Being a virtual assistant has become a lucrative career in this digital age especially when the pandemic hit. Remote work provides flexibility and higher earnings compared to an office job.

Often, we see hardworking virtual assistants on social media. They appear to be living the life with the work-life balance it entails.

But is it really?

Wait until you read the facts. Here are the 6 blunt truths about being a virtual assistant, which they don’t tell you.

1. The truths about being a virtual assistant? You need to do the hard work

When other people know that you are working remotely, they think that you are just relaxing at home. It’s not what they think it is.

You need to do the work and be results-oriented. A work-from-home lifestyle is not for everyone. You need to have self-discipline, motivation, and good time management to accomplish tasks and meet deadlines. 

Working for yourself remotely brings freedom. However, with that freedom comes the responsibility and the trust that the client has given you. You need to efficiently and effectively do the work.

2. Manage your finances independently

Unlike working in a corporate job where the HR is in charge of your taxes, SSS, Philhealth, PAG-IBIG contributions, and insurance payments, you will be the one responsible for this when you become a Virtual Assistant. You will be managing your finances and cash flow to be financially stable.

Virtual Assistants have higher earnings as they are paid in foreign currency while working locally. However, you may earn 6 digits or the desired pay and still feel broke if you don’t know how to manage your finances well. 

In the early years of my professional career, I surely enjoyed my young adult life but somehow, I regret the purchases I don’t need and expenses I incurred because of giving in to societal pressures. Sure, I have saved money from those years but somehow I could have saved more if not for those things. Now, I can say that my financial literacy has greatly improved as I took the time to budget, assess my finances, and reflect on my future financial goals. 

In this digital age, it is a struggle to resist in our material urges especially that we are always bombarded with social media ads, posts, and information that entices us to buy things we don’t need. It is important to learn about personal financial management. There are lots of free resources and books you can read to be financially literate.

I just always keep in mind the reason that I became a VA is to attain financial freedom. Money is energy and in the future, I don’t want to exchange my precious time for money. We don’t know what lies ahead so might as well save for the rainy days and invest in your future.

3. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme career

Some people think that being a VA will let you immediately earn 6 digits. It’s not the same with the promises of Multi-level marketing (MLM), Ponzi, or pyramid schemes that promise you high returns immediately. 

Just like any other job, nothing great comes easy. You start from zero experience and work your way up to earning your desired pay. Earning 6 digits is definitely possible if you do the hard work with your expertise and skills.

The rewards you get as a VA is indeed fulfilling especially financially but you need to pair it with excellent service provided to your client.

4. The need to upskill

Being a VA means that you are a life-long learner. We have this notion that we only stop learning after finishing school or after you got your first client. That is not the case as a VA. It’s 2023 where remote work has become a norm. Competition is tough. There’s a need to be updated with the recent digital trends. Thus, one needs to enhance and learn new skills to stay relevant in this field.

If you are still starting, you can access free training from LinkedIn Learning and Udemy. There are a lot of courses you can access for free on the Internet. Yet, if you have the budget and want to have support from a community and experts themselves, you can enroll in paid courses for the skills you want to learn more. I had my first certifications from LinkedIn Learning about Quickbooks Training for bookkeeping and from SEO Training Philippines by Yeshua Quijano which is the most comprehensive SEO training course in the country.

Continued education can help us broaden our horizons on niches that we wanted to explore and might enjoy and help us improve our confidence in servicing our clients.

5. Clear Communicator

It’s undeniable that Filipinos have great English communication skills as this language has been our medium of instruction from elementary until college. Before becoming a VA, I was confident that I have good oral and written English skills as we also use this language in our work to compose and reply emails to our clients and colleagues.

However, it is really very different when you are communicating with a foreign client who speaks English as their native language. You need to listen, read between the lines, and understand the instructions they tell you in your work.

Since you are working with your client, you also need to establish rapport and trust with your them even though you are just communicating virtually.

6. You need to be pro-active

I have worked in a Filipino corporate office and mind you, it is common for us Filipinos to not inform our bosses whenever there’s a problem or to not ask whenever we have questions and clarifications. It’s not because we Filipinos aren’t great workers or aren’t capable of doing the job. It’s just that we got used to a culture where we second guess ourselves even though our gut feeling is right and we are conditioned that the boss is always right and we should not question them. 

This is not the case when you become a VA.

Though VAs are outsourced by clients, they hire you to solve their problems and to do work they don’t have time to tackle. The majority of foreign clients are open-minded to ideas and even encourage you to speak out whenever you notice that something is wrong and something needs to be improved. Hence, you need to have the mindset of being proactive and a problem solver.

Conclusion

With these 6 things, it is certain that being a Virtual Assistant should not be taken lightly. What we see from our Virtual Assistant friends is just the tip of the iceberg.

Nevertheless, with your determination and perseverance, a career as a Virtual Assistant is fulfilling and rewarding with the freedom, flexibility, and high earning potential that comes with it. 

What are your unique experiences you don’t tell to others as a Virtual Assistant?

If you want to be a virtual assistant but has no experience, read my other post here.