This put up is written by Ashley, the Director of Enterprise Improvement right here at Be My Journey Muse.
I keep in mind sitting in an open-air cafe in Bali, Indonesia, ordering one more glass of iced matcha latte whereas engaged on my laptop computer. It had been a 12 months since I labored full-time as Kristin’s digital assistant. Round me have been individuals of my type – graphic designers, video editors, and freelance writers, all engaged on their laptops. I believed to myself, what a cool world we stay in!
Working remotely has been such a blessing. At any time when I get requested “So what do you do for a dwelling?”, I typically have to elucidate what on the earth a digital assistant is, and the way I managed to attain a job one million ladies would kill for (Satan Wears Prada, anybody?).
So, what’s a digital assistant?
Many entrepreneurs and impartial companies make use of digital assistants to finish duties they want help with, however don’t want their worker to be on location. The job scope of a digital assistant varies from one enterprise to a different, however in a nutshell, a digital assistant is a private, administrative, and/or government assistant who can nearly (no pun meant) do something to assist make their employers’ lives simpler, from a distant location.
What does a digital assistant do (job scope and schedule)?
Virtual assistants are likely to work on social media, emails, and administrative duties, although the main points of a VA’s job scope varies from one enterprise to a different. As a digital assistant to a journey blogger, right here’s what I do every day:
- Social media administration: I assist design pins and IG Tales slides for Pinterest and Instagram, schedule posts on all platforms, consolidate feedback and DMs we obtain for Kristin to answer, and contribute concepts to assist enhance our social media engagement. I additionally monitor our Fb teams, BMTM Solo Feminine Traveler Join and BMTM Feminine Journey Blogger Accelerator.
- E-mail administration: Every day, we obtain about 25-35 emails from corporations, tourism boards, businesses, publishers, and readers. I pitch to and negotiate with those that are all in favour of a partnership with Be My Journey Muse, decline unsuitable proposals, and ahead emails that have to be responded by Kristin personally.
- Web site administration: We now have a fairly superior website – Planning a visit to a brand new nation? We now have vacation spot guides and itineraries to shut to 50 nations world wide. Touring for the primary time? We now have a devoted part with the whole lot you must learn about solo feminine journey. Feeling non secular? You’ll find all of our greatest non secular weblog posts right here. I work on bettering the positioning to assist readers discover the data wanted as effectively as attainable.
- Video administration: I edit a few of Kristin’s movies on her YouTube channel.
- Administrative work: I present statistics reviews and ship invoices to our shoppers, conduct analysis on locations (I discovered these superior off the overwhelmed path locations in Thailand), assist plan upcoming weblog posts, create case research, and supply help for some other sort of admin work Kristin wants assist with.
- Others: Since my boss is a serial entrepreneur, my job will get tremendous attention-grabbing generally. We labored on the Photograph Muse Masterclass, launched the BMTM Girls’s Journey Excursions, and, extra not too long ago, an superior clothes line, Wanderbabe Clothes. I like brainstorming concepts and watching her infants develop!
Right here’s what a typical workday for me seems like:
8am: I’m a morning particular person so I begin my day early! Since there’s typically a 15-hour time distinction between Kristin and I, we talk primarily through Asana and FB Messenger. I’d examine each to prioritize my duties for the day, adopted by checking all of Be My Journey Muse’s social media platforms and doing the mandatory scheduling for the day. I’d then reply to emails and create visuals for the brand new weblog posts lined up for the remainder of the week.
12pm: I are likely to get into a day daze after lunch, so I’d spend some hours away from work and chill for a bit.
4pm: Again to work. Refreshed from the afternoon break, I spend the following few hours engaged on any present initiatives now we have in hand.
6pm: And work’s out!
What are the {qualifications} and necessities for a digital assistant?
The {qualifications} required differ from one firm to a different. Normally, administrative and laptop expertise are basic. Having one other distinctive ability helps tremendously as nicely, like video modifying, coding, and accounting.
