You can do many jobs nowadays and have more opportunities if you have the right skills. But amongst the numerous jobs available today, none is more lucrative than being an assistant. Of course, you can always go the traditional route and seek a career as a personal assistant, but you can go one step further and decide to be a virtual assistant. For one, a virtual assistant works remotely, so there’s no more need for you to undergo a long commute to and from work. For another, virtual assistants can acquire more skills as they go along, which means better opportunities for growth and better pay. But if you are starting on this path, how can you establish yourself as a remote virtual assistant? Here’s what you can do.

• Think about your skills

Your skills are the first thing you need to consider if you want to go in the direction of a virtual assistant. What skills do you currently have? It bodes well for you that virtual assistants do not need any special experience or education. However, it would be better to have an enhanced set of skills to have a better reputation and get more from your clients. For instance – if you are adept at working on the computer, then your computer proficiency can be a good and necessary skill as a virtual assistant. Do you write and communicate well? This could be another skill to offer to your clients. If you are good at organisation and scheduling, this would be another set of skills which would put you on a higher level than most. Those with the ability to pay meticulous attention to detail are also invaluable as virtual assistants.

You may also want to get special training for certain skills that would place you higher as a virtual assistant. For instance, you can undergo website and graphic design courses to enhance your skills in these areas, or you could take a marketing course to help future clients with their marketing needs. Of course, the more skilled you are, the more in demand you will be.

• Get the equipment you need

You should also invest in the proper equipment to offer your clients more value. It’s better to separate your work from your personal life by investing in the right equipment for each. Some much-needed items include a good Internet connection that can be wired or wireless, a mobile phone, and a computer. Depending on your client’s needs, you may also want to invest in commonly-used computer software. Aside from this, you should find a workspace (so you can focus and work in peace), other gadgets (such as extra monitors), and a headset.

• Find the proper clients

Of course, you would need to find the proper clients as well – and you have two options: one is to start on your own, and another is to join a recruiter or agency. Whilst both choices are fine, remember that if you are starting on your own, there tends to be a lot of competition at first, and you may lose career opportunities to more experienced virtual assistants. On the other hand, if you work with a recruiter or agency, you have access to more clients that can match your experience and rate.