How To Become A Virtual Assistant In 2024

Learning to become a virtual assistant is among the easiest freelance roles available, with thousands of jobs you can apply for.

As a virtual assistant, all you'll need is a laptop, a strong internet connection, and the ability to perform a range of administrative tasks to deadlines.

In this guide, we'll explain the entire process of becoming a virtual assistant, from marshaling the best tools and skills to marketing your skills to attract the best clients.

What Is A Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who offers a range of administrative services for their clients to help them manage their tasks.

Working closely with either an individual, a solopreneur, or an organization in general, virtual assistants perform the role from a remote location.

This makes it a great freelance position for people who want relative flexibility in their daily schedules, provided they complete assigned work to a deadline.

It's also a role that doesn't require extensive training and experience, making it a popular entry-level job to take up on a freelance basis.

What Does A Virtual Assistant Do?

Before you decide to make money as a virtual assistant, it's important to clearly understand what you'll be expected to do when you accept the role.

Typically working alongside management, virtual assistants help schedule important meetings, deal with clients, and other project management tasks.

In addition to administrative tasks, a virtual assistant can also be expected to assist with creative projects and marketing initiatives and enhance their social media presence.

An understanding of the customer experience and strong interpersonal skills are also highly recommended if you're hoping to find virtual assistant jobs.

How Much Do VAs Make?

As with most jobs, the amount of money you can expect to make if you take on a virtual assistant job can vary depending on several factors.

Your level of prior experience and the range of skills you offer can significantly increase the base salary you can ask from potential clients.

At the same time, the client's requirements will impact your income, with a small business owner less likely to pay high hourly rates than a multinational corporation.

By taking advantage of the many time management tips for virtual assistants, you can speed up your workflow and make extra money by accomplishing your tasks sooner.

Where To Find Virtual Assistant Jobs

Once you've decided to find virtual assistant jobs, you need to research the best virtual assistant services to use to fire out applications to clients.

Several services are dedicated explicitly to placing virtual assistants in roles, with Fancy Hands, Time etc, and Prialto recommended by Forbes.

There are also several great online job boards where thousands of positions are listed, with Fiverr and Upwork two of the most commonly used for virtual assistant jobs.

The best one for you will largely depend on your experience and work history, with Fiverr great for beginners and Upwork geared toward more seasoned freelancers.

How To Become A Virtual Assistant In 2024 (Step-By-Step)

Beginning a virtual assistant career can be highly competitive, but with thousands of companies eager to hire virtual assistants, it's also full of great potential.

We've ensured this guide will help you hone your virtual assistant skills to meet the needs of potential clients and create opportunities for many virtual assistant jobs.

So, now that we've explained our criteria, here's how to become a virtual assistant in 2024:

Step 1: Determine Your Services

Working as a virtual assistant is one of the easiest Fiverr jobs for beginners, but before you can post gigs, you'll need to be clear about your services.

Start by listing all of the skills you've accumulated throughout your professional career and any side projects you've worked on over the years.

Any software you have a strong familiarity with should be included in the list, whether it's basic tools such as Microsoft Office or niche software for managing calendars.

Likewise, you should include anything you're especially good at, as these can serve as a foundation for expanding your virtual assistant talent stack in the future.

Ultimately, you need to be clear on what value you plan on bringing to the table should you be hired as a virtual assistant and how this makes your services unique.

Step 2: Invest In Quality Technology

Virtual assistants spend a great deal of time on their computers, so the first thing you'll need is a great laptop or PC.

This should be powerful enough to run any software your clients expect you to use and come with a healthy internet connection for consistent work.

Investing money in a good smartphone or tablet is also worthwhile since virtual assistants can often be expected to respond quickly to their client's requirements.

This will allow you to perform your virtual assistant job at the drop of a hat, answering emails and phone calls while you're away from your home office.

Likewise, you can use these portable devices to clear some of your more mundane tasks while relaxing with your partner or family in the evening.

Step 3: Install The Necessary Software

As a virtual assistant, you'll be expected to have some knowledge of a range of programs for managing calendars and communicating with clients.

You may also be required to install software for specific tasks for your clients, from data entry to managing file-sharing platforms.

There are many excellent tools for freelancers you can access to improve your workflow and processes, many of which can be accessed for free.

These include reliable password managers to help you keep up with your various accounts for programs and the client's social media presence.

If you're managing a website, you'll also need image editing software for content creation and access to services such as Google Workspace.

Once you've been successful in an application for a virtual assistant role, the client will provide you with a list of any required software to use when collaborating with them.

Step 4: Develop Relevant Skills

While becoming a virtual assistant is a great way to make money on Upwork, you'll still need a few core skills to make your services appealing to potential clients.

Basic skills expected from a virtual assistant include the ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing, with a keen grasp of spelling and grammar rules.

Despite the misconception that virtual assistants are primarily charged with handling tedious administrative tasks, the role can be more varied.

If you know how to create logos and other branding assets, you might be asked to help with marketing campaigns on social media and elsewhere.

This could also include writing, scheduling, and monitoring the performance of blog posts used to drive search engine optimization online.

A general disposition toward being highly organized is also a must since you'll be liaising with your client's customers on a regular basis.

The more of these skills you can develop, the better since virtual assistants with an extensive skill stack are in a position to demand much better-paying jobs.

Step 5: Research Potential Clients

With thousands of virtual assistant jobs listed across many platforms, it can be a minefield to grasp what different clients expect from the role.

