Do you know how many individuals are working as freelancers in the US?
More than 50 million freelancers are contributing approximately 1 trillion USD to the economy of the US.
This clearly shows the popularity of freelancing jobs and it is predicted that the majority of the workers in the US will be freelancers by the end of 2027. (Source: Freelancers Union )
Be it for stay at home moms, college students or senior citizens, a freelancing job provides a great amount of flexibility to balance the personal and professional life.
Freelancing jobs completely eliminates the concept of “commute” which helps to save at least a few hundred dollars every month. No need to stop at the gas station every week 🙂.
The Top 5 popular freelancing jobs in the US are:
- Tutor
- Content writer
- Virtual Assistant
- Transcription
- Blogging
Today, let’s talk about the various aspects of the virtual assistant jobs in detail.
What is a Virtual Assistant (VA)?
A self-employed individual who provides administrative, creative or technical assistance to a company, business or another individual is called a Virtual Assistant.
Typically, a Virtual Assistant will have one or more of the following responsibilities :
- Responding to Emails
- Answering / Making phone calls
- Schedule Meetings
- Managing social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc)
- Data Research
- Data Entry
- Creating presentations
- Content writing
- Image creation for promoting content
- Content Marketing
- Managing multiple email accounts
- Bookkeeping
- Competitor research
- Ad campaigns
- Social Media Marketing
- Travel planning & research
The roles and responsibilities of a virtual assistant solely depend on the client and vary based on the nature of the company/business.
Most of the VAs either work as independent freelancers or run a business in their name. Irrespective of how they work, they need to pay the self-employment taxes, if their monthly income is more than $400. And, you need to file your returns as a business owner because IRS (Internal Revenue Service) considers freelancing as self-employment.
You may like: How To Become An Online Tutor And Work At Home?
What kind of skills do you need to become a Virtual Assistant?
You don’t need any special skills or professional qualification to apply for virtual assistant jobs. Even, a lot of college students work as part-time VA.
To become a virtual assistant or personal assistant, you need to possess at least the following skills:
- Excellent written & verbal communication skills – If you are not involved in answering calls, you may not require oral communication skills
- Multi-tasking – This is the most important skill needed for a virtual assistance because their jobs always involve doing more than one task at a time
- Time management – You should be able to stick to schedules and complete the assigned tasks without any delay
- Loyalty – You need to have this quality especially if you are a remote worker
- Work on your own – You should be able to work independently without expecting much support from the client
What are the basic tools needed to work as a Virtual Assistant?
Make sure you at least have the following tools/software before applying for virtual assistant jobs:
- Laptop / Desktop computer
- High-speed internet connection
- Skype, Google Hangouts or other apps ( to communicate with your client )
- High-quality microphone & speaker ( To make/answer calls)
How To Become a Virtual Assistant with Zero Experience?
If you are a beginner with no prior experience in working as a virtual assistant, then the best option will be to search and apply for as many virtual assistant jobs as possible till you get selected for one or more based on your availability.
List Of Companies That Offer Virtual Assistant Jobs In 2018
Most of the companies listed below regularly hire virtual assistants on behalf of their clients. Even some of the companies provide training to the hired candidates
1. Lifebushido
Since 2006, Lifebushido is hiring a lot of people who can work part-time at their own flexible schedules (Approximately 10-25 hours per week). Especially, it offers virtual assistant jobs to all kinds of individuals like stay at home moms/dads, physically challenged people, college students and more.
The starting pay for a US resident is $10 per hour. (For non-US residents, it is $2.5 per hour). To work with Lifebushido, browse the latest openings on the Jobs page and send your application to them. As per the information available on the website, your application will be processed maximum within a week.
2. Zirtual
Do you have the basic knowledge of email & social media network? Then, you can easily become a social media & marketing assistant/email assistant / personal assistant via Zirtual.
Recently, Zirtual has merged with the Startups.co platform. Currently, Zirtual is accepting US-based college graduates for various positions. For more information, you can check out the Jobs page of the Zirtual website.
3. Profit Factory
Are you a stay at home mom/dad who is looking for a full-time work at home job? Then, Profit Factory might be a good option for you as it offers a lot of full-time virtual assistant jobs for the residents of the US and Canada.
To become a virtual assistant for any of the clients of Profit Factory, you need to pass two levels of assessments followed by an interview.
4. Worldwide 101
You need to work for at least 20 hours in a week if you wish to become a virtual assistant @ Worldwide 101. And, the pay varies from $20 to $22 per hour based on your skills and experience.
