Do VAs do the same thing?
No. There are VAs who do general administrative tasks just like an executive assistant or secretary and they take care of a larger scope of daily tasks like answering phone calls and emails, managing meeting schedules, etc. There are also those who specialise in accounting, marketing, social media, graphic design, web development, software, customer service, etc. Whatever job that can be made virtual, it's a possible job for the VA.
How much does a VA earn?
This can be from Php 8,000 to Php 80,000 or even higher. I heard some would earn six digits in a month but I've never personally known those people so I cannot vouch for that though that could be possible. This highly depends on what your field is and how much experience you've had in that field. Those who specialise in graphics, software or websites have higher rates especially when they are hired direct.
It depends on the scope of work, working hours and the size of a client's company. Your experience is also a great determining factor. Most clients don't really care about which school you came from but they care most about how well you can do the job.
Where do I apply?
There are tons of virtual assistant companies in the country that you can start off with if you don't have any experience. Clients pay a little lower if there is a middleman because they also have to pay the management but this is a good way for you to have a grasp of the job and how this whole thing works. You can find job listings on the local Indeed or MyNimo.
Your second option is to be hired via websites like Upwork. I have tried Upwork in the past but I don't excatly know how it works these days. From experience, in Upwork there is some sort of bidding for job listings based on your rate and skills. I have been told that there is so much competition in Upwork nowadays so also take that into consideration. The site also has fees but they're much lower compared to what a client pays at an office. If you're starting here, I suggest you go for shorter gigs or project based ones just to build up your portfolio and clientele.
The third option is to be hired direct. This option pays the highest because there are no additional fees on the client's side but this is also the trickiest to get. You can apply for this on websites like www.onlinejobs.ph. The best way is to be referred by a friend who's already working as a VA but this opportunity also comes by chance.
Do I have to be good in English?
The minimum would be that you can use the language to communicate well and convey your message accurately. Unless your job is reliant on your skill like writing jobs or research-related, then grammar is not a ride or die.
It's just regular admin tasks, anyone even without experience can do that.
Oh the good ol' smarty pants. While generally the job is not as "grand" as what scientists, engineers, etc do, it still has its own special complexities. If you think making a reservation on a restaurant in behalf of someone is easy, you should also consider that the VA must take into account the ideal timings, communication, making sure that the restaurant is fit for your boss and/or the clients.
Organising documents is easy? Then you may not have any idea that you have to categorise files and folders logically (and this logic differ for every department, company and industry) so that users can easily navigate themselves easier and not to mention all the technicalities that needs to be learned when using the cloud drives and the systems that the company is using.
The lesson here is that this, and no other job, is ever easy peasy. Remember that if it looks like someone is doing his job very easily, it may be. Just like any other job, a person needs to come in with an open mind and be willing to be trained.
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