So. You want to be a virtual assistant.
Maybe you know what ‘virtual’ means. And maybe you know what an ‘assistant’ is.
Maybe.*
*For the uninitiated, a virtual assistant is an independent contractor who provides administrative services to clients while operating outside of the client's office and typically operates from home.
But maybe the rest of the details are a little fuzzy for you. So maybe you want to know exactly what a virtual assistant is and does because you want to become one – and you know that the more you know, the more likely you are to be successful.
You sound like our kinda VA. But first, here’s a breakdown of what to expect as a VA.
Defining the Roles of a Virtual Assistant
Defining what a VA is can feel a little like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. Why? Because they could be and do virtually anything. In this eBook, we’ll cover what a VA is, what they can do, and how they differ from their brick-and-mortar counterparts.
We’ll also answer …
- Executive vs. administrative vs. virtual assistants: What's the difference?
- What's the difference between a contractor and an employee?
- What are a virtual assistant's responsibilities?
- What are some considerations before becoming a virtual assistant?
What Makes A Great Virtual Assistant
So, now you know that you definitely want to be a virtual assistant and that you have what it takes. But what you don’t want is to be a good virtual assistant—you want to be great.
There are a few mission-critical qualities that make for a great virtual assistant, which include …
- Personality
- Experience
- Education
- Skillset
Tools Of The Trade
As a virtual assistant, you’ll need a certain level of tech-savviness and an openness to new tools and communication methods.
Without daily in-person chats with your client, you have to be able to clearly articulate your needs, updates, and requests via other channels.
In this section, our eBook will help you understand the importance of making it a point to learn about new software, templates, and apps that would help make your job easier and your client's life better, such as …
- Base
- Calendar
- Instant Messaging
- Project Management
- Password Management
- Document Sharing
Tips & Tricks For Beginners
A virtual assistant role is not a simple and easy one. You are responsible for another person’s productivity, stress level, and time, and there are so many ways to support your client throughout the workday.
Here is where we show you where to start, including …
- Setting clear goals and expectations
- Being a strategic partner
- Implementing defined processes
- Continued learning and development
- Setting boundaries
What BELAY Looks For in a Virtual Assistant
It’s a bit more competitive than just filling out an online application and getting an offer the following week. With nearly 3,500 people applying for a BELAY Virtual Assistant spot each quarter in 2017, we take our job seriously about who makes the cut.
In fact, only 1-2% of applicants are offered a contract making it harder to become a contractor with BELAY than getting into an Ivy League school. (It’s true!)
We spoke with one of BELAY’s talent acquisition superstars to learn more about how to become a BELAY Virtual Assistant.
What is the average tenure of a current BELAY Virtual Assistant?
20 months is the average length of time an assistant stays.
Describe the ideal BELAY Virtual Assistant candidate.
The ideal candidate is someone with five years of Executive Assistant or Virtual Assistant experience, with high emotional intelligence (the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others), a broad range of technology experience, hungry, humble, and smart and a huge heart for serving.
Detail the BELAY Virtual Assistant hiring process, from application to start date.
Once someone applies to be a virtual assistant with us, we have a multi-step process that the candidate goes through. We do this to be sure we are aware of all the strengths the person has so that we can make a perfect match. Once we've gone through our 5 step hiring process, a contract may be extended to the candidate.
What are some signs that an applicant will be successful with BELAY?
Some of the signs we are looking for are resourcefulness, timeliness, and competency. During the video interviews, we are looking to see if the applicant is kind, hungry, humble, and smart displaying a high emotional intelligence. (This is the second time “hungry, humble, and smart” are listed. Are you wondering what that means? We are big fans of Patrick Lencioni and his book The Ideal Team Player.)
What are some signs that an applicant may not be a good fit?
All of the above in reverse!
What role does client feedback or needs have in the “matching” process?
A BELAY Relationship Manager works with a new client and talks with them about what they are looking for in a VA - the type of tasks the contractor will need to do and the tools they will need. We work together to find the best contractor for the client based on several factors.
Why should Virtual Assistants choose BELAY as a place to work vs. competitors?
Most of the time the answer we receive to this question revolves around our mission statement and core values. Most of the time they appreciate that we are not afraid to put God as our value. They also like the work/life balance that can be attained, as well as the amount of support they receive from us and our internal teams that are built to support the contractors and clients.
How to Become One of BELAY's Rock Star VAs
We hope you found this helpful if you’re considering applying for a role with BELAY. If you’re looking to hire BELAY to help you find the perfect Virtual Assistant – we hope this sheds light on our high standards and commitment to bringing you the very best.
And if this sounds like your ideal job and you’re really ready to take your VA game to the next level, check out our Ultimate Virtual Assistant Master Class, where you’ll learn all things essential to becoming a rock star virtual assistant.
We’re talking nuts-and-bolts, nitty-gritty, everything-you-need-to-know kind of information to equip you to become a virtual assistant with the confidence to pursue your dreams.
Then, when you’re really really ready, apply to be a virtual assistant with BELAY!