How To Become a Virtual Assistant (With Little to No Experience)

Virtual assistants provide vital remote administrative virtual assistant and technical services to companies and clients. Being a virtual assistant is a great career option that offers flexibility, variety and work-life balance in a rapidly growing field.

In this article, we discuss what virtual assistants are and the common tasks they perform, and we explain how you can become one.

What is a virtual assistant and what do they do?

Virtual assistants enjoy the flexibility and independence of remote freelance work that often offers opportunities for entry-level employees. Employers can save time and money by outsourcing tasks to virtual assistants instead of hiring full-time employees or performing the work themselves.

The range of tasks a virtual assistant might perform is diverse and depends on the needs of the client and the skill set of the assistant. Some common tasks a virtual assistant might accept are:

• Monitor and maintain email accounts, including email marketing tasks
• Answer and initiate phone calls on behalf of clients
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• Handle travel arrangements, manage schedules
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• Provide customer support, such as answering questions and processing orders
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• Transcribe documents, data entry and spreadsheet management
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• Organize files and documents
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• Prepare reports and presentations, edit and proofread, SEO research
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• Bookkeeping, billing and accounting activities
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• Manage online social media presence and professional profiles
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• Order supplies

Related: What Is Telecommuting?

1. Identify your skills

The first step to becoming a virtual assistant is determining which skills are your strengths. A resume that highlights your administrative virtual assistant

abilities will show employers that you’re qualified to do the job, even if you have minimal experience. The most common skills a virtual assistant needs include:

• Computer proficiency: Virtual assistants use a wide range of computer programs to perform their tasks. They need to be familiar with using the internet, managing email inboxes and using cloud-based communication, such as file sharing, password managers and teleconferencing. Proficiency in creating documents, files and spreadsheets is important as well.
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• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills are necessary for virtual assistants to contact clients, receive assignments from clients and perform numerous duties, such as customer support and creating records.
• Editorial skills: It’s important to turn in written work that is free of typos and grammatical errors, so virtual assistants should have strong editorial skills. They should also be comfortable with doing light research and typing documents.