Author Topic: How to start a career as VIRTUAL ASSISTANT? (Read 4173 times)

superMeme · « **on:** April 01, 2012, 10:27:37 am »

This is for those na working na as a VIRTUAL ASSISTANT..some tips and details on how to start...parang VITUAL ASSISTANT 101....this would greatly help those na gusto mag work-at-home lang...

Sana may magreply! Thanks!

virt_train · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2012, 11:56:21 am »

You can start by building a profile online. A great place to start is through Odesk.com

superMeme · « **Reply #2 on:** April 09, 2012, 09:09:20 am »

Hi sis....thanks sa repy...

Thats it sis? Just build a profile? What about the contracts between you and your client, diba dapat ako ang magbigay nun sa kanila like terms, etc...

fRaNcOisaLabeLLe · « **Reply #3 on:** April 12, 2012, 12:12:43 am »

Quote from: superMeme on April 01, 2012, 10:27:37 am

This is for those na working na as a VIRTUAL ASSISTANT..some tips and details on how to start...parang VITUAL ASSISTANT 101....this would greatly help those na gusto mag work-at-home lang...

Sana may magreply! Thanks!

Indeed a good question, sis SuperMeme. I am also interested about the details of being a Virtual Assistant. Keep the answers coming!

shoppefloor · « **Reply #4 on:** April 12, 2012, 02:21:53 pm »

Hello sis,
I started working at home as a VA last December, I found the job opening in onlinejobs.ph then konting interview sa email tapos nag send ako ng voice recording ko sa employer then I got hired.
The offer was $450 (not bad), he trained me for 2 weeks. It's more of a Real Estate tasks so I was doing copy writing, email marketing etc.

My relationship with my employer was great until last February he started sending late payments. He said na dahil German sya at naka-based sa Canada ay nilimitahan ng ang mga German accounts nya due to a lot of transactions in the U.S & Canada. Pero that's fine kasi nasesend pa rin naman nya yun salary ko kahit late na.

Then last Feb.24 I took a 1 week vacation leave kasi I was getting married. I came back first week of March at hindi pa rin nya nasesend ang salary ko. I sent him emails & even tried chatting with him sa Skype pero hindi sya sumasagot.
So nag email ako sa management ng onlinejob.ph then they took immediate action, they contacted my employer about the issue tapos nun nag email na agad yun employer ko together with the payment in my Paypal account.

He said he was very sorry and asking me to continue working for him.
I realized na hindi pala talaga ganun ka-stable ang "work at home" and that anytime pwede ka mawalan ng trabaho.

But I found out other companies here in the philippines offering home based jobs, I passed the interview in myoutdesk.com pero super dami nila hinihingi na requirements like upgrading your PC tapos pag na-hire ka you'll be on training for 2 weeks. Yun bayad sa training maliit lang tapos pag hindi mo naipasa yun training hindi ka nila babayaran.

superMeme · « **Reply #5 on:** April 12, 2012, 04:10:40 pm »

^thanks sis for sharing.

Part time Ka ba dun sa client mo? Whats your sched pag ganun? And may kontrata ba between the 2 of you? Are u the one who prepared the contract? What are the things needed to start aside fom pc and net connection?

Sori sis dami tanong...just want to know the nitty gritty details....

For other sisses sana may magshare din....

shoppefloor · « **Reply #6 on:** April 12, 2012, 09:18:22 pm »

I was working full time sis, the best part is I can choose my own schedule as long as I work 40 hours a week. Nag night shift lang ako nung binigyan ako ng new project which requires making calls to the U.S & Canada kaya I need to follow their time zone.
Regarding the contract, via email lang rin parang typical email lang na nakalagay dun yun salary, number of hours nang work mo or yun working hours mo then mga typical na conditions like you need to advise if mag absent ka. Tapos kayo na bahala mag usap kung Paypal or Western Union ang gagamitin for sending your salary.

The things I needed to start? In this case wala naman aside from the fact na dapat you're ready & willing to learn new things

fRaNcOisaLabeLLe · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2012, 06:57:24 am »

Very informative posts, sis shoppefloor. I wish to venture into a VA career. I just don't know where to and how to start.

shoppefloor · « **Reply #8 on:** April 13, 2012, 02:52:19 pm »

sis fRaNcOisaLabeLLe, it's very easy to start. Ako kasi nag research lang ako sa internet kung ano yun mga website na tumatanggap ng home based work. Tapos apply lang ng apply.

