Become A Successful Virtual Assistant

by Melissa Smith

  When companies don’t use skilled assistants, the companies run inefficiently. When news organizations lack true journalists, Americans cannot get accurate facts and informative news.

  Companies are hiring unskilled talent or replacing admins with bots and apps. Americans are being fooled and fed lies by anyone with access to the internet.

  The need for companies and business owners to have highly trained assistants has never been greater. The need to separate truth from lies and signal from the noise has never been greater.

  So what can you learn from the journalism field to save your own job? Well, to start, you can’t ignore the signs. The job growth rate for an assistant is -5 percent between 2016 and 2026. With the rate at which technology is advancing, I believe this number will rise. Only a year ago the growth rate was at 3 percent. Now it’s negative! That’s saying a lot, considering that the growth rate was already lower than average.

  Many journalists became freelancers as the digital industry became the preferred source of information. How can you use your skills in the digital era? Many executive assistants will say their greatest skill is what they bring in person to the office and the person they support, a skill that doesn’t translate online. You must be able to define your skills beyond a physical presence.

  Is this the beginning of the end for the executive assistant? As we know the position now, yes. Are our careers over? No. However, the past already tells us that business is not performing as usual. Executive assistants need to do what we’ve always done—change and grow with the times. Think you’re safe because your company couldn’t do without you? Do they know what to do with you as they hire more remote workers? Do you know how to support executives remotely? Any industry that believes this can’t happen to them is at the most risk.

  We, as admins, cannot afford to get comfortable. There’s no need to be anxious either. Those of us who have the calling will make the way. Don’t wait for what you know is coming to make a change and start down this path. “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today,” so start by paving your future career path.

  Why All Admins Should Have Something on the Side

  No matter if you plan to become a VA or not, it is important to have something on the side. You might call it a side hustle, a passion project, or a hobby. Whatever the case, this is the opportunity to hone your skills, make contacts, and use an entirely different set of skills. In fact, it was my passion project that started it all, and I didn’t even realize I had been a virtual assistant because I enjoyed doing what I loved that much!

  One of my great loves is the sport of wrestling (not WWE!). I remember being on a long drive with my son and talking. I asked him a question about his plans for the future. What would be his absolute dream job without putting any restrictions on it? He then asked me the same question. Without hesitation my response was “Work for the Virginia Tech wrestling team.” He laughed and asked what in the world I would do for them. I reminded him there were no restrictions.

  A few years later, I received an email from the head coach. It was the team’s monthly newsletter. In his message, he stated he was running behind schedule and apologized for sending the newsletter out late. He mentioned not having an assistant, and my mind was blown. How was he getting everything done? How was he supposed to be a coach and his own administrative assistant? I responded to the email with my sincere concern for his lack of administrative support. I told him that if I lived closer, I would have been happy to volunteer, but I was moving back to California the next day.

  Within a few hours, the coach responded with another email message. He was convinced I could do what he needed from anywhere and asked if I was interested. I was! That was actually my first virtual assistant position, and I considered it an internship. I had no idea at the time that email exchange would turn into something more, that I would eventually work as a VA for him and live out my dreams. And I certainly didn’t expect to sign a contract for over $20,000 for doing something I was willing to do for free.

  Not only does your passion project hone your skills and help you improve your time management, the contacts and connections you can leverage are extremely valuable.

  Diana Brandl is a great example of turning a passion project into a business. I had the pleasure of meeting Diana in Berlin during my travels abroad in July of 2017. We were connected through a mutual group, OfficeNinjas. At the time, Diana was the senior executive assistant for Mister Spex, an online eyewear retailer based in Europe. Her passion project was writing her own blog called The Socialista Projects. She even began influencing the blogging industry with her creative initiatives. One of those initiatives is launching the hashtag #WeAreInThisTogether.

  Through her blog, initiatives, and commitment to organizations such as International Management Assistants (IMA), Diana is now an international speaker and writes for multiple publications in her homeland of Germany and abroad.

  In just a year, Diana’s blog has come a long way, and she maintains such a busy schedule. I wondered what made her commit to doing it. Diana said, “I have always enjoyed writing, and I felt it was time to share a few stories with my network. I am a true storyteller and see this blog as an open book for my community. They meet fellow assistants, read their stories in my interviews and simply get inspired by the activities I launch there, such as #WeAreInThisTogether.”

  Diana’s story is aligned with her passions, abilities, talents, and skills. It’s not surprising to me that she has grown an organic following of professionals in Europe, South Africa, Canada, the United States, and many other countries.

