Virtual assistants are fast becoming one of the most sought-after jobs that you can work from home. Thanks to sites like Upwork, People Who Code and Virtual Vocations, there’s never been more opportunity for home-based workers to find remote gigs as virtual assistants. As a virtual assistant (VA), you’ll perform tasks on behalf of another professional—usually in an industry different from your own.
It’s a partnership that can be very beneficial for both parties. You get access to new career opportunities with companies that wouldn’t hire you as their permanent employee. And they get affordable support without having to hire someone full-time or pay a contractor through an agency. In this blog post, we explore some of the top virtual assistant jobs and give you actionable advice on how to break into this growing field as a teleworker.
What is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant is a person who offers administrative and business support remotely. This could include tasks like managing social media accounts, creating and sending emails, scheduling appointments and phone calls, creating spreadsheets and marketing materials, and administrative tasks like data entry.
Virtual assistants work for different clients and have different job titles. It’s a growing field that has many different sub-specialties like marketing, social media management, healthcare administration and more. You could work as a generalist and perform a variety of tasks for different clients. Or you could specialize in one area, like social media management, and find clients that need help with that particular task.
Finding Work as a Virtual Assistant
When looking for virtual assistant jobs, the best place to start is with a general search on sites like Upwork, People Who Code, and Virtual Vocations. The first step in your search for a virtual assistant job is to create a profile. This should include a detailed description of what you can do for clients, links to your social media accounts, examples of your work, and your education and experience level.
The next step is to search for open jobs that match your experience and skill set. You can do this by searching for keywords related to the types of work you’re looking for (e.g. “social media marketing”, “social media management”, “marketing”, “virtual assistant”). There are a few things you want to look out for in an open job posting:
Typing Jobs
Typing jobs are the most common type of virtual assistant job. If you’re a fast and accurate typist, you can find a lot of work transcribing recordings—everything from podcasts and online seminars to interviews and legal hearings. If you have a good ear for transcription, you can also transcribe audio for people who are deaf or have a hard time hearing.
Other typing jobs involve writing content for blogs and websites, creating newsletters, and performing other general administrative tasks like data entry, proofreading documents, and creating spreadsheets.
Research Jobs
Research is one of the most in-demand skills for virtual assistants. If you have experience in an industry, you can use that knowledge to research and compile information for a client’s blog posts. Or you can work with a marketing expert to find data, trends, and statistics to help shape marketing strategies.
Many companies that use virtual assistants also outsource data entry and administrative tasks. If you have experience with data entry, you can look for jobs that require you to enter data into a spreadsheet or database. You can also work with clients on administrative tasks like organizing a conference, booking travel, and setting up meetings.
Advertising and Marketing Jobs
If you have experience in advertising and marketing, you can find work helping brands and companies plan their marketing strategies and campaigns. This can include advising companies on where to advertise, creating marketing materials, managing social media accounts, and creating email and SMS marketing campaigns.
You can also help companies with digital marketing services like paid ads, SEO, PPC, email marketing, digital analytics, and website conversion optimization.
Transcription Jobs
Transcription jobs are similar to typing jobs in that you have to listen closely to audio recordings and transcribe them word for word. The difference is that you transcribe audio files that were recorded for legal and medical purposes. If you’re a fast, accurate typist, you can find transcription work on popular sites like Upwork and Virtual Vocations. You can also look for transcription jobs on Craigslist and social media groups that specialize in the field.
Video Editing and Animation Jobs
Video editing and animation are highly specialized fields that require a lot of experience to break into. With practice and the right training, you can break into these fields as a virtual assistant. There are a few online courses you can take to get started. Once you have a few years of experience under your belt, you can start to apply for work on Upwork and Virtual Vocations.
Conclusion
Virtual assistants perform administrative tasks for other businesses and individuals. To find work as a virtual assistant, you’ll need to create a profile and search for open job postings on freelance websites like Upwork and Virtual Vocations.
To stand out from the crowd, include links to your social media accounts and examples of your work, and make sure your profile is tailored to the type of work you’re looking for. When you find work, make sure that your employer respects your schedule. Working remotely can be challenging, but with the right attitude and skills, you can turn it into a rewarding career.
