Dream Job

With our previous article, we shared all about what a Virtual Assistant does, and why online jobs are the way to go.

Now that you understand what a Virtual Assistant is, and have decided to become one, what is the next step?

Let us go through the checklist of the things you need before embarking on being a Virtual Assistant.

1. Make Sure You Are Work-From-Home Ready

Just like when you prepare for regular office work, you have to make sure you have the right attire, are not late, and are familiar with the tools needed for the job. With work from home, it’s the same. You need to make sure that you are all set before starting your online career.

Here are the things you need to prepare to be work-from-home ready.

A computer/laptop.

We recommend getting a computer rather than a laptop if you are a first-timer. With desktops, you can update your system unit if a higher specification is needed or if you need to add peripherals to your computer set-up. They are also cheaper than laptops. If there is any downside, that is, it won’t be portable. However, you can easily upgrade to a laptop once you have stable employment.

A stable internet connection.

If you are to spend money on your new work-from-home set-up, we highly advise that you invest more in your internet connection (if at all possible). A fast and stable internet connection is a must if you plan to work from home. It helps with your productivity and saves you from the nightmare of a buffering internet when you need to attend online meetings or interviews.

Another tip is to get a reliable backup connection like a pocket-wifi – this is a lifesaver when your primary internet connection suddenly becomes unstable.

Noise-canceling headphones

There is hardly a zero-noise environment unless you are in a soundproof room. And most times, you need a quiet space to have a peaceful and focused conversation with your client or even when you are just working on your tasks. Investing in affordable but decent noise-canceling headphones will help you greatly when working.

2. Make Sure You Are Interview Ready

In one of our articles, we shared Five Ways To Impress Your Recruiter Even Before The Interview. Here is a summary of that article:

Have an organized resume that showcases your skills, talents, and employment history.
Have a prominent online presence and ensure that your social media accounts or online profiles have professional content (if public).
Research your prospective employer’s business. It is always a plus if you put a lot of effort into knowing the company you are applying for because this shows your future employer that you are interested in working with them.
Go through some possible questions and practice answering them.
Make sure your computer, headset, and video cam are working, and the internet is stable before the interview. If your internet is unstable, tell your interviewer or client and advise on how long it would take you to get back online or to reschedule it all together. Sometimes technical difficulties are unavoidable even if you made sure that everything is ready. With the right response to your interviewer or client, you might get a second interview or meeting.

3. Make Sure You Are Training Ready

It makes a good impression and shows commitment to being a Virtual Assistant if you have undergone Virtual Assistant training/courses.

There is a lot of free and paid training for Virtual Assistants that you can go through. However, if you can’t afford to buy training yet, you can probably use your existing skillset and leverage it.

In our article, “How To Make Money From What You Know,” we explained how your previous office-based experience could help you land a work-from-home job without an online course.

4. Make Sure You Are Payment Ready

With PhilTeamFinder, once we have placed our candidate with an employer, their trial period is already paid. It is in your best interest to set up a PayPal account, the most popular online payment platform used by overseas employers, to get paid without hassles.

Starting from scratch may be difficult, but remember that anything worth having will require some work. Do what’s needed, work smart, and stay focused on your end goal.

Now that you have more information about the steps to being a Virtual Assistant, are you ready to become one? Our team can help you get started here.

The Secret to landing your dream online job

The internet is an excellent place for job hunters and has massively changed the job-hunting game. In the old days, you would need to check the newspaper for job ads or directly walk-in to the company to check for job vacancies. The power of technology has made it easier and faster to check for job availability. But the competition is tight, so you need to have a gameplan to get a job online successfully.

Here are a few things to prepare to successfully get that online job:

1. Identify Your Career Goals

There are over a million job postings online, and going through them without any clue what kind of job you are looking for is going to be overwhelming. So before you start searching, find out what career path you want to pursue.

It helps to list down all your skills and credentials and then narrow down the possible career you can search for job listings online. It also helps to go through the categories on the job listing sites to have an idea of what kind of jobs are available online. Be sure to match the skill requirements for the job categories. This will help you leverage your resume once you build it.

2. Build Your Resume

Before you start searching for a job online, you also need to update your resume. Make sure to showcase your skills and experience to make your resume stand out so you can impress your recruiter even before the interview.

Have a cover letter ready and customized for each job application. You should always include a cover letter when applying for a job online.

It would also be best to create a LinkedIn profile. You can attach the link to your profile whenever you reach out to possible employers or see posts of job vacancies online.

3. Search Job Using Job Keywords or Hashtags

A keyword or hashtag is a word or phrase related to the type of job you are searching for. You can use this on Facebook or Instagram. Nowadays, companies and recruitment companies use social media to find possible employees.

For example, when you go to Facebook and are looking for a work-from-home job, you search for the phrase “Work From Home,” and all posts with this phrase will come up. Same goes for Instagram, just search using a hashtag like “#workfromhome” and all posts using that hashtag will come up.

Using keywords and hashtags will help you to find that online job that you specifically want effectively quickly.

4. Build a Network

Get connected to recruiters and headhunters online. Most of the time, headhunters and recruiters are related to not just one but several employers. Besides helping you prepare for the interview and a bit of the company background, they can get you connected to several job opportunities that cater to your skills.

Finding a successful job online will be easier with these pointers, but always remember that perseverance is the key to success. If you can’t find a successful career online in the first try, then keep on trying.

When you are ready to start your online career, Philteamfinder can help you get started.

4 Proven Steps to Become a VA