5 things you didn't know about being a virtual assistant

I have had lots of you ask about my virtual assistant job and more specifically is it something anyone can do. I have only been doing this for a few months but after an interesting start and discovering some aspects of the virtual work world that I find ethically uncomfortable, I am fortunate to have found some great businesses to work with. I am not an expert but since you asked here is what you need to know.

1) To the Interweb!
The only way I know how to find a virtual assistant job is through site like Odesk and Elance.  Clients from all over the world post jobs that need doing and contractors apply to do them. I use Odesk just because it happened to be the first place I signed up and started getting work.

2) It's not big bucks
Unless you have some seriously transferable skills such as web or graphic design, video production or language translation you wont be making much on an hourly wage. Transactions are done in US dollars and I have seen clients advertise that they won't pay more than 17 cents an hour. I decided I wouldn't work for less than minimum wage and currently make a little more than that. Bear in mind that there are no pensions or benefits and if you make enough you will have to claim it on taxes and pay CPP. As you are a self contractor working from home I would think you are able to claim some of your house expenses as work expenses, I haven't looked too much into that because the clergy housing benefit we get from Chris doesn't allow me any tax breaks for my home business.  The other option is to do jobs for a fixed fee. If you do make sure you ask for a sizeable amount upfront- Odesk has a software that tracks hours you work and automatically takes the money from the clients account assuring you get paid (always check to make sure your clients payment method is verified), if there are complaints or issues Odesk will intervene, their motto is "an hour worked an hour paid". Fixed price jobs are not protected by Odesk, I have done 3 fixed price jobs which I had no problem with but they were all quick (less than an hour) and cheap ($10) but you obviously run the risk of working for hours and not getting. Which funnily enough is what happened with the music studio I worked at for one day in September- huh- not just a virtual world problem!

3) Finding Work is Work
I've been at this for over 2 months and have only finally started to make what I would call any "earnings". You will be turned down for 90% of the jobs your first apply for, usually because people don't want to hire an odesk newbie or you value your time and want to make more than $2 an hour or don't want to spend 30 minutes answering a bunch of questions to get a job which pays you $10. I found more success when I started to hunt out jobs in my field. What do you bring to the table? For example pretty much anyone from around the world can do internet research on restaurant website addresses, but the client might prefer someone who has some knowledge of the restaurant business. The two on going jobs I have are related to the two fields I work in- church and music lessons. I've also managed to get interviews when I do job searches for clients who want native english speakers- generally contractors in the US and Canada want around minimum wage so it evens the playing field. If the client sets a budget of $5 an hour and you aren't prepared to work for that, don't waste your time applying. Some clients are after cheap labour and no amount of skills will persuade them to pay you more.

4) Don't Quit your Non Virtual Day Job
Most virtual jobs are very part time, that's why people turn to virtual assistants, their companies and the tasks are too small to hire a part time employee. There are a few 30 hour week jobs but most are a few hours a week or will be more hours but only for 1 week at a time. I'm not saying it's impossible to get enough jobs to bring in a fulltime income but at that point you might be better off getting fulltime work. I was looking for some part time work with low responsibility and little overhead. Most weeks I will be making more with my part time job at safeway, but if my virtual work continues I will make about $100-$150 a month through Odesk.

5) It's Actually Kind of Fun!
It might not be glamorous of high paying but it is fun. I'm very fortunate that I really like the two on going clients I have and I find the projects are fun to work with. I've met people from North America and done crazy things like plan their meals for the week or review their latest album release. If you've got a bit of an ADD personality and like to meet new people and tackle new projects it can be lots of fun.

FINAL WARNING!!!!!
Odesk is like outsourcing and after you see some of the wild and crazy things people will pay other people to do you will be tempted to outsource everything in your life that can be done online (If my Christmas card comes to you with an Indian postmark you'll know why). And yes, there are for sure some college students paying people in the Philippines to write their papers for them- and no, I do not think that is ok.

The Drama Teacher's Bone

The Bible describes the Church as one body with many parts and consequently- bones, over 206 of them in an adult- that's right - as Christians we have lots of bones to pick! Like teeth, bones shouldn't be picked in public.

Even before the wonderful world of Facebook (which allows you to pick bones, battles and wars with people you don't even know) I was the victim of public bone picking, or precisely, my friends were the victim, as in the big picture they were the ones who suffered. I was thrilled when the local evangelical Church who helped with our school christian club told me they were speaking at one of our upcoming school chapels. Like all English schools, weekly Christian teaching was mandatory, despite the fact the majority of the school were not practicing Christians. Waiting for chapel was torture- I was so excited for my friends to hear about real christianity rather than the watered down version which was usually handed out. The two Pastor's did a short presentation (chapel wasn't that long) it was slightly humorous, simplified, but made it's point and as far as I was concerned a success. We had a short time in homeroom before it was time to rush off to art class. I took my seat and my oil pastels and starting working on some ghastly still life, until finally I plucked up the courage to start the conversation "so what did you think of chapel today?". I was just sizing up the art room sink determining if it would be large enough for an impromptu baptismal service when to my horror my friends tore apart the chapel time.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici,  / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You see, their home room teacher was the drama teacher, and she had a bone- and she picked it clean. The drama teacher was a substitute teacher who rumour had it also trained as a minister, she was filling in for an extended absence and at first I was delighted to have another christian staff member at the school- until that day. The drama teacher had used the brief time between chapel and art class to tear apart the message given at chapel. The Pastor had mentioned how his Dad had died but he was still able to be happy- a very oversimplified version of the peace of Christ but not exactly heretical, but it was highly offensive and outrageous to the drama teacher. She tore it and her fellow christian apart limb from limb, emphasizing the fact that Christians aren't always happy all the time and still feel pain. At this point in art class my imaginary lackeys were all yelling "cancel the baptism service, I repeat cancel the baptism" into their walkie talkies. I defended the pastors as much as I could but the battle was lost- and what had really been achieved? 

I'm not saying that it was the perfect chapel, that the concept wasn't over simplified or even perhaps misleading. But surely the drama teacher could have found a way to perhaps expand on it to include the things she felt had been missed rather than tear it apart, or at least cool off and talk to the preacher before venting her theological frustrations at a class of Grade 10 students. She went on to complain to the senior school staff (though she did offer to run a chapel time herself) and the church was never invited back. I don't know what was going on in her life to bring about that reaction,  I presume some deep hurt, but it doesn't excuse the behaviour of a senior member of God's family. My friends had the opportunity that day to learn about the Good News of Christ - but they hadn't heard any of the Good News, they only remembered the bad news that this preacher had said something wrong and couldn't be trusted and as a repercussion myself and the christian club were also tainted. What will they remember about God's family, the church? They won't remember that we are one body with many parts working together, they won't remember that though we are many we have one head in Jesus Christ, that we all partake in the same bread. No, they will just remember the bone.