My Journey as a Virtual Assistant by T. Barkus

I started working as a Virtual Assistant in July 2016 and I can honestly say that it is the best job I have ever done! There are several reasons why I say this.

Firstly, FLEXIBILITY! I am able work flexible hours which suits my family life perfectly and as it turns out it works well for some of my clients who are based in the USA. I can get online in the evening at about the same time as they are starting their morning, so we have a few hours cross over time to talk in real time about any issues or questions that have arisen and to stay updated.

Secondly, VARIETY! I love how varied the work is. With a marketing management background, I am strongly positioned to carry out a range of tasks including research, statistical and data analysis work, marketing strategy, marketing planning, marketing writing, social media and email marketing, SEO work, project management, administration and many others too numerous to mention. And I get to do all of these for a range of different clients, across different sectors and even across different countries and cultures. So there is definitely no mundane ‘day in day out’ routine to being a Virtual Assistant.

And thirdly, OPPORTUNITY! In addition to carrying work that I am well experienced in, I have also been pushed out of my comfort zone and thrown in the deep end at times with new tasks not familiar to me with rather tight deadlines. This has allowed me to gain new skills and experience that I would not have been exposed to before which I gladly welcome. I do like a good challenge.

Finally, and this is a bit of an afterthought…COMFORT! I know for sure that some of my friends working full time in stuffy corporate offices with terrible daily commutes are most jealous of the fact that if the mood suits, I can be busy doing my work at my home desk in my comfy clothes and slippers. No traffic, no arriving for work late, no office chaos, less stress.

All on all, being a Virtual Assistant offers a great work life balance for any busy woman trying to fit everything in and I thoroughly recommend it.