How To Become A Virtual Assistant With No Experience (Personal Tips!)

Do you want to know how to become a virtual assistant with no experience?

But before that, did you know that working as a virtual assistant can offer work-life balance? It also gives you the freedom and flexibility to travel the world.

Amazing right?

But Im sure you have tons of questions like, how to be a virtual assistant with no experience? Are there freelance virtual assistant jobs that will pay my bills? Are Instagram virtual assistant jobs legit?

So let us dive into how to get started as a virtual assistant.

You may have heard about the term ‘Virtual Assistant’ being thrown around and

• Have no idea what it is or
• Have an idea, but don’t know how to get started as you have no experience.

Grab a cup of tea and 3 biscuits, and let me walk you through the ins and outs of how to become a virtual assistant with no experience.

I worked as a virtual assistant while I was launching my freelance writing career.

It helped me pay my bills when I was waiting to hear back from clients and also helped me build a strong cash flow which boosted my confidence.

What Is A Virtual Assistant?

A virtual assistant does an assistant job role… but remotely.

A lot of assistant tasks don’t necessarily need you to be in the office, i.e. answering phone calls, scheduling meetings, email management, etc..

So that’s where becoming a virtual assistant can come into place. You can work from the comfort of your own home working as an assistant but virtually.

Thus the term, ‘virtual assistant’.

How To Become A Virtual Assistant With No Experience

1-Decide on the services you can offer and your niche

2-Get some experience and create samples 

3-Create a website advertising your services

4-Decide what to charge

5-How to find your first paying client

6-Get paid

7-How to get recurring work

How Do You Get Started?

There are 7 steps you need to follow if you want to know how to become a virtual assistant with no experience.

1-Decide on the virtual services you can offer and your niche

2-Get some experience and create samples 

3-Create a website advertising your services

4-Decide what to charge

5-How to find your first paying client

6-Get paid

7-How to get recurring work

 

1-Decide On The Virtual Assistant Services You Can Offer And Your Niche

 

Similar to any other job you are applying to, you need to think about the industry you want to work in and the virtual assistant services you can provide.

Are you a VA that helps bloggers? Or a VA that manages the emails of high powered coaches and executives?

Or maybe you are great at editing pictures and just want to help a food website improve their images?

The possibilities are endless.

Virtual Assistant Services List

Here are a few examples of virtual assistant services you can offer:

• Social media management- schedule posts on Instagram, Facebook, replying to comments and messages and uploading content
• Email management
• Photo Editing
• Food Photography
• Writing and editing blog posts
• Pinterest management
• Keyword Research
• SEO
• Data entry
• Transcription services
• Adding images to blog posts
• Ghost-writing

If you have read the services and feel a bit overwhelmed (like I did), don’t worry.

All this stuff can be learned for free! Start with maybe 2-4 simple services like email management, everyone has an email, right?

Or maybe editing or finding blog posts images (google free images).

Also, I am sure you have either an Instagram or Facebook account, so you could offer FB and IG management as a service too!

2-Get some experience and create samples 

So, this is the chicken before the egg argument. This is the biggest obstacle when you want to know how to become a virtual assistant with no experience.

It’s not like people are advertising “virtual assistant no experience job for hire.

You need a VA job and they ask for experience, but you can’t get experience until you get a job! So how do I become a virtual assistant?

I have two solutions.

• Use your existing experience and make it transferable

If you have an existing Facebook and Instagram account, play around and see how you can build engagement and increase your followers.

Google and read how others have done it, then try it yourself. Then you can approach a client and say:

‘I created excellent content regularly and have grown my Instagram followers by x% in 2 months and increased the engagement rates by y%’.

 Simples 🙂

• Do it free for others, for a limited period.

You can offer services for free or at a discounted rate for 1 month.

Gain good experience and testimonials and boom! You are on your way to begin advertising yourself as a VA with ample experience that can command higher rates.

Don’t do it free for too long, just long enough for you to be able to show you have some experience and to get a testimonial.

It is one of the best ways to learn how to become a virtual assistant with no experience.

 

3-Create a website advertising your services

Similar to any business, once you invest time, effort and money into it…. it is more likely to grow and succeed.

