Land Your First VA Job Without Experience
Want to become a Booked Out Virtual Assistant with all the best (and top-paying) clients, juicy word-of-mouth referrals, and a month-long waitlist? The secret to finding the right clients starts right here!
When you’re just starting out as a virtual assistant, you’ll see a lot of advice that you should offer your services for free. After all, if you don’t have any experience or testimonials or case studies to point to the only way you’ll get hired is by offering to do work for free or in exchange for a testimonial, right?
Wrong.
There are many ways you can build your credibility without working for free or having previous paid client experience. All it takes is a little creative thinking, planning, and some solid communication as to the skills you have and how your potential client can benefit from them.
Embarking on a journey to establish a Virtual Assistant (VA) business in an unfamiliar field might seem like a daunting task. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll find a treasure trove of transferable skills and past experiences that can set you up for success.
Discovering the Hidden Gems in Your Background
Consider this: if you managed a retail store before venturing into general admin as a VA, you’re sitting on a goldmine of skills. Delegating duties, managing a team, handling customer service intricacies, and dealing with inventory – these are all valuable skills that can seamlessly transition into your new venture.
When showcasing your skills, let your About page, Homepage, and Services page tell stories. Sprinkle testimonials from past supervisors and colleagues to add credibility.
Yes, School Counts!
If you’re wondering whether your academic background counts as experience, the answer is a resounding yes! The knowledge gained during your academic journey holds weight, and you’ve got the receipts to prove it.
Your Business, Your Showcase
Remember that time you built a website for your dream Etsy shop? Boom, web design skills are unlocked! Or how about your role as Treasurer, managing the finances for your college club? Accounting whiz at your service! Your own business endeavors, whether in running your own social media, creating your own website, or general admin, can serve as tangible examples of your capabilities. So, don’t be shy and let your business be your ultimate brag board.
Volunteer and Boost Your Street Cred With Video Testimonials and Reviews
I am a huge advocate for working with nonprofits. I offer free services to this day for certain nonprofits in my city. You could take on one free project per year with a nonprofit you’re passionate about and use this to highlight hands-on professional experience and even snag yourself a dope testimonial or recommendation letter!
Demonstrate with Mock Projects
Create mock projects to showcase your skills and prevent any concerns about lacking real-world experience. If you spot an error in an email from a renowned marketer, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise. You can share these experiences through blogs, vlogs, or social media content, turning them into valuable pieces of content marketing.
Confidence Without Job Experience
At its core, being a VA is about helping people, and you’ve been doing that throughout your life. Effectively communicating your relevant experience is key. Identify your ideal client and core offerings, then creatively reimagine your past experiences in a way that resonates with potential clients.
Your life experiences are assets waiting to be utilized. It’s not about what you’ve done; it’s about how you market what you’ve learned.
Ready to land your first VA gig?
My FREE mini-course, Booked+Busy©, is your launchpad to VA glory. You’ll learn:
The skills that land $$$ regardless of your background.
How to niche down and become the rockstar of your chosen VA domain.
Client-finding secrets for nabbing the perfect partners in crime.
The top-paying skills and services that 5-figure VAs swear by.
Actionable steps to launch your thriving VA business, all in 2 months or less!
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident, and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
This free course is designed to give you the foundation you need to start an online side hustle freelancing, even if you’re brand new! In Module 1, we’ll explore what kind of work you can do online and how to use your past experiences to discover your niche. In Module 2, you'll learn what services you can offer and how to price them so you can start making serious money online. Module 3 dives deep into earnings, business setups (LLC or freelance?), and how to find high-paying clients.
