Have you ever wondered what the word “virtual assistant” means? To be honest, I didn’t know this word either half a year ago. It’s quite simple though. 

Everyone knows freelancers. They are self-employed contractors who deliver various services online. Basically, that’s a job description of a specialized virtual assistant as well. In Europe, this kind of job isn’t too popular yet, but in other parts of the world it’s an ordinary type of employment. It’s most common in the United States, Philippines, India and the UK.

Now, there is another question: what do these freelancers do for a living?

Freelancers have a wide range of professions – they can be graphic designers, copywriters, marketers and many others. They can even work in multiple areas or to be general virtual assistants. Their goal is to help entrepreneurs and people in business with their work.

Imagine that you were making a business. You had a lot of work just by creating a business plan, dealing with finances, creating registrations and so on. Not everyone has time for all the tasks, and sometimes a little help is all you need. That’s why there are virtual assistants – they’ll help you with anything your business may need. 

Do you need a design of your own brand? Hire a freelancer focused on graphic design instead of paying for an employee. They’ll design your brand in a shorter time and you don’t need to worry about anything else. For example, you don’t need to pay for an office or a vacation, since they work for a trade. They pay for all of their taxes and are also responsible for their sick days and time off – you pay them only for the time they spend on your work.

How did I discover this profession?

During my last days of my state exam period, I noticed an ad for a virtual assistant course on facebook. It interested me enough to check it out. After several months, I’m here starting my career as one. I’m really thankful for everything I learned thanks to pinkasistent.sk, who created this course. Initial investment was all I needed to boost my starting career right at the beginning. I’m still learning and every new experience will move me forward.

What motivated me to become a virtual assistant?

I want to work on myself and to become an independent person who’d be able to travel a lot. My traveling dreams combined with my passion for creating art led me to think outside of the box – realistically, in my region, there weren’t many opportunities for this kind of lifestyle. Yet, because it’s not common it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. 

That’s why I started to consider this option right at the beginning, besides unsuccessfully hunting for a graphic designer job. I realized if I want to start now, to gain experience in my profession and to be able to have a stable job, I need to try different opportunities.

What have I learned so far?

I started to offer services online only last month and already gained several clients. Thanks to the first orders I’m learning how to professionally talk with clients, how to promote my services and how to do my job the best way possible. The key for a successful start of the business are satisfied clients.

You probably already noticed my specialization throughout this website – I’m a freelance graphic designer. I create designs of brands, websites or packaging. I studied graphic design, but practically I’ve never used it before this job. I did several web designs for small projects of mine and a few more related to branding. I’m building and expanding my portfolio along the way. 

I also learned a few more skills throughout the course that I’m using for offering new kinds of services. I’m planning to gain even more experience with highly demanded services like eshop design or professional social media management.

Using a proven method, I obtained my clients through websites like jaspravim.sk, LinkedIn or Fiverr so far. I’ll continue building up a larger network on more sites.