If you want to come across as professional to clients, having a basic website advertising your services is crucial.

But what if you aren’t tech-savvy?

Welcome to the technology- freaks-me-out club and take a seat. To solve this problem, I created a FREE simple 8-step guide on How to Create a Freelance Website for Beginners 

If you follow the 8 steps you will have a brand spanking new website set up in under 2 hours!

4-Decide what to charge

You don’t want to under-price yourself, but you also don’t want to scare the client away. I understand

But first of all, there are three main ways to charge in this industry:

• Charging by the hour
• Charging by the project
• Charging by a retainer

Charging by the hour

You can charge an hourly rate and set a timer to determine how long it took you to complete a project. 

Normally, you agree in advance with a client a rough idea of how many hours it will take to complete a project.

But what do you charge?

That is up to you!

If you are a beginner, as a minimum you should charge $15 per hour, but you can quickly upscale that once you gain experience of a few services.

I have seen VAs earn $60 an hour and some easily make $10,000 per month!

• Flat rate – per project

This is my favorite method of charging

If you are really efficient and manage your time properly, you can end up completing the project sooner than you initially thought, but get paid the same.

Also, you won’t be arguing with the client about billable hours, as you have negotiated a price upfront and it’s up to you to deliver it, within the deadline.

Tip- Make sure you both AGREE on the task deliverables and send an email clearly outlining the task summary and the price before you begin, so there is no confusion later on.

• Charging by a retainer

A retainer is a fixed amount the client pays you for your time. They can use your services at any time in the month. It’s a bit like a Netflix subscription, you pay whether you use it or not.

So the client pays for the privilege of being able to use and call upon your services when it suits them.

This doesn’t mean they can use your services at whim. You can negotiate a heads-up period, so you can also balance your other clients’ projects too.

It’s all about having open communication on both sides.

Note- Clients won’t normally be open to a retainer unless they have worked with you first. So, if you are new, it’s best to suggest an hourly or project rate first.

 

5-How to find your first paying client

There are many ways but here are the main methods to find virtual assistant jobs from home:

• Virtual Assistant Agencies
• FB Groups
• Job Boards
• Cold Pitching

Virtual assistant agencies

Here are a list of Virtual Assistant Agencies you can apply to :

• MyOutDesk
• Belay
• Woodbows
• Profit Factory
• Boldly
• Uassistme
• 27 Virtual Assistant
• Virtual Employee

FB Groups

There are an array of FB groups where a VA can advertise their services.

Also, jobs are often posted, as well as tips and tricks from other VAs in the industry.

• Virtual Assistant Network
• Virtual Assistant Job Board
• Virtual Assistant Services, Careers, Jobs
• Virtual Assistant Connections
• Virtual Assistant Hiring

Job boards

This requires you to have a search through jobs advertised, just like any other non-virtual job. The key is to search on remote working sites

Here is a list of 15 remote working sites for you to start your search.

Make sure you search categories related to sales, marketing, and administration.

Also, focus on keyword phrases like  ‘email management’, “blog management,” and “social media”. It is also worth googling ‘ I want to hire a virtual assistant’ and see what sites come up.

Then advertise your services on those sites. I did that and found these virtual assistant websites :

• Best Sites to Hire a Virtual Assistant
• Virtual Assistants

Cold pitching (by email)

Initially, this is the scariest method ..but is the most effective.

Why?

Because you aren’t competing with hundreds of other experienced VAs applying for jobs at agencies and job boards.

Let me give you an example.

I noticed an online travel company wasn’t active on Pinterest or Facebook. These two platforms are huge sources of web traffic.

So, I searched for their contact details on their site and suggested I manage their Pinterest and Facebook and they agreed!

Every week I would upload pictures and quotes on their social media platforms, which led to more customers being engaged and buying their services!

I have also pitched SEO services, data entry and ghostwriting to clients.

All this resulted in successful new projects, which I got paid for, working from the comfort of my own home … and sometimes my Airbnb accommodation, as I often travel and work.

If you need help with your virtual assistant pitch, drop me a note, and I will try and help with some of the virtual assistant pitch examples that I have used.

