Tips to be the
greatest VA
Virtual assistance is one of the fastest-growing professions today. Working as a full-time virtual assistant has many advantages, from flexible hours to work-life balance.
The trend toward working from home has been growing steadily over the past decade, with more and more workers opting to full- or part-time telecommunicating.
Companies recognize the advantages of remote work, and many are looking to adopt a hybrid model of remote and office-based work. This shift will not only bring more flexibility to employees but also provide significant cost savings for companies. In addition, the advantages of working from home are endless – from a better work-life balance to higher levels of convenience and productivity– making it a great future option for both employers and employees.
However, to be successful in this career requires a high level of professionalism, ethics, and responsibility. You must be able to work independently, be proficient in time management, stay organized, and think critically and creatively.
If you want to become a great virtual assistant, be sure to follow the steps below:
Set up a Suitable
Work Environment
The best thing about being a VA is that you will work from home or practically wherever you want. If you work from home most of the time, you need a suitable workspace.
Ideally, you should set up your work area in a quiet, comfortable place in your home. If a home office is not possible, you may be able to set it up in a corner of your living room or bedroom.
Next, make a list of all the equipment you need to do your work. In addition to the computer, you will most likely need headphones or speakers, sticky notes, paper, an extra screen, a desk lamp or work light, etc. A good and secure Internet connection is a must, and having a battery or backup power supply is a great advantage.
A quiet, clean, bright, and organized environment is essential to concentrate on your work in depth and remain productive.
Understand your work Priorities
Identifying the highest priority tasks in your job is not always easy. You may be assigned multiple tasks by your boss, his boss, and a couple of project managers who insist that they all need to be done immediately. Establishing task priority levels can keep you from feeling overwhelmed by constant demands to finish half a dozen tasks as quickly as possible.
To identify your priority tasks, make a list of everything you have to do. Rank the most important and urgent tasks and focus on those first. Base your priorities not only on what you consider important but also on what your executive/client considers important to his business.
Manage tasks like a pro
Time management and organization are two fundamental skills that a virtual assistant must cultivate. As a VA, you’ll have to handle a variety of tasks, from email management to data entry to project management. To make sure you don’t miss anything, you have to create a strategy and learn to prioritize tasks.
For example, instead of multitasking, group them accordingly and work in batches. Also keep in mind that the more organized you can be yourself, the more you will be able to manage your own workload and prioritize your own tasks.
Instead of going from inbox to Excel sheet trying to answer and record data simultaneously, dedicate time to each task and focus on it avoiding moving on to something else, when you exercise timing, respecting the amount of time assigned for each task you will work more efficiently, as much as start times are important, stop times are even more. So make a plan to complete tasks in a set period of time.
When it comes to multitasking having a secondary screen is always an advantage.
Pay attention to Details
Since you will be working on your own, with little supervision and instruction from your client, you will need to be very attentive to details in order to thrive in this role. Attention to detail is a person’s ability to ensure thoroughness and accuracy in completing tasks, no matter how small or large.
Mistakes can cost clients money and ruin reputations. Whether it’s a minor typo or missing information in an email, it can cause disappointment and frustration for your clients.
That’s why it is crucial that you pay attention when receive training so that you don’t miss any little details, because sometimes those little things can be the difference between excellent or bad assistance.
Be ready to handle
challenges well
Even if you work from the comfort of your home, that doesn’t mean you won’t ever feel pressured or stressed as a VA, this is something natural and impossible to avoid, in fact, you likely to face challenges throughout your career, even while searching for a job, starting a new role or receiving a promotion. Fortunately, there are methods and strategies you can put in place to overcome almost any obstacle, such as
Staying positive.
Admit when you need help.
Consider all aspects of the challenge and think of possible solutions.
Set small goals rather than trying to do everything at once.
Maintain open and transparent communication with your Executive.