You also have to be aware na when you're working at home, walang HR na mag aasikaso ng benefits mo like SSS, Pag-ibig etc. ikaw mismo ang pupunta sa mga local office natin to pay for your contributions which is isang bagay na super kinakatamaran ko. hehe

fRaNcOisaLabeLLe · « **Reply #9 on:** April 17, 2012, 08:58:18 am »

Thank you for answering my queries sis shoppefloor. I will find time to apply once my schedule's a bit clear na. Yun lang no the downside of it is you have to be willing to face the long queues in those government offices.

superMeme · « **Reply #10 on:** April 17, 2012, 09:19:48 am »

hi sis shoppe...we r glad na pinagtyatyagaan mo kami sagutin ni sis francois hehe...

with regards to the sched, u said its 40hr/week...so how does the client keep track of your time? kasi i think sa odesk, they this app downloaded tas dun nakikita activity ng contractor... with what you have now (or had), panu yung time tracking ng boss mo? kasi if u choose ur own working time, thats really very flexible ( lalo na sa mga moms like me). u can do errands in between...basta makadeliver

And what was your niche you specified when you're applying? kasi diba pag VA iba-iba specialty like transcription, legal asisstant etc...[textspeak!] ba yung pinakageneral (or generic) task ng isang VA? at tips na rin kung [textspeak!] yung mga hinahanap ng mga clients mostly in a VA...

thanks...thanks a lot...

sana yung ibang sisses natin na VA eh pansinin din kami for tips hehe...

god bless sis for your kindness. alam ko [textspeak!] ka rin....

shoppefloor · « **Reply #11 on:** April 17, 2012, 09:50:26 am »

My previous employer bought applications that I can use for time tracking, the first one is "Rescue Time" then nung nag expire na, kumuha sya ng new time tracking application called "Time Doctor".

I think most clients look for someone good in writing, SEO, programming etc. In my end, I always apply for customer service or Data Entry jobs.

Some clients don't want to train their employees so they normally look for someone with experience.
Don't apply for a job unless you're certain na kaya mo sya talaga gawin. Remember when you're working at home you have to be independent at hindi sa lahat ng oras e andyan yun client mo to help you.
Mas ok rin kung may mga proof ka na mapapakita regarding your skills like if you have a blog or if you've designed a website before mas maganda na ipakita mo yan pag nag apply ka para dagdag points.

foxy_6518 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 22, 2012, 07:25:26 pm »

Thank you sa info sis shoppefloor. Nagsastart palang din ako mag-apply online. I'm registered at odesk.com Sana magkaron na ng first client.

wifeathome · « **Reply #13 on:** April 23, 2012, 10:35:29 am »

sorry to hear about your experience. no matter how we are careful in dealing with clients, minsan may mga ganyan pa ring hassle na nangyayari.

charge to experience na rin talaga at saka it gives us the opportunity to be more organized on how we do business (kahit pa we are under a specific provider like odesk).

have you tried to offer your services as independent na? like leaving odesk and using your own website to get clients?

Quote from: shoppefloor on April 12, 2012, 02:21:53 pm

Hello sis,
I started working at home as a VA last December, I found the job opening in onlinejobs.ph then konting interview sa email tapos nag send ako ng voice recording ko sa employer then I got hired.
The offer was $450 (not bad), he trained me for 2 weeks. It's more of a Real Estate tasks so I was doing copy writing, email marketing etc.

My relationship with my employer was great until last February he started sending late payments. He said na dahil German sya at naka-based sa Canada ay nilimitahan ng ang mga German accounts nya due to a lot of transactions in the U.S & Canada. Pero that's fine kasi nasesend pa rin naman nya yun salary ko kahit late na.

Then last Feb.24 I took a 1 week vacation leave kasi I was getting married. I came back first week of March at hindi pa rin nya nasesend ang salary ko. I sent him emails & even tried chatting with him sa Skype pero hindi sya sumasagot.
So nag email ako sa management ng onlinejob.ph then they took immediate action, they contacted my employer about the issue tapos nun nag email na agad yun employer ko together with the payment in my Paypal account.

He said he was very sorry and asking me to continue working for him.
I realized na hindi pala talaga ganun ka-stable ang "work at home" and that anytime pwede ka mawalan ng trabaho.

But I found out other companies here in the philippines offering home based jobs, I passed the interview in myoutdesk.com pero super dami nila hinihingi na requirements like upgrading your PC tapos pag na-hire ka you'll be on training for 2 weeks. Yun bayad sa training maliit lang tapos pag hindi mo naipasa yun training hindi ka nila babayaran.

shoppefloor · « **Reply #14 on:** April 24, 2012, 11:36:17 am »

^^
Hi sis, my previous client was not from Odesk. I met him through onlinejobs.ph
Nag try na rin ako sa Odesk dati pero minsan swertihan na lang din ang makahanap ng work sa Odesk kasi bidding lagi.
I discovered na marami na rin pala local office dito satin na nag ooffer ng home based VA dapat, parang outsouring din pero puro home based, apply lang ako ng apply hanggang sa makahanap ng matino na client.

wifeathome · « **Reply #15 on:** April 25, 2012, 10:56:53 am »

Tama. Ganyan nga, tyagaan lang din naman talaga, even sa work from home jobs, at least pag sa bahay ka, mas tolerable yung application process, ready ka lang ng resume, send emails and monitor yung replies nila regarding your application.

