New Skills - Your Path to New Opportunities

Our ultimate goal to being successful in this business is to standing out from the crowd. Granted there are many ways that you can accomplish that very thing and it can either enhance or destroy your business or yourself as a brand. Versatility is what sells in the Virtual World. Clients are excited at the fact that their Assistants are not only hard working but talented. To appreciate the value of this concept, you must walk a few miles your Client's shoes. Don't you want to know that you have hired the best? Being the one to brag to your friends and colleagues about the hidden gem you stumbled upon. This can rein true, especially if you have sold them on your services and delivered on their expectations. This could essentially raise the bar for other Administrators out there, making you a prime asset in industry. This could potentially increase your business, bringing in many more repeats clients and possibly some referrals. So let's expound on what skills are needed and how to go about acquiring.

Your Niche

One way to seeking out new skills is identifying your niche. That can be a challenge if you dabble in everything from book-keeping to transcription. I actually fall into that category and I realize that it makes it harder to concentrate on any particular area.

Therefore your first order of business would be to select a sector of that niche you would like to specialize in as added value to your already vast skill set. Bare in mind, Administration is a rather broad field of business. It would include areas such as Accounting, Human Resource and Customer Service, fields which can be broken down further. As Administrators we touch lightly on all related areas in our everyday functions. Thus, being the perfect opportunity to further yourself in the skills of any or all of the areas listed.

Is there anything that tickles your fancy? Any subject area of Administration that you have had trouble with in the past and have wanted to master? Therein sets the challenge, however the reward will provide you with invaluable knowledge that you can take further.

The Skills

At this time, if you are a long running Administrative Assistant, you are very well versed on the basics of the Administrative Functions. Let's review them quickly:

1) Planning - Establishing and arranging goals
2) Staffing - Determining personnel needs and filling them
3) Providing an effective Support Systems
4) Controlling Information
5) Budgeting

These functions do vary depending on the Assistants Level and Seniority. For example, Executive Assistants are higher on the scale and would more than likely incorporate all of these function.

Keeping those functions in mind, you would have to decide which ones you would like to extend your knowledge on. A perfect example would be Accounting/Book-keeping. If your Client knows that you have adequate knowledge of the subject area, it would in essence saves them the headache of hiring additional staff, example a book-keeper.

Saving your client time and money is ultimately what your business about. Your skills would be valued and appreciated knowing that you can add to your already trusted service. You want your Client to want to have you by their side. Their "Right Hand" Person. One they depend on to take care of their tasks without the worry.

Where to Start

How about at the top? You should want to forget what you know about the subject completely when during the training process. It will help you absorb more of what is being taught and opening your mind to different ideas on how to use this new skill to your advantage.

Don't just start and then stop. Quitting is no an option in this game because you are playing to win. That is, winning new Clients and being able to upgrade your current prices.

Try not to just stick to the context of the books or text recommended. Research people, research. As an Administrator we are very resourceful at finding different avenues of one idea in order to understand the bigger picture. Use the Internet to further enhance your knowledge.

Lastly, practice, practice, practice. Try to incorporate what you have learnt, no matter how small into your daily work. It will help you remember and feel much more comfortable applying it when it comes down to exams.

Own Your New Skill

When you obtain that added qualification, DON'T HIDE it. Brag about it. Post it on your walls, on your blogs, websites and your profiles. Let the world and your Clients know that you have more to bring to the table. Tell them you would like to give them first hand experience of what you have learnt. (NB. This is not the time to raise your prices). Though, you should not make your Client feel like you are using them for your trial and error experiment. Start off small and work up to the bigger stuff. Try not to get discouraged as it can get overwhelming at times, however it becomes second nature to you.

Guys, we are the only ones limiting ourselves to what we can do. Some concepts may be harder to grasp but they are not impossible. Always believe you CAN do anything you put your mind to and run with it. DO NOT look back. Like I always say "KEEP MOVING FORWARD"

Thank you for taking the time out to read my blog and please feel free to leave feedback, it would be appreciated. Of course, share it. You may just change a life.

Cheers!

One Off Job - Your Goldmine

One Time Project can make or break your business in this industry. It is a great opportunity to showcase the skills. Managing something like that may just be a one time deal. In most cases you if you can impress this Client there is a possibility that the next time there is another project whether it be similar or different in the pipeline, you would most likely be the first point of contact. REPEAT CLIENTS are the best! Clients like Contractors, find comfort in consistency and quality. Finding both can sometimes come off as an impossible task. Therefore we treasure the moments and reminisce in the hope that you continue to find it.