  When Diana first started blogging, she didn’t expect to receive much interest from her readers. She said, “Of course, there is always room for improvement, but I am super happy how this blog developed in the meantime. I have a great fan base of followers, and they motivate me to continue this work although it costs so much extra time. It goes without saying that this blog helped me in my visibility. I can share my work there and promote all my activities as well.”

  This visibility now allows her to travel the world, speaking and doing what she loves. However, when I first met Diana, it seemed she could never imagine not working in an office. I wondered what had changed. Her response, “Although I had all these ideas already in my head when I met you, I was just not ready to say it out loud. I had a fantastic job, amazing bosses, and many great projects—so it was the best timing ever to follow my own vision now. I realized that I have reached everything I ever wanted in my professional life as an executive assistant, including holding a senior title, working as a team lead, and leading many important projects. I knew that no other employer would top this. I had to top it myself with my own dream. And I dreamt of it for a while.”

  It may be scary to think about your passion project or doing something on the side before you go out on your own because either of these opportunities will take away some of your free time. That’s why you should only invest your time in what you love. While right now it’s uncertain whether you’ll generate income from your passion later, the experience now is extremely valuable. Plus, the unexpected benefits you reap are the best surprises!

  How to Intern Properly

  I’ve decided to cover internships in the bonus section because they are typically unpaid. However, they can be extremely valuable when done right. Again, look for the win-win situation. This isn’t just about the other person getting you to work for free. You are learning a skill, a mindset, a business model, and more, all in exchange for a referral—and you’re only doing the work for a specific amount of time.

  My internship with VT Wrestling was only unpaid for one year—my first year. My second year I was paid, and by the third year I was compensated at a level I had never imagined was possible, even for my dream job. However, it wasn’t only about the work or the money. Not even the love of it. I was learning from the coach, and I watched how he conducted business, how he raised funds, how he dealt with people,
and answered the tough questions. I quickly came to realize he wasn’t the head coach because he couldn’t do anything else. He did so because he loved it. He could have been the CEO of any company because he knew how to monetize, how to attract the best talent, how to delegate and outsource, and how not to micromanage anyone.

  When you are thinking about asking for or accepting an internship, follow these guidelines:

  Reasons to do an internship:

  Because you don’t have practical applications yet.

  You are new to the field.

  To be able to offer an additional service(s).

  Knowledge you should have already:

  Basic knowledge of the field. You wouldn’t hire a legal intern who wasn’t already going to law school. The amount of knowledge you have may vary; however, this is what you are studying and training for.

  A minimum amount of training. The internship is providing additional training. The company or individual should not be training you from scratch. An internship isn’t merely a training course. It is an application scenario. Yes, you will have questions that your mentor can answer, but they should be thoughtful questions.

  The benefit you are looking to receive. Internships are to benefit the intern. The company does benefit in the long run because it possibly can hire you in the future. You never intern for a company who is simply wanting to get work done for free.

  How long is an internship?

  Depending on the company, an internship can be anywhere from one week to 12 months. I suggest that you agree to a firm end date at the very beginning of your internship.

  Ideally, you should have a three-month internship. A shorter internship means you haven’t gone through a full quarter cycle, and a longer internship could mean that the relationship will begin to sour. Keep in mind, this a two-fold benefit.

  A few important guidelines:

  No one can set the hours you work. They must be mutually agreed upon.

  No one can provide equipment, hardware, or software to you.

  In many cases, not paying an intern is illegal. Be very careful to follow the appropriate federal guidelines.

  What are some additional benefits?

  You will receive free advice from coaches and consultants.

  You will receive introductions to your mentor’s network upon the satisfactory completion of the internship.

  You will receive opportunities to participate in meetings where you will gain further insight into how your potential clients are thinking and what they are concerned about.

  You will receive mentoring and real-time training. The time you spend in daily and weekly conversations should provide feedback and coaching on how you will work with clients just like them.

  You should receive a glowing referral from the company upon the successful completion of the internship.

  Which companies typically fall into the category of being a good match for an intern? Typically, the right company or individual falls into all of the following categories:

  A company that is operating in its first year of business.

  A company that is bootstrapping its business and not covering all of its expenses yet.

  A company that has time to write a policy and/or an SOP (standard operating procedures manual). You, as the intern, should not be expected to complete this.

  A mentor who enjoys training others and can dedicate the appropriate time to that training.

  If the company falls into these categories, follow these next steps:

  Decide on a single three-month project. The project can incorporate several duties or tasks, but they all should have a direct correlation to the final outcome.

  Determine the benefits. What will you walk away with after three months that you can charge a client for in the future?

  Consider the time commitment. How much time are you expected to devote every week to your internship? It should be no more than 10 hours (on the high side) per week, including meetings and mentoring.

