How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 2024
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With the onset of remote work, virtual assistants are in demand more than ever. Becoming a virtual assistant can grant you flexibility and freedom to offer your services and earn an income from anywhere in the world (with an internet connection).
Continue reading to learn what a virtual assistant is, what one does, and how to become one. If you're ready to start this career path now, consider enrolling in Coursera Plus and building the skills you need to attract top clients.
What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant (VA) is someone who offers support to businesses and professionals. A virtual assistant uses technology to perform tasks remotely rather than commuting to a physical location.
There are several reasons why business owners hire virtual assistants. These include:
-
Making business operations run more smoothly
-
Scaling business growth
-
Ensuring that tasks outside of the business owner’s core competency areas get done
For example, a virtual administrative can take on administrative tasks such as data entry, email management, or appointment scheduling, enabling a business owner to focus on serving customers, developing new products, and planning the next growth phase.
How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 2024
Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on
Discover virtual assistant opportunities and trends, as well as the steps to launch your VA career.
With the onset of remote work, virtual assistants are in demand more than ever. Becoming a virtual assistant can grant you flexibility and freedom to offer your services and earn an income from anywhere in the world (with an internet connection).
Continue reading to learn what a virtual assistant is, what one does, and how to become one. If you're ready to start this career path now, consider enrolling in Coursera Plus and building the skills you need to attract top clients.
What is a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant (VA) is someone who offers support to businesses and professionals. A virtual assistant uses technology to perform tasks remotely rather than commuting to a physical location.
There are several reasons why business owners hire virtual assistants. These include:
-
Making business operations run more smoothly
-
Scaling business growth
-
Ensuring that tasks outside of the business owner’s core competency areas get done
For example, a virtual administrative can take on assistant tasks such as data entry, email management, or appointment scheduling, enabling a business owner to focus on serving customers, developing new products, and planning the next growth ph
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Becoming a virtual assistant: What to know in 2024
The virtual assistant economy continues to evolve and serve businesses in various industries, including health care, online education, interior decorating, sustainability software, publishing, banking and finance, e-commerce, mortgage and lending, IT, and more. Statista refers to this industry as "business process outsourcing, the transfer of entire business processes or individual activities from a company to a third party.” Statista predicts that industry revenue will reach $134 billion in 2024 and exceed $152 billion by 2028 [1].
Here’s a look at some of the trends and opportunities:
Virtual assistant talent marketplaces
Various talent pools are available for virtual assistants to source clients and businesses to find the right support. Fiverr and Upwork are among the more popular and well-known pools.
