VA ? What's that?

"I'm quitting my job...", my bestfriend told me.

"Are you sure? What will you do?" I asked.

"I'm gonna be a VA!" she said with conviction.

"VA? What's that?"

Well, it seems that I was not  the only person who asked that question.

There has been a lot of misconceptions about virtual assistants. And one of the most common is that all they do are clerical stuff like data entry, typing, clicking....and more typing!

But when I witnessed how my bestfriend enjoyed her VA job, I became very curious and wanted to know more about it.  So I enrolled in the VA Seminar by Jomar Hilario.

The half day class opened my eyes and changed my perception about virtual assistants. I realized that they are more than what other perceive as "glorified" receptionists or secretaries.  In fact, it's more likely that a virtual assistant has more professional skills than a "normal" office worker would have. The skills ranged from writing, web/graphic designing, events management, database  management, proofreading, research, customer service, and the list goes on.

Virtual Assistant Seminar Participants, March 5, 2011

It is also commendable that Jomar  presented  the "not so good" aspect of being a VA to have a more balanced perspective about the job.  For one, being a VA would make you feel like an employee, except that you are working at home. Second, it is an active work and not a passive income. Meaning, it entails a lot of discipline, organization and time management and it can be challenging especially if you don't know how to manage your priorities. There is also uncertainty in salary because there's no physical company to support you, and there are no bonuses and company benefits.

w/ Jomar Hilario

However, on the upside, being a VA has lots of benefits. First, the opportunity to earn additional income if you perform it on a part-time basis. The salary is good also especially if you know how to negotiate your pay. Second, you can learn a lot of new skills such as softwares and computer/ internet tools. Third, being a VA expands your contacts and network and increases your confidence. Fourth, it eliminates the hassle of commuting to and from the office and the corresponding transportation cost that you have to spend. And lastly, which is I believe is the most important benefit of working from home, is having the time flexibility to spend with the people which matters to you the most  and also to pursue your other life's passions.

Isn't that great?