Where To Find Virtual

Assistant Jobs for

Beginners
The Upwork Team

Jan 19, 2023

16 Min Read

Admin & Customer Support

Work & Career

Article
A virtual assistant (VA), also known as a virtual office assistant, is an independent
contractor who provides administrative, creative, or technical services to clients
remotely from a home office.

Virtual assistants work for a range of clients, and their tasks can be quite varied.
For example, a VA might manage a client's social media presence, answer
customer inquiries via email or chat, provide administrative support, or even supply
bookkeeping services. Depending on the client's needs, a virtual assistant's
duties may also include more technical roles requiring mastery of particular
software.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that you don’t need a college degree
to become a virtual assistant. Instead, employers pay more attention to certain
must-have skills for success in this career path. Such skills include IT, social media
management, excellent communication, attention to detail, data entry, and time
management.

Besides having the right skill set, you must be able to market your abilities to
potential employers—and that's where work marketplaces like Upwork come in. Job
boards provide employers and job seekers a platform to meet, perform interviews,
and negotiate pay rates. This article will discuss popular platforms where you can
find virtual assistant positions and provide tips on leveraging these platforms to find
jobs.

1. Upwork
‍

Talk about an extensive labor marketplace for clients and freelancers,

and Upwork comes to mind. The platform helps businesses connect with remote
workers by allowing them to advertise available jobs listing expertise required and
project duration. Thanks to numerous offers available on the platform, beginners
can find entry-level jobs that help them learn the ropes. Established freelancers
can use Upwork to land more advanced positions.

The types of jobs offered on Upwork vary, but many involve tasks like data entry,
customer service, appointment setting, bookkeeping, and research. The pay on
each job will also vary depending on the job's complexity and duration—or the
required experience level. Upwork also provides tutorial resources that help
beginners improve their knowledge and develop skills as virtual assistants.

If you’re a beginner virtual assistant new to Upwork, you must create an account
and complete your profile to apply for jobs. You can take a few actions to optimize
your freelance profile when submitting proposals on Upwork. In addition, Upwork
has an extensive and growing resource center with helpful guides on things
like interviewing and writing a resume.

First, make sure your profile photo is professional and reflects the type of work you
do. Next, take some time to complete your profile, including your work history,
education, language proficiencies, skills, portfolio, and anything else that might be
relevant to the type of work you want to do. By following these steps, you're setting
yourself up for success in finding a virtual assistant job through Upwork.

Pay range: $10-$20/hour

2. Fancy Hands
‍

Fancy Hands provides a service connecting assistants to people seeking help with
several day-to-day tasks like managing calendars, scheduling appointments,
sending emails, carrying out online research, or teaching languages online.

Using this platform as a beginner personal assistant helps reduce the stress and
competition of getting jobs by getting your skills out there for clients to see.
Engaging in these helpful tasks is also an excellent way to begin your career
because it helps you hone your skills and gather relevant experiences that prepare
you for crucial career growth.

Virtual assistants on Fancy Hands can expect to earn different amounts for
different projects. Factors that can affect pay include the project type, the task's
complexity, the client's budget, and the assistant’s experience.

Generally, more complex tasks and projects will pay more than simple tasks. For
example, a client may be willing to pay $15 per hour to a calendar management
virtual assistant but $25 per hour for a virtual assistant to answer customer calls
and address complaints.

Additionally, virtual assistants with more experience can expect to earn more than
those with less experience.

Pay range: $18-$27 per hour

3. oDeskWork
‍

oDeskWork is a website that offers a variety of freelance jobs. The types of jobs
vary, but they mostly consist of administrative assistant tasks, customer service,
data entry, and other online jobs.

Beginner virtual assistants can opt for tasks that require minimal skills and
experience, like email management. However, virtual assistants with web
development skills can also find more technical tasks like web design and video
editing. Projects have varying pay rates depending on the tasks' complexity or the
client's budget.

To begin as a virtual assistant on oDeskWork, you will create a profile that clearly
displays your skills, key competencies, and professional experience. Including such
vital details in your profile may help convince potential employers that you’re an
excellent fit for the task.

Pay range: $3-$100 per hour

4. Zirtual
‍

Zirtual is an online office assistant service that connects users with a team of highly
skilled and experienced remote workers. Virtual assistants joining this platform
must have at least a college degree to be eligible to apply.

Virtual assistants on the platform can expect to handle a wide range of tasks for
customers, including social media management, market research, inbox
management, travel booking, and scheduling. Some tasks requiring more specific
qualifications include website development and email marketing.

Virtual assistants’ may get full-time or part-time jobs on the platform or engage in
one-time outsourced gigs. As such, your earnings as a Zirtual virtual assistant may
vary with location, experience, and the services offered during a project.

For example, Zirtual reports that US-based virtual assistants typically make from
$15-80 per hour while those in the Philippines can make from $5-45 per hour. Top
services on the platform include marketing automation assistance, bookkeeping,
data entry, and research services.

Pay range: $15-$80 per hour