your skills and help you establish your reputation.

Customer follow-up management

As a virtual assistant, you will be accountable to your clients. Consider informing them regularly of the progress of your mission by email or sending them written reports.

To make sure you are going in the right direction, you can also schedule a few video conferences, which will allow you to regularly check in with the project manager.

The meaning of professional secrecy

You will sometimes have to deal with confidential data and even sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). You will therefore need to be able to reassure the client by guaranteeing professional secrecy.

Also consider protecting sensitive documents in a secure folder on your computer. Finally, it might be wise to take out insurance to cover these types of risks, in order to help you manage any potential disputes.

How to find clients as a virtual assistant?

To find your first customers, you will need to carry out canvassing actions. Here are some tips that should help you.

Define your ideal customer profile

As in marketing, you can create your persona, that is to say a fictitious person who brings together all the characteristics of your ideal customer. Ask yourself, for example, the following questions:

Is it a man or a woman?
What age group does this person belong to?
What type of company or industry does she work for?
What are its values?
What are his needs?

These questions should help you better target your prospecting campaign and find your first customers more quickly.

Get in touch with your prospects

There are many ways to find leads, the simplest method is to search for them on the Internet. Visit their websites or contact them through their professional social networks.

To stand out from the crowd, also take an interest in their values and the core of their business. Finally, once you have your customer base, word of mouth remains an excellent method to expand your portfolio.

Use your professional network

Your professional network is a great asset for reaching new prospects. This could be people you know, professionals you've contacted online, or people you've met at a trade show.

Talk about your business around you and explain what it consists of. After a while, it is even possible that customers will come to you on their own!

For further :

The virtual assistant profession is growing and the benefits it provides are attracting more and more entrepreneurs and freelancers. With the recent democratization of teleworking, we have also seen that companies sometimes prefer to outsource their services in order to save time and money. It is therefore a new and promising career, open to anyone motivated enough to create their own opportunities.