Also, you will be taking an interview directly with the client before you get the job offer. To know more details about the application process and the latest job opportunities, check out their Jobs page.
5. Belay
You can either work as a part-time or full-time contractor with Belay. Currently, it is hiring virtual bookkeepers, executive assistants, and webmasters.
To work with Belay, you need to clear two levels of interviews and a skill assessment test. Check out the Belay website to find out the current openings and apply online here.
6. Timeetc
Timeetc is one of the reputed company since 2007 and it hires various types of virtual assistants like social media & marketing assistant, writing assistant and general virtual assistant.
To become a virtual assistant with Timeetc, you need to have at least 5 years of work experience. Hence, it is ideal for a stay at home mom/dad who had quit their job or took a break to take care of the kids.
Best Freelance Marketplaces For Virtual Assistant Jobs
7. Fiverr
Fiverr is a great place to list your virtual assistant profile because it is one of the popular job categories in that platform. And, the clients will be always hiring or looking for virtual assistants who can provide remote support for their projects. If you are a beginner on Fiverr, just go through the top freelancer profiles related to virtual assistant jobs to get an overview of how to create an attractive profile on Fiverr.
You can set your own rates on Fiverr based on your skills and level of experience.
8. Craigslist
Select your country, city on Craigslist and just type the keyword “virtual assistant” under the jobs section. It will show you the list of virtual assistant jobs related to various categories like technical, administration and more.
Find the email address from the advertisement and send an email with your resume. If you need any additional information related to the job, you can always send that along with your application.
9. Reddit
r/slavelabour : This is the best place to search for virtual assistant jobs on Reddit. Of course, you will not see a new job opening every day on this sub reddit. However, you can find the openings for part-time virtual assistants on a regular basis.
You can directly send a PM (Personal Message) to the client to apply for the job.
Top Freelance Job Sites For Virtual Assistant Jobs
10. Upwork
You will see at least 10 virtual assistant job openings on Upwork every day. Unlike the companies listed above which hires only the US-residents, freelancers from all over the world can browse and apply for virtual assistant jobs on Upwork.
Just create a good looking portfolio which clearly demonstrates your skills and experience.
11. FlexJobs
Most of the virtual assistant jobs listed on the FlexJobs website is remote or telecommute only. You will find new job openings almost on a daily basis. As it is a popular job portal used by many freelancers all over the world, you will face tough competition in getting the job. Try your luck!
Just type the keyword ‘virtual assistant’ on the search bar, scroll through the results and apply to the ones you like.
12. Glassdoor
Even though a lot of people visit Glassdoor to get reviews about the companies, it can also be used to find either remote or in-person virtual assistant jobs.
Besides applying for jobs, you can also find out the salaries offered for the various titles from Glassdoor.
13. Indeed
Not only regular jobs but also you can find a lot of part-time or remote work opportunities on Indeed. Just search for the keyword “virtual assistant jobs” and set the location filters accordingly if you are looking for a full-time job.
Otherwise, you can search for remote assistant jobs also on Indeed.
14. Peopleperhour
Like Upwork, Peopleperhour is also a great place to find any kind of freelancing job online. Here, you can easily list your skills by creating Hourlies so that the clients can directly communicate with you about their requirements.
Alternatively, you can also browse the listed jobs and apply to the ones which you like.
Virtual Assistant Jobs – How much you can expect per hour?
A lot of stay at home moms in the US prefer to work as a virtual assistant because it helps them to take care of their little ones and work from home by creating their own schedules. And, the salary for a virtual assistant varies based on your skill, experience, and location.
On an average, you will get $15 per hour to begin your career as a virtual assistant if you are located in the US. (Source: Payscale )
Let’s do a rough calculation for someone who works for 4 hours in a day as a VA.
Rate per day = 4 x 15 = $60
Monthly income = 30 x 60 = $1800
Yearly income = 1800 x 12 = $21,600
The Salary for a Virtual assistant with no experience = $21, 600 per annum.
Based on your skills and experience, you can also charge $35 to $50 per hour.
Virtual Assistant Certifications
Do you need to do a certification to apply for virtual assistant jobs? Not necessarily.
However, it will help to improve your professional profile. Here is the list of websites which offer free virtual assistant certifications or training courses:
- HubSpot Academy
- Coursera
- Udemy
- FutureLearn
- Iversity
Conclusion
Thanks to the social media, every business or company is working hard to promote its product/service on the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. And, most of them are looking for dedicated and hardworking professionals who can do the social media marketing effectively. That’s why the virtual assistant role is becoming the most popular job not only in the US but also throughout the world.
Leave a Reply