What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant (or VA) has the same role as an administrative support worker, but they do it from afar. Virtual assistant services are popular with start-up companies who may not have enough work for full-time administrative team members, large companies who are looking to outsource roles in order to save money or business owners who just need business services but not a personal assistant.
Why should I be a VA?
Virtual assistant jobs mean you get all the benefits of being an administrative assistant with more flexibility. You could live in Melbourne but work for clients in Sydney NSW, Adelaide SA, South Yarra VIC, and Rockhampton QLD – all while sitting at home in your lounge room! Plus, since you have control over the number of clients and the amount of work you want to, depending on how many years experience you have, you can charge an hourly rate that suits you. You can work part-time or full time, exclusively for a particular industry like real estate or project management, and across any timezone.
To work as a virtual assistant you would benefit from a number of skills, including:
- Communication skills
- An understanding of computers and IT
- Experience as an administrative assistant or executive assistant
- Knowledge of different laws in different states for any specialities, i.e. NSW may have different requirements for listing houses as what QLD does
- Extremely high levels of organisations
- The ability to self motivate
How will a course help?
A virtual assistant needs a range of skills, just as any admin assistant needs many skills. As such, there are both administration courses you can do as well as specialised areas that you can complete a short course in. Courses that could be beneficial to an Australian VA include:
- Virtual Assistant Startup Program
- Social Media Certificate
- Certificate IV in New Small Business
- Digital Marketing Strategy
- Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing
Understanding concepts like E-commerce as well as understanding the nuances of different programs, including Chatbot, Google and Linkedin, all make a difference to the abilities of an administrative assistant, so there’s always heaps of ways to improve and make yourself more employable – and with so many online courses available, it’s never been easier!
So if you think you could be a virtual assistant, get started on your future by browsing courses today!