There comes a point in your career when you want to achieve a good balance between earning money and enjoying your life. Becoming a virtual assistant (or VA) is the perfect way to escape the 9 to 5 grind and build your own freedom. But the transition from an office job won’t be easy.

Saying goodbye to free air conditioning and water cooler chat is easy enough to adjust to, but you also have to deal with a few challenges like:

• Finding an offshore assistant employer when you have zero remote work experience.
• Matching your previous income when you’re still a work-from-home newbie.
• Navigating new online platforms (and the learning curve that comes with them).
• Competing with many qualified (and experienced) professionals.

Despite all these, it is still possible to become a remote virtual assistant even without any experience.

How? Read on.

Know what you’re good at

Begin by picking a niche (e.g. writing, proofreading, transcribing). Identifying your core skills will enable you to leverage them as strengths whenever you pitch your services. Make sure these are tasks you enjoy doing as you’ll likely be doing them a lot from here on out.

Here are some of the skills you can consider specializing in:

• Social media marketing
• General administrative tasks
• Web development and support
• Search engine optimisation
• Bookkeeping and accounting
• Internet research
• Data entry
• Email management
• Travel planning
• Calendar management
• WordPress blogging
• Shopify e-commerce
• Real estate marketing
• Article writing
• Graphics design
• Video editing
• Medical transcription
• Book publishing
• Lead generation
• Project management

Once you’ve settled on a niche, it’ll be easier to search for jobs to apply for. You’ll be able to establish yourself as an expert and appeal to the right kind of clients.

Familiarise yourself with tools of the trade

As an aspiring remote virtual assistant, you’ll find that there is plenty of software and applications to help you stay organised and increase your productivity. Learn how to use them so you can present yourself as an asset to potential clients.

Common tools used by remote workers may include:

• QuickBooks
• Asana
• Trello
• Dropbox
• Grammarly
• Copyscape
• Lastpass
• Skype
• G Suite
• Microsoft Excel
• WordPress
• Timeproof
• Canva
• Buffer
• Buzzstream

There are tutorials on YouTube that you can easily follow. If not, you can choose to sign up for free or paid courses on using these apps. Lynda.com has an extensive selection of training materials worth considering, for instance.

Determine your availability

Ask yourself if you’d like to work full-time or be a part-time virtual assistant. Some part-time positions allow you to work only 4 to 6 hours a day which might be more to your taste than an 8-hour shift.

If you’re fortunate enough, you might land a job that computes hours on a weekly basis, e.g. 20 hours/week then it’s up to you how you’ll divide your time.

Also, figure out what your preferred working hours are across different time zones. Online remote staffing employers are often located across the globe. This means that you’ll likely have to start work in the evening and end your shift in the morning the next day.

You’ll want to think about how flexible you’re willing to be as well. A client may request that you work during Philippine holidays and be off during their local holidays instead. They might want you to log in for overtime during weekends too. It’s good to think about these possibilities before you apply.

Prepare the necessary equipment

Unlike in an office where you’ll be provided with the right tools to get the job done, you’ll have to prepare your own workstation if you want to work from home. We’re not only talking about air conditioning or a quiet space either.

There’s no need to buy new gear when you have a perfectly functioning laptop and headset though. It’s important to note that a webcam is a common requirement for virtual assistant recruitment, so you’ll have to make that investment early on. You can just upgrade later when you have the funds or if you feel you need to.

When you’re all set with the physical equipment, you need to make arrangements for your internet connection next. Stability is essential, so a wired broadband or DSL plan is recommended.

A pocket Wi-Fi device or mobile data package is nice to have as backup for occasional connection issues that are prevalent in the Philippines.

Create a professional resume and profile

For a newbie remote assistant, this spells the difference between getting a job offer and being ignored. Since you don’t have the home-based experience, showcase your skills and strengths instead. This allows prospective employers to determine if you’re a good fit for the position.

Bullet-style formatting is your go-to for easier reading, although it’s fine to include a few paragraphs to show your language proficiency. A professional email address that contains your real name is also a must, along with a well-taken headshot.

Tip: Save your resume in different file formats in case a client prefers a Word doc over a PDF or vice versa. Store these on cloud, such as Google Drive, so you can easily share the link if required. Having a copy in the cloud will serve as backup in case something happens to the files on your computer too.

Set up a profile on LinkedIn so recruiters can cross-check information on your resume. A LinkedIn profile will allow you to build a network with people you’ve worked with in the past so they can vouch for your skills on the platform.

What’s the next step?

After following the above tips, you should be ready to apply for a home-based job in your niche. There’s an abundance of online projects that are waiting for the right worker to complete them. You may just be the VA a certain client is looking for, so don’t be scared to send in your application.

Signing a contract with an offshore staffing agency like Remote Workmate can simplify the process. Not only do we provide onboarding to candidates who pass our standards, but we also connect virtual assistants with reliable and reputable employers.