Based from experience, ito yung tips that I can share for those who want to work from home:

-Assess your current skills and if there is a hungry market that matches these skills

For example, if writing is your specialty, then you have to master at least one style of writing, para mas malaki ang advantage mo when you apply for such jobs. If it is article writing, then prepare samples of your articles for review before you apply para madali na magpresent ng samples when they asked for those.

Sa hungry market part naman, it is best to check local career sites para malaman kung marami ang naghahanap ng VA based on your specialty. This will also help you narrow your searches, madali kasi for us to apply nalang for every job vacancy, thinking that we can do the job naman, tapos hindi pala match yung expectations ng client sa atin, so sayang lang ang application. Besides, mas manageable i-track ang progress ng applications kung mas kaunti lang muna ang inaplayan natin di ba?

-Prepare your home office 'supplies'

Make a good first impression by making sure that you have your supplies ready and in tip top shape as soon as you send out your online application. Yung laptop, desktop mo, ayos ba, baka masyadong mabagal mag-open yung mga files, make sure to have it checked. Yung internet connection mo ba ayos din ba, baka kailangan ipa-adjust yung height ng antenna if it has one para mas makasagap ng signal. Yung headset malinaw ba ang pagkarinig mo sa audio and malinaw naman ang rinig sa iyo ng kausap mo? These are somewhat basic, pero mas maganda naman na lahat yan ok na kaysa sa mawalan ka ng potential employer or client kasi hindi kayo magkarinigan sa skype during interview or worse eh maputol ang connection mo while you are in the middle of an online interview.

-Learn to negotiate if the situation calls for it

Pakiramdaman natin yung offer nila if they already expressed their intentions of hiring your services. Nakaka-overwhelm minsan na grab nalang natin yung unang client that comes our way just because we really want to get our first VA experience. Kung sila may karapatan mamili ng applicants, tayo rin may karapatan na i-let go ang isang opportunity especially kung masyado naman tayong dehado (sa sweldo for example). But if the terms are really good, then go for it.

Masyado na ata mahaba ito, actually marami pa ako gusto i-share, ciempre mas maganda nagtutulungan tayo di ba?

Quote from: shoppefloor on April 24, 2012, 11:36:17 am

^^
Hi sis, my previous client was not from Odesk. I met him through onlinejobs.ph
Nag try na rin ako sa Odesk dati pero minsan swertihan na lang din ang makahanap ng work sa Odesk kasi bidding lagi.
I discovered na marami na rin pala local office dito satin na nag ooffer ng home based VA dapat, parang outsouring din pero puro home based, apply lang ako ng apply hanggang sa makahanap ng matino na client.

shoppefloor · « **Reply #16 on:** April 25, 2012, 01:09:26 pm »

^^
I agree sis wifeathome.
Tska dapat pag nag apply ka make sure na interested ka talaga sa job and you have at least an idea kung paano sya gagawin. Mahirap kasi yun may nakuha ka nga na work pero hindi ka naman interested, you'll just get bored tapos you'll end up leaving the job.

wifeathome · « **Reply #17 on:** April 25, 2012, 03:40:10 pm »

^^
True. Yung parang nagulat ka na ganun pala ang magiging work tapos di mo pala feel.

Sayang lang ang effort di ba?

By the way, aside from odesk and onlinejobs may iba pa ba kayong pinupuntahang site for that? I haven't had the chance to roam around those sites lately eh. Medyo ok naman kasi ang tanggap lately.

shoppefloor · « **Reply #18 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:32:10 pm »

Myoutdesk.com -
local office yan dito sa atin they outsource VA sa mga client nila sa U.S. I passed the final interview pero di pa ako kumpleto sa requirements kaya di ako makapag start tska super dami rin kasi nila requirements like kailangan ko mag upgrade ng 2mbps tapos upgrade ng PC memory. etc..

Nakalimutan ko yun pay during training pero maliit lang tapos pag nakapasa ka dyan you also have to pass the Client Interview.
If not, di nila babayaran yun time and effort mo sa 2 weeks training.

If you pass all those interview, you get basic pay of 500 USD/ month

after 6 months, salary increase plus HMO with 1 dependent
after 1 year, salary increase plus 7 days paid leave

Not bad diba? kailangan mo lang talaga sya pag tyagaan at galingan para makapasa sa lahat ng interview.

maiandra · « **Reply #19 on:** April 26, 2012, 10:19:25 am »

wow i might try this one sis. kaso the first 1 year wala talagang leave? 5 days a week pa rin ba to?

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Author Topic: How to start a career as VIRTUAL ASSISTANT? (Read 4173 times)