Eight of the top virtual assistant jobs for beginners
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, the traditional workplace has quickly transformed into virtual meeting spaces and home offices.
In addition, how companies conduct their business and hire employees has also changed significantly, increasing the need for online support. As a result, virtual assistant services and jobs have quickly become high demand, and the future outlook for these careers isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
How can you break into this field with little to no experience? Below are our top eight picks for beginner jobs for virtual assistants.
Top eight entry-level jobs for virtual assistants
At its most basic definition, a virtual assistant is a professional career where someone assists a client remotely via the internet. This is a flexible position regarding available industries to work in since the primary benefit is you aren’t physically present but handle their duties online.
For example, you could be assisting a college professor, a lab engineer, or a commercial property executive. It really just depends on the needs of your client.
Ready to start exploring what possibilities await you in this line of work? Check out our top eight picks below.
1) Social media
Social media assistants are extremely popular, and the main requirement is understanding the ins and outs of the networks your clients need you to manage.
Typically, they’ll have you create engaging posts, share relevant links to new products and services, and possibly respond to commenters. Sometimes they might ask you to set up an ad, boost a post for a specified timeframe, or send back the populated analytics information the platform provides.
Social media assistants are in demand even in different industries, even in the crypto and blockchain industries. Many social media crypto jobs are entry-level and don’t require any crypto or blockchain experience.
So, if you love sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and more, this is probably a great job to start your career.
2) Administrative work
Administrative assistants are crucial to keeping businesses running like well-oiled machines. You ensure the supplies get ordered, or maybe you do the legwork on special projects or presentations. Your job is the literal glue that helps an office stay together, and this role easily translates to the virtual world.
Just like traditional office settings, you’ll handle the tasks that your clients simply don’t have enough time in the day to tackle. Even though you’ll be working remotely, your duties will remain much the same:
- Email management
- Filing
- Data entry
- Calendar and schedule management
- Appointment bookings
- Spreadsheet creation and maintenance
- e-Meeting planning
- Travel booking
- And more!
3) Content creator
With marketplaces in every industry converting some or all of their operations online, they need content to attract customers, employees, and stakeholders. If you have skills in creating ads, infographics, blogs, videos, product websites, and more, this is a golden opportunity to get your foot in the door as a virtual assistant.
Many companies want to see what you can do more than know where you went to school regarding content creation. This is why you can get a job creating content as a beginner. However, if you aren’t a creator but know your stuff when it comes to managing projects that require this type of media, you’ll also find your project management skills in high demand.
Now more than ever, companies are outsourcing these needs to virtual assistants. Why? Their own staff doesn’t have the time or knowledge to create content.
4) Customer service
Newly minted virtual assistants find a lot of opportunities in customer service roles. Perhaps a law firm needs a point of contact for inquiring leads. Your job would be to take those calls, answer any basic questions they might have, and route them to the appropriate attorney. Or, maybe a vitamin startup needs a customer service rep to field calls regarding their products. You would be there to take those calls and help consumers with their questions and concerns.
These are popular virtual assistant jobs since you won’t need much, if any, prior experience providing customer service. Many companies will provide some form of training, a guide of do’s and don’ts, and a script to use.
5) Online translator/interpreter
Multilingual language skills are in high demand worldwide and pay well. As a result, companies will probably beat down your door to hire you if you can demonstrate a solid fluency in the written and spoken word.
You may be asked to sit in during virtual meetings and help bridge the gap in understanding between different language speakers. Or, you might just need to proofread documentation produced in several languages you can speak to ensure they translate correctly. IKEA assembly instructions come to mind for this latter task.
6) Virtual editor
Consider virtual editing services for those who are all about grammar and flow. Proofread website copy, blogs, brochures, and more from the comfort of your home office.
Wordsmiths find an abundance of their work online since everything is handled through shared accounts on Google Docs or MSWord. Make sure you have the tools for your trade, including a decent word processing app, grammar check, and plagiarism tool.
7) Transcription
Transcribing documents has been around forever, and demand isn’t slowing down. Many companies use interviews and meeting notes to create media, including blogs, to attract investors and consumers.
But, transcription isn’t as easy as it sounds. You need a keen ear and an understanding of the subject matter to transcribe the information accurately. AI-driven programs haven’t been reliable and often leave much to be desired. So, businesses need your help! This job requires good hearing and knowing how to type.
8) Web researcher
Online research can be tedious with the amount of information to be found. As an internet research assistant, you would be tasked with tracking down the most accurate and up-to-date details about a given topic.
This job isn’t just about grabbing the first three or four links at the top of your search. You’ll need to verify the source of this information. Researching topics for your client is a major benefit since they likely can’t afford to spare time to do this level of investigation. Virtual assistants in this field will also enjoy learning about all sorts of new things in their quest for the best data.
What job would best suit you?
The job opportunities listed in this article are just the tip of the iceberg for career options as a virtual assistant. Every industry imaginable often relies on additional support staff to manage day-to-day administrative tasks that their team doesn’t have time to handle.
The only difference today is that much of this responsibility gets delegated to remote workers like yourself. Nevertheless, those who choose to pursue work as virtual assistants can expect continued demand for their services across several industries.