  Determine if this is your ideal client. If not, do not accept the position. You only want to work with your ideal clients. It’s hard enough working for no pay when you love the work and the company. If you don’t like the company or the client, it can be your worst nightmare.

  Don’t accept an internship that asks for free work or samples of your work upfront. The company is already asking too much of you. Plus, remember this is an internship to help you gain experience.

  How to Leverage Your Current Contacts

  Since admins are most commonly givers, it can often be uncomfortable for us to ask for help and guidance. It almost feels like sales. Here’s the thing—people actually want to help you. They just don’t know how. When we do make our ask, it can be too vague or on the opposite end of the spectrum of an ask. You need to find the space that is a win-win for both parties. The win could simply be that the other party feels good to have helped you.

  The best source for help is your current contacts. Leveraging your contacts can be done in a variety of ways. You can volunteer, join a board, ask someone to look over your online profile, or ask someone to introduce you to a contact in their network. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and recommendations before you need them. Only ask people who really know you, and be prepared when they suggest that you write your own recommendation and allow them to edit it. As always, be specific.

  Maybe your side hustle is a blog or a podcast. Consider interviewing people in your contacts for your next podcast or ask your writer contacts to be guest bloggers. While leveraging your current contacts, you’re actually building up your online profile. And your online profile is the one that matters most as a VA.

  Remember Diana Brandl? She was leveraging her contacts and associations. She holds a degree in international administration and management, specializing in office management. Throughout her career, she has worked successfully for C-level executives within global corporations. However, all this would have taken Diana only so far if not for her strong background in communications and her efforts as an active networker.

  Diana joined the professional network International Management Assistants (IMA) in 2006 and is a member of the board, serving as acting public relations officer for IMA Germany. When I asked her why she joined IMA, here’s what she shared: “A colleague brought me to IMA. She took me to one of their regional events, and I was immediately motivated to join, so it did not take long until I wrote my application. I had no idea about networking at that time, but IMA opened the door to this area. I was basically trained to be a networker and ambassador of this profession by IMA.”

  Networking is great, but will only take you so far. What you give is what you get. I wondered what made Diana take an active role in IMA. “Once I moved from the south of Germany to Berlin, I decided to take the opportunity to take over the Berlin Regional Group, which was at that time led by a lady who lived in a different region in Germany. So it was hard for her to manage the group by being away. I saw this wonderful opportunity in finding new IMA friends in Berlin and of course taking over an active role as regional head. Lucky me as it was just the right function for me. I led the group for a few years, then stepped down (although involved all the time), and then took over the role again as there was nobody who would do it. I am also national press relations officer (acting) of IMA Germany at the moment. Lots of extra work—but so worth it!”

  It’s obvious that IMA has had a great impact on Diana’s present and past career paths. In her own words, “It is a huge part of my life. Once I decide to dedicate myself to a project, I do it 100 percent, which means going many extra miles and trying to juggle my job, my family, and the work for IMA. Over the years, IMA brought new friends into my life, I learned many new perspectives on how to work together, and I simply learned a lot out of the conferences and seminars I attended. I brought back to my working environment lots of knowledge and expertise that I gained through IMA. However, working in such associa
tions also means that there are many egos that come together, which sometimes doesn’t make it easy to work on your goals. But this also helps me in growing, and I am thankful for such lessons learned.”

  It was extremely evident to me that making personal connections is important to Diana. She not only was eager to make time to meet with me but do so on a Monday! I appreciated her thoughtfulness in having the room set up with water and snacks and the attention to detail of even the choice of water, sparkling or still. Does she consider herself an introvert or an extrovert? I thought I knew, but I wanted to hear it from Diana: “Definitely an extrovert.”

  No matter if you consider yourself an introvert or an extrovert, Diana’s advice still holds true. “I would probably not be as far as I am right now without the right network. The right community is crucial when you walk new paths. I have always been a strong networker, and I was there helping others. It is just wonderful to see how this network now helps me growing in my new role. I will be forever thankful. So make sure that there is a solid base before you work on such ideas. Your community can be your next customers—never forget.”

  Diana’s career path is her own, but you may find many commonalties along your path. She stepped out of one career and straight into another with a smooth transition. Yet, there is something she wished she would have done differently. “I should have taken some time off. I stepped out of a full-time position in September 2017 and did not expect to be so busy until the end of the year—which is of course fantastic. I have been busy speaking and teaching as well as working as an interim assistant here and there. Plus, all the writing I do in the background. I truly wanted to enjoy the rest of 2017 and start strong in 2018, but once there is interest in your work, you have to grab the chance. And I did.”