Today we will be discussing the world of Virtual Assistants.

What exactly is this job and what does one do as a virtual assistant? Well, pretty much the same thing administrative assistants, executive assistants and receptionists do, except the work is done from home and you may work for one or more clients at the same time, within the same day. Virtual Assistants can do a variety of duties, including, but not limited to the following:

Virtual assistants do not need a special education. It does help if you have experience working in an administrative role, but to apply for a VA job, you will have to format your resume differently and have a functional resume rather than a chronological one. Opportunities can be found everywhere, such as Craig's List to Virtual Assistant Jobs. Experience with computers is a must, as is knowing programs like MS Office. Not sure what other programs to learn? Don't despair! The resources I've listed below can help you determine what to learn and how to apply it. Lynda is a great source of training for those wanting to learn new programs.

I suggest learning as much as you can about the profession before diving in head first. One resource I picked up was the FabJob guide to being a Virtual Assistant, which you can purchase here.

Another resource I recommend is the e-book Become a Virtual Assistant. It is $29 and can be downloaded instantly to your desktop. This book discusses more on how to open your own virtual assistant business rather than working for a VA Agency. The Forums they offer are very in-depth and helpful for anyone looking to tackle this challenging new career.

Questions? Please post them in the comments below! Although we will address different career paths, this is one we will come back to again and again as it constantly evolves!

To your success!