Once you get the hang of cold pitching, you can use the same virtual assistant pitch template for new clients.

6-Get paid

You can get paid via Paypal or bank transfer.

Generally, most clients will pay via Paypal. Although, some may prefer bank account details.

If you have an international client, set up a TransferWise account for FREE, which will provide you with bank details for different parts of the world.

What do you mean?

Let’s say you live in the US, but your client is in the UK.

The client won’t want to pay expensive international bank transfer fees, so TransferWise allows you to give them a local UK sort code and account number to pay.

The money will go into your TransferWise account and you can convert it to USD if you choose.

 

7- How to get recurring work

• Go above and beyond

Recurring work is the best kind of work, because you don’t have to search and pitch to new clients.

It saves you time.

It’s as simple as delivering more than what is expected of you.

Examples of these are delivering a project ahead of a deadline or providing a free image with a blog post you have been paid to write.

Also – it could be as simple as taking 10 minutes to think about how your client could do things better.

For example, you can say, ‘ I had a look at your FB page, I can see that infographics and inspirational quotes do really well and bring lots of engagement. Have you thought about uploading more content like this?’

Little touches go a long way.

• Demonstrate value

If you can track the outcome of your work, and share the value you created for the client, you are on to a winner.

For example, if you have been hired to schedule FB and Instagram posts.

You can say, ‘Over the last 30 days, your FB page engagement increased by x. The page also received x likes, comments, and shares.’

• Discounts

Everyone loves to feel special.

You could offer discounts to recurring clients as a way of saying thank you for their business.

Make sure you tell them you are giving them a discount and why!

• Referrals

You could incentive existing clients by giving them a discount on any client referrals they send to you.

They win because they get a discount, and you win because you secure new business.

What Is A Freelance Virtual Assistant?

Same thing but you set your own rates and schedule.

You are essentially your own business and can work in the evenings or weekends,  as little or as much as you choose.

In the article above you can find the exact steps on how to become a freelance virtual assistant.

Why would anyone hire a VA?

The same reason why any company would hire a secretary/admin assistant to help run their business.

A virtual assistant essentially helps business owners complete tasks so the owners can focus their energy on building their businesses.

Time is a limited and valuable resource.

Successful business owners can focus their time on building their businesses and outsource tasks that can be done by other people.

Virtual assistants can get paid to work from home and business owners have more free time to grow their business.

It’s a win-win solution

 

Why would you want to be a VA?

Firstly, it’s a great way to monetize any existing skills you have.

If you are organized, enjoy planning, and are great at administrative tasks, you can earn decent money.

Secondly, it is super flexible.

Since you can work from home, you can work in your pajamas and also pick up your kids from school or take long lunches.

As long as the work gets done, you get paid.

Thirdly, you can save costs as you can avoid the dreaded commute.

And finally, you will have more free time.

You aren’t spending time commuting or listening to your colleague complain about how the boss is most definitely being paid too much.

Instead, you can focus on your tasks, get them done, get paid and enjoy all the free time you have doing things you love!

How much can you earn?

You can easily earn between $2,000 to over $10,000 per month, depending on the services you provide.

More on that later.

One of my coaching clients from Latvia (I teach people how to work remotely), is a mother of two children. She earns just over $3,000 per month working 20 hours a week

Most VAs with no experience charge $15 per hour and increase their rate as they gain more experience.

Virtual Assistant Training

If you are still asking yourself, how do I become a virtual assistant with no experience and looking for an an in-depth course on how to become a virtual assistant with no experience.

I recommend either of these two courses :

• The 10k VA course
• The Virtual Savvy System

The 10k VA course was created by Kayla Sloan, a Virtual Assistant that consistently earns more than $10,000 per month.

Her course has 7 modules that train you on how to get your first client, how to pitch with a virtual assistant pitch sample and template, how to overcome client objections, how to increase your rate and so much more.

You also get access to a private Facebook group where you can network with other VAs and also, you get preferential pricing for one-on-one coaching calls with Kayla.

Alternatively, the The Virtual Savvy System by Abbey , is equally amazing.

Her course has 14 modules which include how to set up your website, pitch templates and access to a VA  community.

