A virtual assistant is an individual who provides personal or business assistance to people through remote access. A virtual assistant can be in charge of bookkeeping, web research, and organizing email correspondences.
To get a job as a virtual assistant, you will typically need to have at least some experience as well as knowledge of other skills that you can offer to your clients. There are several websites that provide opportunities for those interested in finding a career as a Virtual Assistant, including glassdoor.com, TaskRabbit, and Rock Solid Virtual Assistants.
Here are 9 helpful tips that can help you find Virtual Assistant jobs online.
1. Certifications
Certifications are credentials earned by an individual to showcase their ability to perform a job and verify their legitimacy. There are online courses that teach professional skills, and they also come with a certificate of completion that you can add to your resume.
There are many certifications available online ranging from, Virtual Assistant courses, Administrative Assistant courses, and also Personal Assistant certifications.
If you would like to enroll in our Virtual Assistant course, you can join us here – Learn How To Become an On-Demand Professional Virtual Assistant. This will help you to improve your skills and qualifications.
2. Have Previous Work Experience
Having previous work experience is very important, and this boosts the chances of getting hired as a Virtual Assistant. Always include your past work experience on your resume. Consider working in fields that are in line with your profession.
You can start working on freelancing tasks such as transcription or data entry, this will help you build your confidence and gain work experience before applying for a full-time position.
In case you don’t have previous work experience, you can consider an internship. There are many internships that can be considered by a Virtual Assistant. Internships provide a student with real-life experience and teach them skills that will be beneficial in the future. For example, an internship in a law firm might teach one about legal terminology and the various ways to communicate with different people in an organization.
3. Create a Resume and a Portfolio
A resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a formal document that shows an overview of your professional qualifications, skills, and relevant work experience. Consider creating a professional resume, you can use Canva.com to design a simple but professional resume.
While, a work portfolio is a collection of your past work samples that shows your capability to deliver similar services to a potential client. You can as well use Canva.com to create a great professional portfolio.
4. Create a Strong Social Media Presence
Having a strong social media presence as a Virtual Assistant is very important. Most Virtual Assistants receive job offers through their social media platforms. You should have professional social media accounts showcasing the skills and services that you offer.
Advertising your services on social medial platforms will make potential clients notice your presence. You can use hashtags or digital media marketing to advertise your services to other people on several social media platforms.
Be active and available to respond to any messages send to you on any of your social media platforms, and be professional while handling the inquiries.
5. Join Traditional and Freelancing Job Sites
When large organizations want to hire Virtual Assistants, they usually post the job opportunity on traditional job sites.
As a Virtual Assistant, you need to join traditional and freelancing job sites and create your profile there, making sure it’s 100% complete.
You also need to learn how to write winning proposals so that when you send your bids, you can stand out to be invited for a job interview.
Be consistent in regularly checking job sites to check whether there are new long-term job posts. It’s good to focus on long-term clients, as this will give you a good workflow and a good relationship with your client.
Make it a habit of asking your clients to leave you a review and a rating so that you can create a good name for yourself, you can as well leave a review for your client. Positive reviews are very important, and they will build confidence in other prospective clients in the future.
6. Join Digital Communities
If you’re an independent contractor or a freelancer, it’s good to consider joining as many digital communities as you can that are in line with the services that you offer.
These communities give you a great opportunity to interact with other people in the industry who can give you a warm lead to a job opportunity or even give you advice.
Check for communities or groups that specialize in Virtual Assistant jobs and join them. They will help you in getting projects. Most of these communities post job opportunities with the hashtag #jobopp.
Once you spot a job post, do not hesitate to send your applications, you never know where your luck is.
7. Create a Facebook Page or a Website
Having your website as a Virtual Assistant has a great impact on your VA business, as this can drive web traffic to your site, which increases the chances of clients finding and hiring you. You can create a website that has a portfolio page where you can showcase your skills and previous work, work rates or packages, professional references, and a contact page.
Once a client spots all these on your website, there’s a very high chance of getting hired. So, you need to have a strong presence online.
Since creating a website requires resources, you can also consider creating a Facebook page, which can serve the same purpose as a website.
8. Ask for Referrals from your Professional Network
If you have a large professional network, it can increase your chances of getting Virtual Assistant jobs. You can ask people in your professional network if they know anyone looking for a Virtual Assistant. You can request them to refer you to a potential client. Referrals work so well since there’s trust built amongst the professional network.
You can as well consider attending networking events to grow your network.
9. Apply to a Virtual Assistant Job Agency
Some organizations and companies outsource their VA jobs to agencies. These agencies can hire many Virtual Assistants and provide them with long-term and reliable work. You can do research on the best Virtual Assistants job agencies through their websites and then send them your resume.
In case they are hiring, they will revert with the recruitment process.
Conclusion
A virtual assistant may work anywhere, with no requirements as to what type of personal computer you own. The number and types of things a virtual assistant can do can vary widely. In addition to your work location, having a personal computer with internet connections and headphones is relatively important.
If you’re passionate enough to work online, being a full-time Virtual Assistant can earn you a decent online income.
