If you are someone like me who is looking at online work as a great way to stay at home with your kids, and be able to contribute to family expenses, but worried about all the scams out there, you are in the right place to find some answers.
Maybe you did some research and narrowed it down to offer virtual assistant services from home with the skills you already have. And then, you may have started to wonder if you can do it alone.
Listen, you are not alone with a bunch of questions nagging you and making you nervous and unable to make any decision.
I am a skeptical about the online world. So, when I decided to look for a course to improve my chances of working in the digital world, it was important for me to first explore what is out there and ask questions. I mean deep questions. I finally found success and I am now able to find clients easily to offer my skills and services.
I suggest you ask these 4 important questions before you jump into paying for any course or training to work remotely and earn income. You can also find out about my personal experience as I critically assessed a course that I narrowed down after extensive search.
Question 1. Can I apply for jobs right away after the training?
That’s a good first question. Before ever applying to a remote job or a virtual gig you can do from home, you must have a portfolio to show to your potential client.
If you are wondering, “What is a portfolio anyway?” A portfolio is a collection of samples to demonstrate that you are ready with the skill set needed to execute the work or task you applied for.
Then the question that may come to your mind would be, “If I am just starting out, how do you expect me to have a collection of samples, and how will I get samples if I don’t have a job yet?”
Sounds like chicken or egg, which came first, kind of situation!
Some of my friends told me that they had to work for free for more than 6 months just to develop their portfolio of samples. I wasn’t interested in such training.
So, if you are exploring a training, make sure to find out if there is a way to develop samples of work as part of the training itself so that you can apply for paying jobs right away!
Luckily I came across the course by Esther Inman, a normal military spouse and mom with a three-year-old, at the time, who figured it out. With a desire to help as many women get working from home and working online, Esther founded the Virtual Assistant Internship and a skills-training program called 90 Day VA. She just opened a free master class to help people like you trying to find out if becoming a virtual assistant is a good fit for them.
I was impressed that she wanted to help women so much that she offers a free introductory course which I readily took, at a minimum to make sure if this was the right fit for me before I paid anything to anyone.
I just want to explain to you how I found answers to the four key questions I mentioned earlier.
Let’s come back to the dilemma of having a portfolio we just talked about. In the 90 Day VA internship course, students build their portfolio really quickly while they’re working through adding to their skill set.
I actually had real work samples even as I was going through the course.
During the training, mentors will support you to figure out what kinds of things clients are looking for, and what services you should offer to be able to start offering services right away. Plus, mentors who themselves have a ton of experience review your portfolio samples to make sure everything is up to standard!
Question 2. If I join the training will I get support during and after the course?
Working from home can sometimes get lonely. If you are a social person by nature, spending time alone all day can take its toll on your mental and physical health.
So, one important point for me to check when enrolling in a course to become a virtual assistant was to know if there is a good support system.
I wanted to bounce off ideas with peers, help one another and talk about both successes and failures without being scared or intimidated.
And, I found the friendship and support I was looking for.
As soon as someone enrolls in the 90 Day VA, they are part of a wonderful group of women from all over the world.
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In addition, I was glad to find that a number of graduates from this program went on to start their OWN agencies but they keep in touch with the new batch of students to share their experiences and insights.
There are live monthly calls where the trainees hop on and talk through questions or struggles. They hold each others’ hands virtually, so to speak, sharing and supporting.
Question 3. Can I get help in finding job offers?
This is another key question for me. I wondered because so many training programs seem to focus on cramming information and theory with limited practical application. Essentially, they miss the important element of ‘JOB READINESS’.
Courses that don’t prepare you for jobs from the beginning will keep you guessing. “Where do I find clients for my virtual assistance services?” “How do I get an interview?” and on and on.
So one thing you might want to find out when exploring the value of a good virtual assistant training is not only if you get help to improve your qualifications, but if you can also get help to find your first internship or your first client.
Luckily in the 90 Day VA program I finally enrolled in not only helps students build a portfolio, but they also share 20 to 30 job offers exclusively with the group every single month. These offers come from Esther’s own network of successful entrepreneurs and from the online business space. In fact, the course helped more than 700 women to start working online in the specific niches that they are passionate about.
A unique niche that helped me in job readiness was Esther’s proprietary system for content repurposing. It is a high demand service and a huge niche that not many people are able to offer.
From my own experience I know that once you master this content repurposing niche, you can get going really, really quickly with the techniques you learn. You are ready to apply for jobs at a minimum of $15 per hour right away. Then you can build your portfolio way fast, and in 6 to 12 months, move into $30 to 40 per hour rate.
Question 4. What if I don’t end up liking the course?
It happens so often. You buy an e-book or join a course only to find out that it’s not what you’re looking for. You feel frustrated and think “Oh, I have to go through this process of returning, asking for my money back, explaining why I don’t like it” ….
To make sure anyone who enrolls in the 90 Day VA is fully aware of what they will get, Esther personally offers a free master class on “How to Work from Anywhere as a Virtual Assistant”. It is literally packed with tons of valuable information, tips and ideas. So, it is a no brainer because this gives you a chance to join the full training only if you find real value in the free class.
If you are ready to explore being a virtual assistant as a side hustle or to generate full-time income, I highly recommend you take the free Master class. I can assure you that you will get answers to all the questions that may be swirling around in your head and help you make a decision.
When I watched the free class, it also helped me to understand how this training is DIFFERENT from other courses out there. Because of this, I was able to avoid regretting paying for something that I don’t like.
If you are ready to jump in, you will get to create a virtual career beyond the scams, call centers and network marketing gigs. From my own experience, I’m here to tell you RIGHT NOW that by investing in training I was able to start earning within the first two months! This is because I could package the skills I already had and quickly built a portfolio that convinced online businesses that I am the right person to help them!
With experience, I can say with confidence that the main attraction to be a virtual assistant is that there are not many barriers to enter and earn a solid income.
The best part is, you don’t need a degree, you don’t need tons of experience, you don’t need to commute 2 hours a day just to get to work.
So, do you want to rock as a freakin’ awesome virtual assistant?
If you are even thinking about working online, you owe it to yourself a chance to watch the free Master class where Esther Inman, the creator and instructor of the course as she walks you through step-by-step.
Wondering what to do next?
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You can also take the quiz below to see if the online experience you already have will prepare you to start working online without taking too much time and effort.