Once you complete either of these virtual assistant courses online, you will be know how to become a virtual assistant with no experience.

The courses will train you to become a fully-fledged virtual assistant, you will know how and where to find clients and also how to increase your rate.

That’s the beauty of these courses, you invest in them and they train and upskill you, so you are ready to start a new career.

If you are worried about the price of the courses, it helps if you think about how much you spend on holidays, dinners and nights out.

Spend 6 months saving and then allocate the money to a course that will change your life. I know this, as it changed mine.

I found the course was a small price to pay to be able to learn how to work remotely.

I learnt how to become a virtual assistant with no experience and earn well from the comfort of my own home 🙂

Tips To Succeed As A Virtual Assistant

• Always demonstrate value

If you are pitching to a potential client or answering an advertisement on a Facebook group, try and demonstrate the VALUE you can add to a company.

It will increase your chances of getting hired.

Bad example :

‘I am available for virtual assistant services and my rate is $20 per hour. My email is xxxxx@gmail.com’

Good example:

‘I am a virtual assistant that specializes in email management, blog writing, and social media management.

I want to free up your time so you can focus on growing your business. With each project I take on, I want to ensure you gain more time, readers or new clients.

My rate ranges between $20- $25 per hour depending on what your needs are. Message me to arrange a complimentary call where we can discuss a package that suits you and your business.’

• Your Unique Selling Point (USP)

Use your background and experience to give you an edge.

For example, my background is law and finance, so I can say I have analytical and writing skills.

Also, if you have ample experience posting pictures on social media, mention that!

• Services page

Have a services page on your website which details all the services you can provide.

This allows clients to see that you can support their business in other ways.

So, they may have initially hired you to schedule social media content, but they may discover that you can also write blog posts once they see your services page.

• Automate

It is possible to automate a lot of social media scheduling, so you aren’t struck ay your desk manually uploading content all day.

Automation tools allow you to plan and schedule Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin posts throughout the month.

Read this article to find out common social media automation tools.

• Have a discovery call

Sometimes picking up the phone (or a Skype call) can go a long way.

Rather than liaising with the client from the beginning via email, suggest a free 30-minute discovery call where you find out exactly what the client needs and is trying to achieve.

Once you have determined what they need, tailor your skills and personality and show them how you are going to help them achieve it.

It’s a bit hard to do all that via email!

• Policies

Once you have agreed to a package, send the client a summary of what was agreed and your policies.

This could be as simple as, sending them your rate, what was agreed and hours that you can be contacted.

Why?

Because some clients may try and contact you at ungodly hours and on weekends and expect you to reply.

Set your boundaries from the beginning.

7-Availability

Having said that, it’s important to let the client know that you will prioritize their needs… if an emergency happens.

I have a long-standing client who continues to hire me, even though I have increased my rate multiple times.

The reason for this is, they know I will help and fix any urgent problem if they need me.

They can count on me.

I don’t make a habit of this and the client knows it’s a one-off, but I make sure my clients know, if there is an emergency that needs to be fixed, I’m here to help.

I care about their business so anything that jeopardizes it, I make it my business to help.

• Keep it simple with services and build a foundation

If you are new to this industry, start with a few basic services and then add more virtual assistant services later.

You could offer 3 services, such as blog post writing, FB and Instagram content scheduling.

In your free time, you can learn SEO, Pinterest, and WordPress (for free on YouTube ) and then offer that as a service later on!

• What do you call yourself?

Often people don’t understand what a virtual assistant does, or sometimes, it has negative connotations with cheap labor (which isn’t the case at all)

To avoid this,  if you offer one main service, call yourself that.

Niching down is the best way you can demand a higher rate.

For example, you can call yourself a:

• Social media manager
• SEO expert
• Blog Writer
• Graphic designer

FAQs For How To Become A Virtual Assistant With No Experience

What Do You Need To Start Being A Virtual Assistant?

Now that you know how to become a virtual assistant, the second step is knowing what you need to start being a virtual assistant.

Like most remote jobs, you’ll need a dedicated workspace. You will also need a computer or laptop, high-speed internet connections, a dedicated phone line, a printer and scanner, and sometimes a fax machine.

