.png)
Being a Virtual Assistant is a great, flexible job. When I tell people what I do, they look at me like it’s the wildest thing they have ever heard. Especially when I tell them I am in the Eastern Time zone and one of my clients is in the Pacific Time zone, as is the company I work for.
The life of a VA can seem glamorous to someone on the outside, but it is a job that requires organization, efficiency, and self-discipline. Most people who are VAs have multiple clients. So the job is to make sure all of your clients feel as if they are the top priority.
Early Morning The first thing I do when I wake up is to check my five email accounts. Yes, there are five and they are all for work. Clients may still be working when I go to sleep. Another client travels all over the country and depending on where or what they are doing that day, they may send things through the night. Once I have verified that there is not a major crisis in my email, my job switches back to being a mom..
Within a minute, I shift from a focus on work to a focus on my family. Once everyone has left for work and school, I go to my office. I check email again, which is an ongoing task. I usually get at least three good mornings from my virtual coworkers on Slack before 8:00 am. Slack is a great way for our company to stay connected, motivate, and support each other throughout the day.
Being a Virtual Assistant is a great job. It offers the variety of work, but it is also very challenging Being a Virtual Assistant has allowed me to experience work I never thought possible but was always intrigued by. Currently, one of my clients is writing a book and I get to help with the process of transforming ideas into something incredible that many people will read. I am also working in industries that I had never thought twice about. The work is so vastly different from my background and life, that it is really refreshing and exciting to be a part of them.
Set your office hours to minimize distractions While being a VA is very flexible but it isn’t a job for everyone. You must be able to manage all of your work with all the different clients and industries. You must be disciplined enough to work at home and not get distracted. Which also means setting boundaries for your family and boss. You should make it completely clear to your family that when you are working. Treat it as if you are physically not at your house. You may also need to do the same for your clients by giving them time frames when it is not ok to contact you.
Afternoon and evening I personally enjoy doing work late at night because it helps me to be prepared for the next day and takes a little off my plate. But some people need to be able to power off and recharge and that’s ok. My closed time for clients is 5-7pm. That time in my house is hectic, it’s dinner, homework, bath, and bed. I’ll set up an autoresponder to email letting them know I will get back to them.
If you are thinking about becoming a Virtual Assistant, make sure you are serious about working. It is not a job for someone unwilling to commit to the shift in roles. and how to effectively manage time.
Comments