As the world changes as we know it, technology brings revolutionary advancements and also makes it easier for even the most average of men to make a living. Here at MMO, we don’t just show you quick snappy ways to get connected to some funds, we also show you how you can make a career or profession out of your skills/passion.
For today’s article, we will be exploring one of the most popular means digitally one can earn and work from home. Now, unlike the previous other means we have shown, this one requires time, patience, skills and the undying love for learning. This is because, this part comes with helping people and if you play your cards right, you will be helping influential people.
We all know how the corporate world transformed from huge amounts of paperwork into using telephones and inventing things, well in the work field, the men and women went from one name to the other. Secretary being one of them. However, the times changed, and we now have new names for them - Personal Assistants or P.A for short. These men or women work directly with big names to make life easier for them. Carrying handbags, booking flights, making presentations, pressing suits, you name it. Their job is to make life easier for their boss.
Now, there is an even fancier name with an even fancier job description for people in this field. This is all thanks to technology. We still have Secretaries and Personal Assistants all around the globe but these guys are “kick-ass” because not only do they operate and oversee an operation with our wise old friend, technology, they do it from the comfort of their homes. We call these ones the Virtual Assistants or V.A for short.
From the name “Virtual”, it is already explanatory who they are and what they do but still, we will explain in simpler terms.
Who is a V.A?
A V.A is a helper who works from home to do tasks for businesses or individuals. They can help with things like paperwork, writing, and computer work.
What does a V.A do?
Virtual Assistants help people by doing many tasks. They can schedule meetings, send emails, manage projects, and even book travel. They can also do things like research information, create documents, and manage social media accounts. Some Virtual assistants specialise in certain areas, like legal work or event planning.
The V.A Role
The role of a V.A requires you to have certain kinds of skills and also to grow and develop new ones. Choosing to work as a V.A means you are undoubtedly ready and willing to listen, observe and learn. A V.A’s role is to make the work easier on their team or individual, which means they would need to be teachable and have a knack for trying new things or systems.
We say this because while Boss A might like a particular system, Boss B might be averse to it. So a V.A needs to be flexible and patient with their clients, bearing in mind that these are individuals with their own preferences.
To be suitable for the role of a Virtual Assistant, you need to have two kinds of skills:
- Soft Skills
- Technical skills
Soft Skills
These are attributes that make a person a good worker. They are special skills that help you do your job well and these skills include being reliable, communication, and grit.
Technical Skills
This is the knowledge on special tools that can help you do a specific job. Think of them as the know-how and abilities to get things done efficiently. These skills are often easy to measure and also improve by learning new things and practicing them regularly.
Then we have tools. In a nutshell, these refer to special apps that use artificial intelligence to help you do specific things. They are like helpful assistants that make tasks easier. Let us look at a table of some of these things a VA should know how to do, skills they should have and tools they should be educated on:
| Soft Skill | Technical Skill | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Grit/Resilience | Internet Research | Ms Powerpoint/Google slides |
| Communication | Travel Research/booking | Ms Excel/Google Sheets |
| Time management | Creating presentations | Ms Word/ Google Docs |
| Confidentiality | Transcribing | Google Drive |
| Growth mindset | Scheduling (Calendar) | Google Meet/ Zoom/ Teams |
| Proactivity | Project management | Trello |
| Emotional Intelligence | Expense tracking | Ms Forms/Google Forms |
| Adaptability | Taking notes/minutes | etc… |
| Problem solving | Client email inbox management | |
| etc… | etc… |
These are only a fraction of all a VA can be, know and control. As the world changes, you can educate yourself on effective ways to carry out your work better. This is why the growth mindset is an important skill in the world of a VA. You must be willing to learn and embrace change if need be. If you are not a fan of change and steep learning curves, this might not be the profession for you.
How can I get started?
To get started in the world of VA, we advise first brushing up on the skills that are important. At least, have the basics in mind and then grow from there. To do that, you can enroll in free course programs like ALX or Coursera or you can just leverage YouTube. However, enrolling in courses ensures you apply discipline which is also a requirement for your ability to keep any job.
Free Courses are not guaranteed to give you all the boost you need to land that job, but like every education in the world, it will give you the platform you need to learn and then hone and polish your skills for the greater good.
If you have enrolled in courses and have completed them or on the way and still do not know how to begin, then you should check out the following websites:
- Upwork
- Belay
- Fiverr
- Toptal
Like every website, they will have standard procedures for signing up and making applications. Remember that you will need patience when going into this field.
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