How To Become A Personal Assistant With No Experience?

Here are some steps you can take to help you to become a personal assistant with no experience.

1. Take online courses – Here are some great VA Courses

2. Decide the kind of work you can do

3. Figure out how to charge your service

4. Advertise yourself online

5. Apply for jobs (cold pitch)

6. Get to know your client and how you can help them

Is It Hard To Get A Virtual Assistant Job?

Need to know if it is hard to get a virtual assistant job? Many companies are looking to hire a freelance virtual assistant for admin jobs. 

So finding a virtual assistant job isn’t difficult. You can find one, whether you are providing freelance virtual assistance or filling a full-time position.

What Exactly Does A Virtual Assistant Do?

Want to be a VA? First, you will need to know what exactly does a virtual assistant do.

Offering administrative services to clients from a remote location, usually a home office, is the bread and butter of being a VA.

Some of a VA’s tasks include managing emails, scheduling appointments, answering phone calls, and other administrative tasks. 

Can I Be A Virtual Assistant With Just My Phone?

VAs can work from home, but can you be a virtual assistant with just your phone? Some virtual assistants may use only their laptops and cell phone. 

However, depending on your assignment, you may need additional computers or monitors to ease your tasks. Having a dedicated phone is also good for keeping your work separate.

How To Become A Social Media Virtual Assistant?

Are you researching how to become a social media virtual assistant? First, you will need a computer, phone, and internet access. 

Having experience managing social media campaigns is preferable as employers seek individuals familiar with the norms of behavior on each social media platform. 

Other skills required for a social media VA are attention to detail and good communication.

Am I Qualified To Be A Virtual Assistant?

Need to know if you are qualified to be a virtual assistant. VAs must be organized, proficient in standard office computer programs, and have excellent communication skills. 

Being able to work independently and being self-motivated are qualities of a good VA. Moreover, having previous experience as an administrative assistant is a plus.

Is Virtual Assistant Job Stressful?

Are you wondering if a virtual assistant job is stressful? Unfortunately, for many Virtual Assistants, the center of their stress resides in too little time. 

Therefore, there is pressure if you find yourself needing more time when completing a task. However, you can also manage your stress by organizing your time and schedule adequately.

Is Virtual Assistant Still In Demand?

Want to start a virtual assistant career but is virtual assistant still in demand? More and more companies, regardless of size, are looking to outsource their support tasks to talented, qualified virtual assistants.

These companies are looking for cost- and time-saving solutions, so hiring a virtual assistant can help them.

How Much Money Can You Make As A Virtual Assistant

Are you trying to determine how much money you can make as a virtual assistant? With this side hustle, you can make as much as $100 an hour, depending on your specialized skills. 

Specialized roles like creating WordPress sites, organizing email campaigns, or managing online subscriptions can earn you more than $100.

Virtual Assistant Instagram Post Ideas

Here are some social media post ideas for virtual assistants to use for Instagram.

• Introduce yourself as a VA
• How-to tips eg, how to use Canva
• Workspace photos
• My everyday routine as a VA
• Favorite podcasts or books
• Client testimonial
• Talk about how you got started as a VA
• Video tutorial on how to (insert tasks)

Conclusion

Learning how to become a virtual assistant with no experience shouldn’t be complicated or difficult.

You just need to have a willingness to work hard, learn new skills and follow the 7 step process provided above.

Also, do you want more tips to succeed as a virtual assistant? If you are a beginner with no experience, then check out my article 11 Best Freelancing Tips For Beginners where you will learn the best tips to become a successful freelancer VA today!

Do you have any other questions about how to become a virtual assistant with no experience, that I haven’t answered?

Please share them in the comments below!

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• How to Become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant 
• How To Become A Virtual Bookkeeper (Monetise Your Numeracy Skills)
• How to Become a Freelance Social Media Manager in 30 Days
• All The Best Virtual Assistant Jobs Hiring NOW
• Virtual Assistant Courses That Will Skyrocket Your Income
• Virtual Assistant For Coaches – Everything You Need To Know
• How To Become A Virtual Bookkeeper (Earn $100 An Hour!)