Top 5 Qualities of a Successful Virtual Assistant
One of the most popular work-from-home jobs is virtual assistance. A Virtual Assistant or a VA is someone who provides administrative, technical or creative support to clients remotely. One can be a VA to a business or client from any industry. Coaches, speakers and even authors have been known to hire personal virtual assistants too.
Typical tasks of a Virtual Assistant may vary depending on the industry or business. This includes taking calls, chat or email management for customer support. Others are assigned to do research and data entry. Some VAs are tasked to handle social media management, email marketing, and relationship building while others become VAs for real estate and e-commerce businesses.
Some engagements are long-term and full time while others hire VAs on a short-term, fixed project or part-time basis. In a nutshell, Virtual Assistance is a very diverse service, has a lot of scope and variables. Thus, this job is not easy and may not be for everyone.
Here are the Top 5 Qualities of a Successful Virtual Assistant:
- Reliable – One of the most important traits of a successful VA is being reliable. Clients hire their VAs because they no longer have the time to complete or do the tasks. They need someone whom they can rely on to finish the tasks or project even without close supervision. A successful VA is someone that they can trust to go online on schedule or submit a project on time. After all, one cannot do anything (since everything is done remotely) in case the VA decides to just disappear and not show up.
- Independent – Without the regular corporate set-up and co-workers, a successful VA must know how to become independent and complete tasks on his/ her own. Most of the time, you really do not have someone whom you can ask questions or assistance.
- Self- Motivated – Working at home has a lot of its perks. This includes that you can stay in your bedroom while working or have access to TV and other comforts of the home. In reality, this gives individuals more reasons to slack off or be lazy. Thus, successful VAs need to be self-motivated to work efficiently and to be punctual.
- Resourceful – Given that virtual assistance is very diverse, a successful VA must learn to become resourceful. Tasks may vary from time to time and some of the tasks may not be even part of one’s expertise. With the advancements in digital technology, everything can be found online. Consider search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing as your best friends. Also, there are a lot of user- friendly tool tools and applications that one can use to work more efficiently.
- Solution-Oriented – Successful VAs become the solution to their client’s problem. Be someone who is an asset to the business and not a liability. Most clients do not really look at the number of hours spent by the VA working. Instead, they look at the results and output of their assistants to check if concerns and tasks are completed. It is never about the quantity but most of the time, it is the quality of work that is important.
Aside from all of these qualities, it is also very important for virtual assistants to love his client’s business just like his own. It is the key to your success and happiness in this chosen career. So, are you ready to become a Virtual Assistant?
About the author
Clarice is a Virtual Assistant, Start-up Entrepreneur, Career Coach, and Animal Welfare Advocate. She currently writes about events, working from home, pets and other lifestyle tips. Follow Clarice on her blog, www.mymetrolifestyle.online.
The five qualities you mentioned are must for any kind of work. But the quality that you mentioned: it is also very important for virtual assistants to love his client’s business just like his own. – is the most important one and a vital qualifying factor. This is now hot topic for all businesses.
It is true, as a VA, you have to be reliable and flexible and you also have to be willing to learn. I tried it once and I felt like I was constantly trying to learn things depending on what the client needed. It did teach me to become more resourceful!
Wow, I think this one is really timely. I have just started my career online as VA, and I must say that it wasn’t really that easy. Anyway, thank you so much for elucidating more about the VA in general and even sharing the qualities of a VA to be successful in his or her field as a VA. I truly need this and will surely share this with my VA friend as well. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
I’m not a VA but I completely agree with you that these are all very good qualities to have if you are one. In fact, these qualities should be the top qualities that a VA possesses. As a VA, I know that you have to work from home most, if not all of the time. So you need to be responsible enough to manage your work load and time well, and also be independent since you are basically on your own without someone having to micromanage you all the time. Great post!
These are truly the must have qualities for a virtual assistant.So the client will come back for another order or hire for a long term contract.I’ve worked with few VAs for different projects.Most of the VAs are professional and I still go back to them for different work I need online.
ive tried being a virtual assistant for a day and it could be real time-consuming. i was tasked to finish social media thread engagements and it almost ate my whole day. i agree though that one should be real reliable as another person depends a lot on you. being innovative and resourceful are needed characters as well and so does having the initiative and motivation.
Before, I thought it’s just easy to be a VA but when my sister had her time of work there, I didn’t know it composed of such qualities. I think I started with the wrong thinking of what VAs usually do. I actually thought I can work as a VA with a day job and a baby. I didn’t even managed to try it.
I have to agree. A VA is not just merely an assistant but a creative person as well. Why? It’s because their job may revolve around so many things and facets that may be really out of their league and they still try to do it. Also, I agree with Indrani that it’s not just for VA but for every kind of work that is out there. We do not stop at what we have yet we continue learning and evolving. If we don’t, we’ll just get left behind without anything at all.
As a freelance project manager and editor, I can definitely say that reliability is of major importance when I hire a VA. People that don’t turn up, turn up late, who can’t manage their workload, and who just don’t do their jobs properly drive me insane. It costs me time and money. A reliable VA is worth their weight in gold – and are crucial for many projects.
I agree with all those points. And yes above all its loving his/her client’s business just like his own goes a long way. I’ve been meaning to try my hands on this job but as of the moment i am occupied with so many things that im afraid i might loose focus.
Did not know that being a Virtual Assistant is the in thing these days. How has been your experience as a VA? Has it been fulfilling professionally?