Becoming a Virtual Assistant with Zero Experience

Becoming a virtual assistant can give you the freedom that you may have been looking for. It gives you the flexibility to work around your lifestyle, choose who you want to work with, and what kind of tasks you would take on. 

Leaving your 9-to-5 job behind and heading down the virtual assistant route may seem exciting but a lot of preparation is required beforehand. Although it may seem intimidating, you can make this transition smooth by following some simple steps. 

Research 

Before you dive in head first into the world of virtual assisting do your research! Doing some research on particular aspects of being a virtual assistant will help you get clear on whether or not being a VA is for you. Virtual work is very different from the traditional workplace and there are many considerations that go along with it.

Some things that you should look for in your research include:

• What being a virtual assistant actually looks like
• How to get started
• What services a VA can offer
• How to go about getting clients
• Different forms of employment for VAs (Company Employee vs. Independent Contractor)

Facebook is a great place to get started with your research!  There are many Facebook groups for VAs that have a great community of virtual assistants that are always willing to help.  Join a few groups and use the #ask for any questions you may have relating to your new VA journey!

Choose Your Services

After you’ve decided that being a VA is for you, you’ll have to decide what you want to offer your clients!  There are many services a VA can offer ranging from administrative, bookkeeping, social media, podcasts, and public relations.

When you’re choosing what services you’ll offer as a virtual assistant, start by thinking about what skills you already have. If you’re a great writer you can offer copywriting services or if you have some customer service experience from previous jobs, you can offer that virtually!

Another thing to consider is what you’re interested in learning. After you’ve done your research, think about which services you don’t have much experience in but would like to offer your clients. The great thing about being a VA is that you can always learn new skills to offer to your clients! There are thousands of online courses at different price points to help you learn in-demand skills for virtual assistants. Udemy offers a wide variety of very specific courses for a low cost while there are full virtual assisting courses that will teach you a number of skills that can go for hundred of dollars.

Take on Small Gigs

Like in any field, with little to no experience it may be difficult to get started. 

Luckily, there are many ways to gain experience in exchange for “social proof” through testimonials and portfolio pieces. 

These smaller gigs will also help you gain the confidence and experience to take on clients and get your organization systems in place for when you’re taking on multiple clients. 

Some places to find small gigs include:

• Facebook Groups! Find some short-term or project based opportunities or offer up your services for a short term!
• Ask people you know if they need some assistance with whatever services you’re offering for a short amount of time
• Websites like Fiverr or Upwork!

 

Like anything, when you first get started as a virtual assistant,  it takes quite a bit of work. Luckily, getting started is always the hardest part. Once you’ve done your due diligence with research and small gigs, you should be working as a VA in no time!