Virtual assistants are part-time remote workers who perform administrative tasks, usually as independent contractors. They often schedule appointments, make phone calls, arrange travel, or organize emails, but the job might entail bookkeeping, blog writing, customer service, and many other tasks that can be done remotely.
Virtual assistant work-from-home jobs are mostly freelance or part-time, rarely full-time, positions offering administrative support services across various industries. Whether you’re an entry-level or a senior-level virtual assistant, you can find these remote jobs on job boards, freelancing platforms, or independently.
Known as VAs, virtual assistants pick up the slack for many businesses by doing tasks that might otherwise be left undone or done hastily or poorly.
What are typical virtual assisting skills and tasks? Is finding work as a beginner hard? Is it a lucrative career, and what are some benefits?
Table of Contents
What Is A Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant (also called an online, remote, or personal assistant) is typically a freelancer or part-time employee providing administrative support to companies or individuals from the remote work environment.
Businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals commonly hire virtual assistants to save time and be more efficient in their work by delegating tasks to another reliable professional.
What Are Some Examples Of Tasks A Virtual Assistant Might Do?
A virtual assistant can be hired to do various administrative tasks, such as:
- Data entry
- Project management
- Social media management
- Answering emails or calls
- Managing calendars
- Scheduling meetings and conferences
- Making travel arrangements
- Bookkeeping
- Perform customer service duties
- Provide remote client care
- Coordinate caregiving
Why Do Companies Hire Virtual Assistants?
Virtual assistants offer companies of all sizes help in completing time-consuming daily tasks that can bog down the schedule of a solopreneur, small company, or even a department in a large concern. They can turn the needs of others into a lucrative home-based business.
A one-person operation might not need a full-time onsite administrative assistant, bookkeeper, or data entry clerk, but hiring a virtual part-time office assistant to answer the phone, do the books, or enter sales leads into the computer might free the owner to visit clients or do other things only they can do.
Virtual assistants can even supplement onsite staff and do what they have no time for. Maybe the nature of the business requires in-office personnel to answer the phone and provide customer service. However, managing social media, updating the website, or doing a newsletter or blog can be easily put in the hands of a virtual assistant.
When companies have short-term special projects to do, virtual assistants are ideal people to handle them. They can even be hired to provide 24/7 service.
Occasionally, some companies hire full-time virtual assistants, but a more common practice is to hire more than one part-time VA. They may even contract with a firm that offers many virtual assistance services to handle their needs using several VAs.
Companies get work done using contractors who require no costly additional office space or benefits.
What Qualifications Do I Need To Get A Virtual Assistant Job?
Exceptional time management, communication skills, and multitasking ability are essential for a work-from-home virtual assistant job. Moreover, an administrative assistant must demonstrate a high level of accuracy. Clients may also require Microsoft Office proficiency and specify the minimum years of experience in their job postings.
What Are Some Virtual Assistant Skills In Demand In Many Jobs?
Virtual assistant skills often overlap with other remote or onsite roles. Some examples are:
- Typing skills
- Basic IT knowledge
- Reliability
- Prompt communication
- Attention to detail
- Ability to meet deadlines regardless of the number of assigned tasks
What Are The Benefits Of Becoming A Virtual Assistant?
Virtual assistance benefits include:
- Flexible schedule. Virtual assistant positions are rarely full-time and generally don’t require working closely with team members during the set working hours. You can work on your own terms as long as you meet deadlines.
- Choosing your clients. The freedom to choose the number of clients and who you want to work for is a big deal for many remote workers. You can also land a long-term/permanent remote position at a single company if that’s what you prefer. Some people choose this option because of benefits such as health insurance and paid time off.
- Setting your rates. Unless you’re working for one company and are paid by the hour, you can decide how much to charge for your services. Keep in mind that your fees should be reasonable to avoid chasing potential clients away, though. A medical professional can usually charge more than a social media manager.
- No starting costs. All you need to begin with is a stable internet connection, a computer/laptop with basic software, and the knowledge to use it. Since you only sell virtual services, you don’t need to buy any material/goods to get started.
- Project variety. Although administrative tasks are repetitive, you’ll likely come across new responsibilities with new clients. This provides the intellectual challenge and the opportunity to improve your skills along the way.
How Do I Become A Virtual Assistant At Home?
To start working from home as a virtual assistant, first think about what you want to do, what you’re good at, and what you’re qualified for. Are you qualified to be a remote medical assistant, for example? Do you want to do data entry, be a customer service representative, or manage social media accounts? You may already know the answer if you have previously been an in-person office assistant.
Next, assess your skills. Determine your strengths and highlight them in your resume. Remember to add any previous experience as well. If you find you’re lacking in an important aspect (such as typing speed), work on it to get comfortable with your future job.
Finally, start applying to jobs/gigs or contact clients directly. Your job search may take a while at first, so spend some time marketing your services online at the same time.
How Much Money Do You Make As A Virtual Assistant?
The salary potential of virtual assistants depends on their experience and specific job duties. Some jobs are entry-level and require no experience, but the pay is lower. On the other hand, senior-level roles may be harder to land but are more financially rewarding. Experienced executive assistants, real estate transaction coordinators, or website managers can make much more than a newbie or someone doing basic clerical tasks.
According to the Virtual assistant salary in United States statistics, the average hourly rate is around $24. It goes as high as $42 per hour.
Since most VA are contractors, they get no benefits, vacation or sick time, or other benefits of working for a company.
Can You Work As A Virtual Assistant With No Experience?
You can work in virtual assisting with no work experience as long as you are organized and able to market your services in order to find clients. Start by expanding your professional network and applying to entry-level virtual assistant work-from-home jobs. Keep in mind that these jobs tend to pay closer to minimum wage.
Even with no experience, you can show potential clients you’re serious about pursuing this career by completing administrative assistance courses and showcasing the certificates on your resume.
What Fields Tend To Use Virtual Assistants?
Over 26 industries can benefit from hiring virtual assistants. Some examples are:
- Arts and entertainment
- Finance
- Healthcare
- Human resources
- Insurance
- IT
- Legal
- Marketing
- Real estate
What Is The Best Way To Find A Virtual Assistant Job?
Common ways of finding virtual assistant work are joining Upwork, Fiverr, and other freelancing platforms, as well as job boards such as Indeed, FlexJobs, and ZipRecruiter. Remote workers also use LinkedIn for networking, and it goes both ways — you can contact potential clients, and you may be approached by recruiters.
What Are Some Good Companies For Virtual Assistants?
Companies that frequently hire virtual assistants include:
