Many businesses now resort to employing the services of a virtual assistant to be free from the cost of hiring employees to a physical office. A virtual assistant is responsible for both secretarial and clerical tasks and usually hired on a contract basis. As a virtual assistant, you get to work from home and are not limited by your location. All you need are the tools to get the work done. With advancements in technology, opportunities to work as a virtual assistant are even higher. You can start a career in virtual assisting where you get to make more money while working from home.
Who is a Virtual Assistant?
A virtual assistant is a self-employed, independent contractor who provides services for companies from his or her home
Job description of a Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants do a very wide range of jobs and can include:
- Administrative tasks
- Call handling
- Email handling
- Social media management
- Appointment setting
- Customer care
- Graphic designing
- Web management
- Content creation
- Copywriting
- Data entry
All these tasks are completed from home. Anyone can become a virtual assistant so long as you have the required skills to get the job done.
Who Can Become a Virtual Assistant?
Anyone can become a virtual assistant as long as he or she has the relevant skills; digital and online skills.
If you desire a job that affords you the opportunity to have a balance between work and making money, then read this article to learn how to become a virtual assistant.
How to Become a Virtual Assistant in Nigeria
Acquire Education
Although there are no specific standards of educational requirements for the role of a virtual assistant, you must have basic education. Educational requirements vary depending on an employer’s demands and needs. In Nigeria, most employers demand that whoever is working for them has a University degree. However, what really matters the most to many employers is your skillset, accuracy at work, and work experience. Many virtual assistants start their job without prior work experience and get to learn and improve on the job as time goes on.
Get The Mandatory Training
As mentioned earlier, there is no specific certification needed to become a Virtual assistant in Nigeria. However, you will still need to get trained so as to learn more and acquire relevant skills. There are many educational programs run by websites and individuals who have been in the virtual assistance career path for some time. These ones offer mostly online training programs for Virtual Assistants. A quick google search will help you find many courses you can attend, however, you must be wary of scam sites. Below are required skills you must have as a virtual assistant and can learn online:
- Stellar communication skills
- Very good typing skills (at least 70 words per minute)
- Excellent grammar and writing skills
- Familiar with word processors, spreadsheets, email, and databases.
Define Your Services and Niche
Virtual assistants get to perform a wide range of jobs, that is true, but you must be honest with yourself, you cannot possibly handle every office operation. This is the reason you must define the sort of services you will render as a virtual assistant. Discover what you are really good at and factor in on it. If you find out you have good organizational skills, you can handle tasks such as emails, record and bookkeeping, etc. If you are good at academic research, you should work for professors, scientists and other scholars in academia. When you find out what you’re so good at, you can easily do it with ease, and meet your employer’s demands. Defining your services and niche will make you to be seen as an expert in that specific field which increases your chances of more jobs and higher pay.
Get Yourself the Necessary Tools
As a virtual assistant, there are equipment and resources you need to get the job done well for your clients. Having the necessary equipment is a sure way to your success as a Virtual Assistant. Some of these tools are:
- A personal computer with a high-speed Internet connection.
- Printer
- Scanner
- Photocopying Machine
- A working mobile line
- A workspace that is free of distractions.
Get all Necessary Paperwork Ready
It is important that you finalize all legalities and financial aspects on your own end as a prospective virtual assistant. This includes obtaining all licenses required by you’re the Nigerian government and completing every necessary paperwork. This will not only help you avoid any troubles with the law but help you when drawing up contract agreement documents for clients.
Set Up Your Website and Social Media
As a virtual assistant who will be working from home, the best place to find clients is on the internet. Set up your own website where potential clients can easily find you to take your career a top-notch higher. Owning a website gives you a more professional appearance and a higher chance of a good negotiation. It also helps you position yourself as an expert. You must also be serious about your presence on social media. Social media remains one of the most effective tools for spreading awareness about your services and gaining new clients. You can set up accounts with Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and any other social media platforms you think is suitable for you.
Networking
As a Virtual assistant, networking with other professionals holds many benefits for your career. For one, there are chances of better job opportunities that you will be exposed to when you meet others in your field. You can also join a professional organization so that you get to work with other professionals in the field. When networking, you get to meet people and tell them about your business and services. This makes networking crucial to your progress as a Virtual assistant.
A career in Virtual assistance is one that can fetch you lots of money if you strategize well and get the skills to get the job well done.