Tips on becoming a more Reliable Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are self-employed professionals who render their services usually to clients and companies overseas. Virtual assistants are considered more of entrepreneurs than employees as they are contractual workers and sometimes offshore partners of their clients or companies they work with.
Basically, a virtual assistant carries specific task most of which are office and administrative related responsibilities such as bookkeeping, preparing newsletters and company memos and other secretarial duties including arranging appointments and travel schedules. Most US-based companies outsource because of the lower salary rates and smaller office expenses.
Reliable estimates reveal that there are as few as 5,000-8,000 or as many as 35,000 virtual assistants scattered worldwide. Needless to say, virtual assistants are quite dense in India and the Philippines.
Virtual assistants must possess certain special qualities and skills in order for them to preserve their reputation and establish goodwill with their clients. The following are some of the most effective ways on how to become a more reliable virtual assistant.
Specialized Training
There are a lot of specialized training for virtual assistants available online while some won't cost you a dime, others often charge a small registration fee. More so, the small fee is a smart investment for virtual assistants. Hence, investing in one's own knowledge is never a bad investment.
Certifications from such specialized training programs can serve as a great advantage as the industry as well as the number of virtual assistants are rising based on a meteoric level.
Software Update
Updating your operating system and other computer software is a must when you are self-employed as a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants do their work online and rely heavily on the computer. Thus, they should always make it a point to update and check their computer at least once a year.
A virtual assistant's compute should always be in good working condition and computer software should always be up to date for it to perform more efficiently.
Improving Communication
Virtual assistants should always see to it that they are in constant communication with their clients in order to avoid differences and future misunderstandings. Generally, virtual assistants communicate via e-mail and other forms of online messaging. Consequently, they can further improve communication through teleconferences and even with the use of Skype.
It's also a plus factor if virtual assistants have a great command not just of English but as well as Spanish and other major languages.
