A virtual assistant works remotely, usually performing tasks regarding customer support, scheduling, data entry, and various management forms. Usually, they’re between a customer support specialist, accountant, and trained aid.
Now, the job of a virtual assistant is similar to that of a manager. How? Well, the field that you’re in makes all the difference. With that in mind and without further ado, what are some of the top industries to search for a job as a virtual assistant in? Let’s find out!
1. Real estate
An assistant to the real estate agent would have to commute quite a bit. This is one of the main reasons why traditional assistants were not always as fond of this industry. A real estate virtual assistant, on the other hand, doesn’t have to commute at all. They can work from anywhere on the planet. This kind of flexibility was never an option in the real estate industry.
Next, while the real estate industry suffers rough patches, realtors and their assistants have full hands. In other words, the job stability is fairly high. As the industry grows, the opportunities for growth increase.
This is also amazing for those who want to get involved in the real estate industry at one point in the future. Here, they glimpse the tasks and establish important industry contacts. Understanding the workflow is a massive challenge to the newcomer to any industry. In other words, starting as a virtual assistant can be a first step in your future career in this field.
2. Marketing
The marketing industry heavily relies on proper scheduling, content curation, efficient communication, and outreach. These tasks can be entrusted to a virtual assistant (while some would even argue that this is already a list of their core tasks).
With the right automated tools, virtual assistants can perform the tasks of seasoned email outreach specialists without much trouble. Still, they require some training and onboarding to reach the peak of their efficacy.
Virtual assistants are also in charge of managing social media accounts. While a lot of this activity can be automated, the truth is that there’s always nuance to your social media activity. We all love to see brands using memes or answering criticism (call-outs) in good humor. This is exactly what a virtual assistant can help you with.
Now, each of these skills can be monetizable in its own right. Once you master social media management or email marketing, you can pivot to these professions. With some experience, courses, and careful consideration, you can use this as an entry point for a new industry.
3. IT
IT companies are incredibly affluent and have some of the highest salaries in the field. Sure, they sometimes outreach virtual assistant services to specialized agencies, but there are many instances where they directly hire virtual assistants. And even though their virtual assistants aren’t paid as much as their programmers and developers, their salaries are significantly higher than average.
This can be a foot in the door for young or aspiring programmers. After all, it’s much easier to pivot into a developer if you’re already in the organization. Just remember that this is a lateral move, not a clear promotion. You would have to work on obtaining your skills and certifications independently of your work.
Most of the time, you’ll handle documentation, reporting, and data entry. Most of these tasks will be automated, so you mostly supervise these processes, with an occasional instance of manual data entry.
For the most part, as virtual assistants, you’ll handle administrative tasks, communicate with customers, and resolve staffing issues. In other words, your responsibilities will be somewhere in the triangle between accounting, customer support, and HR.
4. E-commerce
Virtual assistants in e-commerce handle order processing and customer service and sometimes even engage in market research. Needless to say, this is an amazing opportunity for someone dreaming of opening their own e-commerce business at one point in the future.
Keep in mind that a virtual assistant in e-commerce has a chance to maintain an e-commerce website. This means that if you’ve already completed this course, you now have a chance to rack up some real-world experience.
You also get a chance to improve in scheduling appointments, managing databases, and other important tasks, which will help your CV and work experience in any field. With a substantial experience in this field, you won’t have trouble finding work in any office worldwide.
Also, remember that the world of e-commerce is ever-expanding, and when you grow proficient enough, you won’t have trouble finding as much work as you can handle. Every e-commerce specialist needs a good assistant.
5. Startups
Startups are the fastest-growing enterprises, and being there early may put your career on a fast track. You know that they have the plan to expand rapidly, which means that by signing on early, you’re ensuring a future status of a veteran employee.
Previously, we’ve talked about the fact that the majority of tasks that a virtual assistant is in charge of are primarily administrative. This means that you could easily grow into a project manager, an administrator, a team leader of any department you start as an assistant in, etc.
Also, in startups, you’ll probably have more independence due to their dynamic work environment. This is great for people who hate strict corporate world hierarchy and prefer doing things the efficient way to doing them by the books.
Wrap up
A good virtual assistant can make a killing in any field. This is especially true since they work remotely, probably with flexible work hours, meaning they can take up as much work as their schedule permits.
At the same time, you can use this career as a starting point to join any other field. For instance, you could join your dream company as a VA and work your way up to becoming a permanent staff member. You can also use it to acquire an experience in a field or on a particular task. Either way, you have so much work to do.
