With the rapid progress of the internet, there are exciting online work opportunities for employees. Being a Virtual Assistant (VA) is one of them. It is one of the fastest growing work verticals. Which is no surprise. The profile offers some irresistible perks to digital workers. These include flexible hours, better work-life balance, and the freedom to work from anywhere. Provided you have a stable internet connection.
Anyone can become a Virtual Assistant. But succeeding in the job requires some special skill sets. The best part is the skills are not difficult to master.
We have the 3 most important skills you need to become a successful VA.
Select A Suitable Work Environment
The biggest perk of being a VA is that you can work from the comfort of your own home. Or just about anywhere. That’s why you need a suitable environment to boost your productivity.
Quiet and comfort; these two are of the utmost importance when you set yup your workplace. If you work from home, earmark a separate space. This will help you focus only on the tasks at hand.
Once you have selected your space, choose the gadgets and accessories that you will require. These could include: headphone or speaker, sticky notes, paper, an additional screen, table lamp, or task light. We also recommend a standing desk, if that suits you.
The space you earmark for work needs to be clean and organised. This will help you stay more productive.
Time Management And Organisation
Once you start work as a VA, there are two critical skills to master. Time management and organisation. The reason being that you will handle a variety of tasks – from email management to data entry, and project management. To succeed, you will have to prioritise tasks. Start with the most important, or the most challenging, and work your way through the rest.
Here are two examples you can try:
- Instead of multitasking, group tasks accordingly and work them in batches.
- Rather than switch from your inbox to your Excel sheet, dedicate time for each task. Spend an hour answering emails before you go back to data entry. You can then check your mails again after a couple of hours.
Be The Dependable Assistant
Be an assistant that your client can absolutely depend on. Unlike a traditional office, the client will not check up on you. Neither will they see what you are dong with your time. The only benchmark they have is your work output. Use that to build your reputation and dependability.
Becoming a dependable VA is not too difficult. The first thing you will have to do is complete tasks on or before the deadline. Ensure that you are on top of your work. Rather than buried below it. There are productivity tools and apps that can help in keeping track of your tasks. Most companies that employ VAs utilise employee time and attendance systems. You can use these systems to improve your own productivity and progress.