As Virtual Assistants, finding a long-term project that meets our satisfaction can be potentially difficult and in the interim frustrating. In essence, we have to go through the CRAPPY projects first before we find our TREASURED one. This is the reason to bid on one off projects that are short term. They allow you the opportunity to provide your services without the added headache of long term commitment. Examples of Short Term One Off Jobs range from Audio - Text Transcription to Making Calls to gather information for a week.

We must remember to put our extra effort into getting them done successfully and with minimal complications. Most Clients appreciate our thoughtfulness and provide you with great feedback that work trickles down towards you building yourself as a brand. The tough thing about One Off Jobs is securing the project at a rate that you are comfortable with and also ensuring that you can deliver within the time frame required. Clients can later on weigh the service in accordance to price and will not hesitate to give that rate for the service. Therefore, you are securing an opportunity at referrals and repeat clientele.

I am not a fan of transcription services, however I enjoy knowing that in my days where there are no work it is always a back up for me. I realize that keeping occupied is what we Virtual Assistants really thrive on. It is part of the passion that drives us to this business. As much as we were not fond of commuting to work, we would want to just because there was a busy day ahead, at least in most cases. Sitting idle at a desk is not ideal nor is it productive. This is why one off jobs can be both productive and educational. We further our experience without wasting our time, which translate to our money.

There in my conclusion. Do not be afraid to take a one off job as long as you have the availability.

Cheers,
"Keep Moving Forward"

Unprofessional Potential Clients

This week has been quite a world wind. This transition has not been easy however you have to keep the mindset of never give up and never surrender, and my all time favorite...Take another NO. As with anything that you have to do in life, you may not always get it right away, however the effort that you put into will definitely place value on it. 

As of yesterday, I had 5 potential candidacies lined up, 4 of which I am psyched about. This leaves one which had quite a bit of opportunity for learning if the Client was more professional in his approach. 

This was all wrong from day one and this is how it turned out:

1. He requested to have an interview for an unassigned day and time within a time zone that differed from mine. No clarification when you inquired further about the schedule
2. He was never online on Skype where he wanted the interview to be conducted. 
3. He indicated that you either left him a voice-mail message or started a chat dialogue with him and he would respond at his convenience.
4. After finally getting a response from him, about 10pm at night, he wasn't willing to give me 2 minutes to get to my computer and get ready for the interview. His words where "Too bad, not too much preparation, try again tomorrow if you wish"
5. I had to indicate to him professionally that I was no longer interested in the post and wished him luck in his search for potential candidates.

I understand that I did want to acquire this contract nor the opportunity to provide him with my exceptional services, however it got to the point where I did not think our professional working styles would have co-existed in a virtual working environment. Therefore this would not have been a conducive working environment for either of us and would have potentially had the contract ended long sooner than expected.

Remember Respect is EARNED not DESERVED
Some of the less Clients that I have come across believe that though it is a virtual environment, they do not need to show the same level respect to a Contractor. Feelings may not be displayed immediately, however mistreatment of a contractor actually puts your work at risk, especially given the fact the contractor isn't physically there in your site at all times.

Payment does not guarantee quality
Whilst Clients think that hiring the cheapest contractor saves them money, it does not save them time. It also does not always resolve a great outcome. If you want quality, you should be willing pay for it. I believe that to get fair work, you should count on fair pay. As in my line of work, especially during the application process, some Clients have ruled out entire countries because they have been dissatisfied with the results. They have been tricked out of their money, received the run around and at the end of the day the work is not done or it is of mediocre quality. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they strike it lucky and get a good cheap worker (less than $3/hr for a project - full time) and they unfortunately get the quality they pay for. This though is not always the case. Let's not forget the language and cultural barriers that have to be taken into account.

Some Lessons Clients should Take into Account

• If you are going to post a job/project and you don't have a big budget for it, suggest you put a lump sum budget and pay per milestone. This ensures that if the job is not getting off to a good start (time and quality-wise), you can cut your losses early and get another Contractor that can get the job done right. 
• Only post hourly jobs, if you know for sure that you are willing to pay fair prices for good workers. Don't just hire on price, but quality, experience and communication practices.
• Ensure you are clear in your requirements when posting the job. Don't feel the need to save all your requirements for the interview. It will be easier to filter and make your short listing process easier.
• Don't forget to respect your Contractor by keeping the communication open and professional. Critic but do it constructively and ensure that your Contractor can accept criticism the same way or you may have retaliation on your hands. 
• Lastly, don't make promises you can't keep especially when it comes to incentives/bonuses. Most Contractors work towards that and in that they exceed your expectations. 

Thanks for reading. Cheers
"Keep Moving Forward"

As the Day Ends, I Reflect

Some days no matter what method you use to market your skills, the opportunities are not there to capitalize on. Today was one of those days, where I bid only on quality contracts and limiting the ones that would diminish my quota. Some clients did contact me to clarify some of my skills as they indeed take interest in my vast talents, however they were not ready to commit an agreement on the project. This I know for sure does not makes me expendable in the Virtual Community, since I possess skills that have been acquire both on and offline. My personality still shines through.

