Career Outlook: What is a Virtual Assistant?

Graduates of the Office Management degree program at Bryant & Stratton College are prepared for a number of career options, including working as a Virtual Assistant in a number of business settings.

If you’re starting or in the middle of administrative assistant training, you may be thinking about what you’ll do after graduation (if you’re not, then you should!). Becoming a virtual assistant might be a good option for you.

What is a virtual assistant?

A virtual assistant is a contract worker that businesses can hire to perform a variety of administrative duties. Virtual assistants operate as their own business, building a client base and working remotely from a home office or an independent workspace. Working as a virtual assistant allows for greater schedule flexibility, and gives individuals the opportunity to specialize in the areas of administrative work that they enjoy the most.

Interested in this unique career path? Here’s what you need to know about becoming a virtual assistant.

What are the roles and responsibilities of a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistants handle a variety of administrative and business tasks, depending on their client base. These tasks may include:

• Writing business newsletters, and other communications tasks
• Making phone calls, scheduling appointments and sending emails
• Updating social media accounts for a brand or business
• Managing website content and web design

Many virtual assistants choose to specialize in a particular area, such as web design or social media management.

What is the benefit of hiring a virtual assistant?

Many business owners choose to contract with a virtual assistant because they do not need the support of a full-time employee, but rather, someone to manage a few certain tasks. Hiring a virtual assistant is more affordable because the business is not responsible for providing office space, equipment or benefits. These eliminated costs also benefit the virtual assistant, as they generally make more money per hour than a traditional administrative assistant would.

What is the virtual Assistant salary?

Because virtual assistants are self-employed, salaries vary. According to payscale.com, virtual assistants can make between