What does it takes to be a Virtual Assistant?

Be always at home and at work at the same time. 
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Whew! It's been months since my last post and I apologize (to whom?to anyone reading this blog post or maybe myself) for not keeping what I promised on my last blog post that I will tell you how I became a VA aka Virtual Assistant on the month of June. Well, it's already August and almost the start of -BER months (September to December), on this months is when Filipinos starts to celebrate Christmas that's why we celebrate Christ's birthday the longest time in the world. Anyway, I said that I will tell you how I became a Virtual Assistant and it's long story to tell. I can't remember everything but I will try my very best to tell you as clear as I can. (hoping not to have too much grammatical errors).

By the way, Virtual Assistant according to Wikipedia is:

"is an entrepreneur who provides professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients from a home office"

Did you notice the word entrepreneur, so though you work for other people you can still consider yourself as an entrepreneur. Isn't that cool?

What I'm about to share is my own experience. If you want also to become VA, most probably you may not get an online job the way I got mine. I just want to share this story so you can have an idea on what really it takes to be a Virtual Assistant.

It All Starts From My Mentors Referral

On the first week of April, while I'm busy answering exams in Odesk and sending applications for a Virtual Assistant job. By the way, Odesk is a great website if you want to outsource or you want to get a job, especially an online job. Back to my story, on that week I suddenly got an email from my mentor--Jomar Hilario with the message "May gig kana?" (Do you have a gig?), a gig is the term Jomar Hilario used which means an online job. I haven't during that time and that's what I said to him. Jomar's reply was "I will give you VA gigs." That's how simple. Days later and I received another email with the lists of people who needs a VA.

Fishing Prospects

So I emailed them all to show my interest of being me as their Virtual Assistant. I got some replies, some called me in my cellphone, some texted me. One of my prospect asked me to see him personally, I lived in Laguna while he lived in Quezon City. It's hard to decide if I'm willing to take all the hassle but in the end I decided to meet him personally. I prepared myself, printed some presentation to showcase my skills to that prospect and though it's kinda long travel I still did meet him.

I'm not really used to meet strangers 'til now, but I know this is another discomforts that I need to overcome. I've done a lot to get an online income---attended lots of seminars, webinars, and downloaded pdfs to learn a lot about online marketing. Almost all of my knowledge regarding online marketing I learned from my mentor. His really passionate to make you become successful, he don't hide any trade secrets as long as you had a willing heart. Ooops, I'm being carried away. As I had said, I met my prospect. I  can say that his reaction is somewhat hard to analyze, I can't really tell if his impress or depress on the way I presented to him on how I can help his business if I became his Virtual Assistant. To make a long story short, he decided that he wants a commission based payment. That means if I sold his product, then a got a pay, if not then it's sad to know that I will not get anything for all the efforts that I've done. I decided not to take his offer 'cause I want constant stream of income, being an affiliate or known as online salesman is not the path that I want to take.

I go back home very sad for what had happened. Then another days later, someone texted me. She (yes, she) said that they had real state company and they need someone who can promotes their properties online. To make a good offer, I told her that I will work for them for two weeks to see if I'm the kind of VA that they need.

Try Me For Two Weeks And Beyond

They give me the work. I started to work. I'm still motivated though I had to work for free 'cause I know this were small steps in my online marketing journey.

After that to weeks, my sister from Italy (I posted about that in here) came back to the Philippines and I want to leave from all my work for a week at least so I tell my client that I will not work for them for a week.This is also to give them time to think of taking me as their VA and the kind of work that they have to give to me.. I also leave in my day job 'cause as you can see, I'm only applying for a part-time job as of now. Though I'm still skeptic if my client will accept me, one week leave from work is great for me to have time for my family.


Am I Hired?

A week had past and I had a great time with my family.

After realizing I had to go back to work, I texted my client "Am I hired?" The good thing is they said that I'm hired. I can't explain how I felt during that day remembering the years that passed just to arrived to this. They create a 5-month contract and I signed it, scanned it and sent it back to them.

So the deal is closed. And finally that's how I arrived in my very first virtual assistant job.

WHY?

Why is more important that how! I said that not because I read that somewhere but because I experienced that. I've been studying internet marketing for almost three years and though it's sad to say, I never earned a dime during those years. Can't you believe that? Why is that? I know the answer, that's because know matter how you know, if you don't have enough reason to push through then everything you know is just a bunch of information in your brain and nothing more.

You may tell me why? Why bother yourself for three years if your not earning? Why do something that none in your company done? Why still continue if you start to doubt yourself if there's such a thing as online wealth?

I admit there comes a time that I also doubt my mentor if he really mean what he says. That he is really committed to make people succeed in this industry.

Maybe you're wondering what's my reason. Well, I'm not ready to share that 'cause I think it's too personal even though I'm using a pen name in this blog. Please accept my apology.

But I can tell you that I had enough reasons to tell you WHY NOT!