As I have learnt quantity does not define quality and vice versa, though you should never give up in the search for a project you want. Just as in life, you strive, you fight until there is nothing left to strive for. All in all, I applied for over 20 projects between Odesk and Elance. Out of those I have gotten selected to interview for 5 and with no updates as to the final candidate as yet. Oh how I miss the days where a Client would interview and want to hire me on the spot. This shows me that Clients have become more and more educated with the process of virtual hiring. I have 2 open interviews that have promised to get back to me by Monday morning, therefore I am keeping these fingers crossed as both will open up some new learning for me.

The Contracts I bid on have to contain some learning potential for me, though I am in this business for making money, I also believe the a new skill is an invaluable commodity. Therefore I wait, for that one project that I can commit to fully and will transgress out of bounds of the application process. I am READY to start WORK!

Thanks for Reading. Feel free to comment.
"Keep Moving Forward"

Work is definitely not a Place

Isn't it nice to wake up to a beautiful morning and know that you have the option of spending it outside if you wanted to. Though, then again you can wake up to a bitterly cold morning and wished you didn't have to go outside. Funny, easy choice right? No at all, not if you are work outside your home and it is mandatory for you to keep your job that you must leave your house. UGH!

I know it sounds lazy and sad but it could be just as exciting, because you are waking up and doing something that you love to do. Mine, would be helping people and knowing that my skills has helped made a difference to someone's life or business. I love knowing that my personality can really shine when I do some Customer Service Support, or Create a new document. As you can already see my passion is to write. I love that words from my heart can flow with my typing speed (80 wpm, more on a good day) and I don't see the need to slow down. I love the feeling of purpose and take enjoyment in the fact that I am the one driving it.

Therefore, just like a job an be just a job or it can be a career. Work can we anywhere you want it to be. This is where we are headed in the future. Less commuting, time starts when you start and you don't have to be worried about being late for it, as you are just a power button away. You don't have to worry about a boss breathing down your neck and criticizing every aspect of your work. Your output will shine because you are marketing YOU! The dream would be to market me on the beach somewhere with access to my WIFI and finishing up just before hit the tropical waters. Never having to say no to your kids baseball game, because "I could take work with me" and still be there.

People please try to enjoy where you work and make it somewhere you want to be, even if it is not virtual. That thought will eliminate the stress and wishing that you were somewhere else. With those last words, let me know where would you want to be today working?

Cheers!
"Keep Moving Forward"

Online Job Applications

These are the days I do look forward to, when you have applied to so many online job postings to the point where you just want to give up and then BAM, a job interview with a prospective client. In the past week, I have applied to over 30 job postings and it kills me sometimes that the Client does not respond for days at a time or they don't decline the application. At that point you are not sure if you should withdraw the application. Keep in mind that you have a quota of 20 - 25 job applications (depends on your level) that can be used at anyone time and once an application sent out it is deducted from the quota. It is only replaced when it is withdrawn by either you or the Client. Therein, my system is to give it at least 7 days if it is a job posting that you think is worth it. However, if you believe that the rate is too low or the Client hasn't been back to review the applicants for awhile, I say just PULL IT! At this point it is not worth your time, as there are new job postings coming in everyday and you don''t want to miss out on an opportunity.

At this time I am going to go prepare for the interview and still keep my eyes open for job postings. Wish me luck people.

"Keep Moving Forward"

Welcome Message to My Users

Welcome New Friend,

Thank you for taking the time out to read my blog. This should be an exciting journey and I am happy you are here. I know it is a tough time to be home and unemployed. I understand your frustration, as I am in the same position at this time. So I decided why not write about it and let others know what ideas to change the situation. 


In 2010, my mom stumbled upon a website that she thought would be perfect for me. It was a virtual job site community that connected employers (clients) to prospective employees (contractors). I loved the concept, since you can only get out of it what you put into it. This saved me, helped me earn (legitimately) extra income while I was at home. No stuffing, no offers, no scams. I must admit that there is dedication required and you have to put the time initially. Though in the long run it pays off, trust me. I took on part-time as I had another job at the time, therefore it allowed me to dabble. All you need is reliable tools and attitude.

Of course I was skeptical at first however, I decided really nothing to lose especially since it was free to join. This is what my blog is about, offering advice, ideas and how I came to this point 2 years later and what I have learnt. I do enjoy working from home, learning new programs and learning how to handle employers. It actually helped me in my offline job search. 


Please don't hesitate to comment or contact me with any questions that you may have. I just want to share my knowledge and hopeful help you get started. 

Welcome Once again and Feel free to share!