Using Technical Communication Skills as a Virtual Assistant

by Kristy Schnabel

At our September 2003 meeting of the Willamette Valley STC, a panel of experts spoke of the dismal job prospects for technical communicators. Among them was Dusty Muller, Workforce Analyst at the Oregon Employment Department (OED). Muller said that the OED doesn't track technical writers any more because there are so few of them, and that technical writers are "morphing" into other professions. I knew he was right because I had just done this. I had just become a Virtual Assistant, or VA.

What's a VA?

A VA is a highly skilled professional who provides long-term administrative support virtually (off-site), using the latest technology. Virtual assistance is an emerging profession that was formalized in the late 90s. VAs provide many different administrative tasks depending on the VA's skills and the client's needs, but among those services are writing, editing, desktop publishing, and designing, developing, and maintaining Web sites.

For those of you thinking, "Why should I become a cyber secretary?" being a VA really is much more than that. In working with a VA, a client receives high level, administrative support that is proactive and collaborative. VAs earn between $35 and $100 per hour. For someone whose career has included administrative support, but who now wants to be the one calling the shots, a virtual assistance practice is very attractive. Plus, since the profession is virtual, the lack of geographic boundaries in cyberspace makes the job market enormous.

Who Wants a VA?

So, you can be a VA for anyone in the U.S., or even Canada, but who wants a VA? VAs work for coaches, (business, personal, and fitness et al.), realtors, authors, attorneys, financial advisors, sales professionals, and many other professions. Some VAs market themselves to particular industries such as non-profit organizations, or arts and entertainment businesses. For anyone who needs help for a few hours a week, but doesn't want to hire someone, a VA is ideal.

Clients use VAs because they don't want to have to pay payroll taxes and benefits or provide office space for someone they don't need full-time. VAs are well-suited for home-based entrepreneurs. In exchange for not having assistance immediately available—a VA may have several clients—the client benefits by not having to pay for overhead.

Are VAs Trained?

Anyone who wants to call themself a virtual assistant may do so, but the discerning client may want one who is trained and/or certified. VAs come from many diverse backgrounds. Most are women, and come with a dozen or more years of work experience. In my class we had a lawyer/professional organizer, MBA/accountant, director of a non-profit, city clerk, and a paralegal. By doing a Google search of "virtual assistance training," you'll get numerous hits of training and certification programs. The advantage of working with a VA who is affiliated with an organization means that they have the resources of hundreds of virtual assistants available to provide information and referrals. Check out the various organizations and learn the breadth of their training. Investigate if their members sign an ethics pledge, and learn if the organization ensures their members' adherence to standards of excellence, ethics, and practices.

Summary

In these times of jobs disappearing overseas, it may make sense to remarket yourself. If you have an interest in working for yourself in an emerging career, and have a desire to support clients with their administrative tasks, a virtual assistance practice may interest you. As a business owner, you determine the work you will do, and for whom. For those with an entrepreneurial spirit, that's a wonderful place to be.

About the Author

Kristy Schnabel has a B.A. in Economics, an M.B.A from the University of California, Irvine, and a Certificate in Technical and Professional Writing from Portland Community College. As a graduate of AssistU, she owns It's Virtually Done, a virtual assistance practice and may be reached through her Web site at www.itsvirtuallydone.com.