However I personally assume what issues extra is your accountability, communication expertise, and creativity. Working remotely means there’s nobody to oversee you at work, and you must maintain your self accountable and full your duties on time. Since you aren’t speaking along with your employer in particular person, communication expertise are additionally necessary to be sure that all data is being delivered appropriately. Lastly, being artistic is a superb bonus – The proper sidekick ought to have the ability to keep proactive and see what others can’t see! You might be requested to brainstorm for brand new enterprise concepts and create enterprise proposals, so having the ability to assume in your toes actually helps.
How a lot can a digital assistant earn?
Like all jobs, it depends upon your skillset and expertise, however on most job search websites, inexperienced digital assistants are paid about $15/hour. With a extra sturdy skillset and a few years of expertise, you could possibly make as much as $30/hour.
Whereas I work completely for Kristin, many digital assistants help a number of companies, and that’s how one can probably earn excessive revenue with digital help jobs.
How to discover a digital assistant job
I had been a Be My Journey Muse reader for some time after I noticed her Fb put up in search of assistance on social media. My ardour for solo feminine journey and curiosity for the way a journey weblog works scored me the job. Because the enterprise grew, she wanted extra help, and I joined as a full-time worker shortly after quitting my earlier job.
So I’d say preserve a lookout for such alternatives out of your favorite entrepreneurs, since you by no means know. In the event you assume it’s acceptable, you may wanna strive reaching out to them on to see if a place is open. There are additionally varied platforms that join digital assistants to corporations, together with Upwork, Dynamite Jobs, PeoplePerHour, Flex Jobs, sure Fb teams, and conferences like TravelCon.
What are the perfect issues about being a digital assistant?
Right here comes the attractive factor about working remotely – you could be based mostly anyplace on the earth (with steady Web connection)! In the event you’ve at all times wished to stay on an island, you may transfer to Bali; in case you like the town however need to preserve dwelling prices low, Lisbon is nice; for someplace cool and various, you’ve acquired Berlin – the choices are simply countless. Whereas I’m based mostly dwelling in Malaysia, as I choose dwelling near my family and friends, I’ve the liberty to fly anyplace and keep there for so long as my visa permits me to. Up to now Three years, I’ve spent no less than a month in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, and Europe, exploring totally different locations and cultures whereas working.
As well as, you’ll get pleasure from full management of your work schedule, so long as you may full your duties on time. Which means if you wish to take a day without work on Tuesday, you may. And since you don’t should waste time on commuting and unproductive conferences, you may spend extra time doing different necessary work and private duties. Since working as a VA, I’m able to prepare dinner extra and spend extra time with my family and friends.
Being the Robin to your Batman/Batwoman, you may count on fast progress in all types of experiences. My job opens my eyes to issues I by no means knew earlier than. I decide up new expertise as I’m going, and I receives a commission to be taught new issues! The cherry on prime was undoubtedly the possibility to journey to Thailand and Japan with Kristin as a part of a partnership. It was the best factor ever!
When being a digital assistant sucks
Like most distant jobs, it will get lonely. I generally miss having colleagues to chit-chat with, particularly since I used to work in a big firm. Additionally, you will have to be conscious of work-life steadiness, as it may be exhausting to attract a line if you earn a living from home. Whereas I attempt to persist with my work schedule, I do discover myself checking emails and social media outdoors of working hours fairly often. As well as, many digital assistants, or any distant employees for that matter, have much less job safety and advantages than most workplace jobs. Additionally, you will solely receives a commission for the hours you place in work for, so this can be a rewarding job solely if you’re keen to place within the effort.
Ultimate phrase of recommendation
I’ve been working as a digital assistant for shut to three years now, and I like each minute of it. If you’re planning to work remotely, I extremely suggest giving digital assistant jobs a shot. Personally, I feel a very powerful factor about being a digital assistant is to like the corporate, the work, and your employer. You might be about to be the Robin to a Batman/Batwoman, and you’ll spend many, many hours helping one particular person, so your life will probably be 10x simpler in case you get pleasure from doing issues for them. Be able to go above and past as a result of your position is very essential!
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