How to become a more Reliable Virtual Assistant
With the number of potential work at home jobs that are available, becoming a virtual assistant is within the reach of more professionals than in the past. Like their brick-and-mortar counterparts, a virtual assistant may fill various roles for their supervisor, their manager and the company. Here are some tips on how to become a more reliable virtual assistant.
Be a great communicator
Communication is the secret to success when working as a virtual assistant. Unlike those who work in an office building, virtual assistants are primarily working from remote locations. This means that communication must be handled via email and chat. The virtual assistant who works hard to communicate with their managers and supervisors will likely find more success.
Being a great communicator involves numerous tasks including updates regarding ongoing projects, being proactive in advising the company of upcoming scheduling conflicts and staying involved in what is happening internally. In spite of the fact that a virtual assistant is working remotely, unique and innovative ways of keeping up-to-date on changes within the company is possible.
Maintain a regular schedule
While working remotely presents some unique scheduling challenges, a virtual assistant who has a regular schedule is more likely to find success in their role. Being available during specific hours will help ease the concerns of supervisors and managers and help a virtual assistant be more reliable. While it may be tempting to keep working hours flexible, a regular schedule may help a virtual assistant plan their work more effectively.
Learning new skills
Those who work at home are often victims of being passed over for promotions and training sessions. As a virtual assistant, it is important to take advantage of as much additional training as possible. Whether a virtual assistant is telecommuting or they are self employed, the more skills that can be offered, the more lucrative the position of virtual assistant. Additional skills such as becoming familiar with online tools that can increase productivity, learning new skills such as HTML or similar skills or learning to become a better writer can all add value. These added skills also may help a person become a more reliable virtual assistant.
Summary
Virtual assistants who have a wide range of skills and are great communicators are more likely to succeed in remote work environments. While telecommuting and working from home can create a disparity between virtual assistants and assistants who work in a brick-and-mortar environment, this does not have to be the case. Learning how to become a more reliable virtual assistant means meeting the goals and objectives of the company or clients that are using your services.