By researching clients and reading their requirements and expectations, you can further refine your offered services and choose the best online courses for skills.

At the same time, your skill set will dictate which clients you should consider applying for and the best job boards and online services to focus on.

As such, weigh up the pros and cons of platforms such as Upwork vs Fiverr to see which has the most relevant virtual assistant jobs available.

While some job listing boards are designed for entry-level virtual assistant positions, others will focus on posting roles for established virtual assistants.

Additionally, some clients have very different expectations from others, for example, hiring a virtual assistant with prior experience in their respective industry.

Virtual assistants with this niche industry experience can consider marketing their services based on this factor rather than taking a general approach.

Step 6: Establish Your Prices

With a virtual assistant job ranked among the best Fiverr gigs to make money, there's enormous potential for ongoing work with high-quality clients.

At the same time, the amount of money you can earn working as a virtual assistant will vary wildly depending on your previous experience and skills.

Newcomers may find they have to start out taking virtual assistant jobs that pay basic hourly rates as they establish a reputation and work history.

If that's the case, you may find yourself competing with other entry-level virtual assistants on platforms such as Fiverr before moving to better-paying jobs.

On the other hand, a good virtual assistant with years of experience under their belt can instantly apply for more high-demand positions from the get-go.

If you're setting up your own VA business, this can also make it much easier to bring your previous reputation to bear and immediately reach out to the best possible clients.

As your skills and experience develop, you should continually evaluate your services to ensure your pricing reflects your progress and new skills learned.

Step 7: Build A Strong Portfolio

With your particular set of skills determined and a rate of acceptable payment established, it's time to work on a portfolio to use to attract your clients.

A strong portfolio is usually the first port of call for a client, and as such, it should be a thorough representation of your talent stack and services.

Take the time to research how to build a successful freelancer portfolio so it covers all the core information in an eye-catching way to potential clients.

Any previous project management roles you've had should be placed front and center, as well as other examples of high-profile projects you've assisted on.

If you've worked as a secretary of other administrative support roles for a brick-and-mortar establishment, include these positions in your portfolio as well.

People with prior experience working as freelance virtual assistants can also include any positive reviews they've received from clients on job listing platforms.

Your portfolio should also be visually attractive, breaking up any walls of text with infographics and other images that keep the reader's attention.

You can use a website builder template to help get your portfolio website up and running, with free tools such as Canva available for simple graphic design tasks.

Step 8: Look For Virtual Assistant Jobs

With your portfolio website up and running and a clear grasp of your services and work experience, it's time to start looking for virtual assistant jobs.

We've touched on Fiverr and Upwork as two leading platforms where clients look for suitable freelancers to fill the role and meet their requirements.

There are also additional platforms used by clients to track down virtual assistants, with FlexJobs another example of a platform with a great reputation.

This website has over 5,000 businesses that use its services, with thousands of jobs listed at a given time, including plenty of virtual assistant roles.

Other examples of popular sites that post virtual assistant jobs include Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, and We Work Remotely.

You can also head over to LinkedIn and use this website to approach specific companies directly, with many businesses having a presence on this platform.

Online forums such as Facebook groups, Reddit, and other business-related platforms are also worth considering when looking for your first client.

In addition to submitting your resume when applying for these roles, you should include a link to your portfolio website to showcase your services in more detail.

Aim to be responsive to any requests for additional information from potential clients, as this will show you're capable of acting in a timely manner when dealing with issues.

Step 9: Market Your VA Services

Virtual assistant jobs can be found on the aforementioned job listing platforms, but many virtual assistants also take a more proactive approach to their services.

As such, you should take the time to market your virtual assistant services beyond these job boards to further increase your chances of getting hired.

You can use your social media presence to connect with any relevant professionals you've worked with to discover more clients and opportunities.

If you have the funds, consider spending some money on a targeted ad campaign on websites like Facebook to reach new clients who may otherwise be unaware of you.

Your portfolio is a crucial asset in your promotional tools, so research the best freelancer website templates to make yours as competitive as possible.

Sharing this far and wide is a surefire way to maximize your reach and find virtual assistant jobs in places your competitors may have overlooked.

You don't need to spend a fortune to market your virtual assistant services; the process will also help with the next step of continually networking.

Step 10: Network, Network, Network

One of the main advantages of working as a virtual assistant is the many opportunities you get to interact with other businesses and potential clients.

Whether conducting email marketing campaigns or making travel arrangements, the role will constantly expect you to expand your potential network.

As such, you should incorporate an ethos of networking into your daily activities, building a list of people who can help develop your career.

This can be simply engaging with your client's customers and forging healthy and respectful relationships that open up new avenues to explore.

It can also involve fostering conversations with clients on social media platforms and opening up new prospects for people looking for VA services.

As you gain experience over time and transform your services into a full-time job, you can adopt the lead generation approach to your own advantage.

The more online businesses you have a relationship with, the easier your chances are of being promoted to a high-paying role as an executive assistant.

It's an ongoing process that allows you to strengthen your network over time and lead to new clients and opportunities that will help your income to rise significantly.

Summary

So, that's everything you need to know about becoming a virtual assistant by creating a striking portfolio and honing the necessary skills to succeed in your work.

As you gather more experience by working with multiple clients, you can move on to higher-paying virtual assistant jobs with reputable organizations worldwide.

It's a great way to set up your own business as a freelancer and expand your revenue stream while working from the comfort of your own home.