5 Important Virtual Assistant Skills for a Fruitful Career

Philippines continues to hold its status as one of the world’s most sought-after markets for virtual assistant (VA) roles. Some of the top reasons for this include the following:

• Workforce profile (English language proficiency, relevant professional background)
• Work attitude (strong work ethic and loyalty)
• Competence and affordability (educational background and cost-efficient services)

To boost your job search efforts and build a fruitful career in this field, here are 5 key virtual assistant skills to hone and master both for your technical and soft skill sets.

1. Communication

Being a virtual assistant means you might need to deal with your clients or employers through verbal and written communication in online or virtual means. This might be more challenging because getting things lost in translation is inevitable, and not to mention that most Filipino virtual assistants work with foreign clients where language barriers may come in the way.

Also, this is one of the top virtual assistant skills for beginners in most cases. Moreover, it’s considered as a soft skill, meaning it’s a transferable one across different careers or specializations in virtual assistance.

2. Discipline

VA roles often have remote work setups. More often than not, VAs also manage their own time and build their own systems of getting things done. That said, professionals in this career path must be able to possess soft skills that can help them maintain the discipline to carry out their work more effectively. Hence, time management skills and self-motivation are crucial ones to hone if you’re considering taking on this kind of job.

3. Resilience

It’s highly essential for VAs and many career people to practice resilience during trying times, most especially with the rising inflation rate and the world’s pandemic state. One’s ability to be open to continuous learning helps improve other skills necessary to succeed in this career. Such include decision making and critical thinking skills.

4. Technical Proficiency

Having basic to advanced computer skills is typically a requirement for VAs as they will most likely use digital equipment and various software systems to fulfill their roles. Accomplishing projects and tasks are possible through the use of project management tools and other productivity software such as the Google Suite; as well as communication tools for collaboration and team alignment such as Slack.

Apart from these, niche-related technical knowledge and skills are also needed depending on the type of VA work. For example, social media VAs are often expected to be proficient in using Facebook Business Suite for scheduling social posts and analyzing content for their clients.

5. Project Management

As mentioned earlier, most virtual assistants have more flexibility and freedom when it comes to managing their time around tasks. This is why it’s crucial for them to have the ability to manage projects efficiently and get them done with high quality.

Thus, here are some of the most common virtual assistant skills and tools that are in demand these days as many employers and agencies incorporate these into their operations systems:

• Asana
• ClickUp
• MeisterTask
• Trello
• Workzone
• Wrike

Kickstart Your VA Career with Bossjob

Now that you’re familiar with the most important skills you need to have toward a fruitful career as a VA, it’s time for you to start your job search and land rewarding opportunities. Sign up for a job seeker profile and browse hundreds of virtual assistant jobs posted on Bossjob! 
For other related career advice and job search tips, check out our blog archives.