There are a lot of virtual assistant jobs out there. In fact, even I’ve tried my hand at a few over the years. And, honestly, I enjoy the work of a VA.

Why?

First, many virtual assistant jobs are flexible. They’re perfect for the side-hustling mama to the full-time freelancer (and everyone in between).

And, you can opt to contract with a virtual assistant company or start your own virtual assistant business. In fact, there are nearly 300 in-demand VA services you can offer directly to clients!

But, before discussing the ins and outs of finding VA work, let’s start with the basics.

What is a virtual assistant?

Before you look for virtual assistant jobs, you gotta know what a virtual assistant (VA for short) is.

A virtual assistant is someone who provides support and completes tasks from a remote location. This means that a virtual assistant in Texas could make travel arrangements for their client in Germany or coordinate meetings for an executive in Seattle.

Really, the possibilities are endless.

According to Investopedia, a virtual assistant is

“an independent contractor who provides administrative services to clients while operating outside of the client’s office.”

Investopedia

However, not all virtual assistant jobs are contract. More on that later.

What is important to know is that thanks to our ever-connected world and ability to do pretty much anything with a computer and Internet connection, virtual assistants can provide just about any service that an in-office administrative assistant can.

And this means a lot of legitimate virtual assistant jobs out there for anyone looking for wfh jobs.

What does it take to get hired for virtual assistant jobs?

Next, what skills are needed as a VA? First, since virtual assistants are entirely remote, you’ll need a computer, high-speed internet and telephone to stay connected with clients and complete tasks.

Depending on the client or company you contract with, there are likely to be additional requirements.

For example, I’ve seen some companies require their virtual assistants to have a landline phone. Additionally, some require VAs to have the capability to fax, scan and copy from their home office. And still some want specific skills like the ability to type 75 WPM or working knowledge of Photoshop. Heck, there are even virtual assistants jobs specifically for paralegals!

Remember, the required skill sets or software needed will depend on the company or a client’s nature of business and their individual needs. Always read a job description VERY carefully before you apply. Most will tell you the needed skills and tech requirements for the position.

Psst: Not feeling great about your current tech and administrative skills? No problem! Take a refresher course with Coursera!

Who would make an outstanding virtual assistant?

If you refer to yourself as a Jack or Jill of all trades, you’d probably make a great virtual assistant. Since VAs are often tasked with a variety of jobs, you’ll need to have a little knowledge of a lot of things or at the very least be really proficient in Internet research in order to come up with the answer/solution to any question/problem.

However, there are several skills that are helpful to have when looking for virtual assistant jobs.

Generally speaking, virtual assistants:

• Have great communication skills
• Can write effectively
• Are self starters
• Roll with the punches
• Stay cool, calm and collected under pressure
• Know how to multitask and prioritize
• Work with a sense of urgency
• Require limited direction

If you’ve ever worked as an admin assistant, personal assistant or in any kind of secretarial role, then you already know what it takes to provide support to others and get things done quickly, efficiently and without interruption to a client’s schedule. A virtual assistant’s role is no different with the exception that you’ll be doing it entirely from home.

Companies that Offer Virtual Assistant Jobs

While some people choose to create their own virtual assistant job, others are more interested in contracting with a company.

Really, each has its pros and cons! If you’re looking for companies that do contract with VAs, check out this list:

1. Great Assistant

• A division of profit factory
• Places assistants with entrepreneurs
• W2 position
• Pays around $25/hour
• Must email jobs@greatassistant.com to apply
• MUST follow application instructions to a T!

2. VaVa Virtual Assistants

• This is both an Account Manager & Executive Assistant role
• Must live in the United States
• 3+ Years of Executive Assistant Experience
• 30 hours (or more) per week

3. EA Help Virtual Assistant Jobs at BELAY

• Formerly EA Help
• Requires previous experience assisting high-level executives
• Must have a quiet home office with latest MS Office installed
• 1099 contractor role
• Hires general Virtual Assistants as well as Bookkeepers, Website Specialists, and Social Media Managers

4. Worldwide 101 Boldly

• Read my Boldly Remote Jobs Review
• Actively hiring for Executive Assistants, Marketing & Social Media Specialists, Project Management, and Virtual Paralegals
• Has a program specifically for Military Spouses
• Should have 7 years experience in your field
• Requires in-depth internet knowledge
• Qualified applicants hear back within 14 days of applying
• Hiring process includes 2 video interviews, psychometric testing, and background/reference checks
• Hired as a W2 employee
• Formerly Worldwide 101

5. Gabbyville

• Virtual answering/receptionist services
• Provides bilingual virtual receptionists
• Answer calls during a company’s business hours and takes messages
• May also schedule appointments or take orders
• Not much by way of application process, if interested, need to email career@gabbyville.com
• Must provide a screenshot of your Internet Speed, Typing Speed, and Twilio speed as part of your application

6. Zirtual

Note: On August 10, 2015, Zirtual abruptly shut down. They remained closed for seven days until Startups.com (a startup launch platform) acquired Zirtual. They resumed service beginning August 17, 2015. Now, Zirtual is once again hiring Virtual Assistants to work from home.

• Must be US-based
• College education required
• 1099 independent contractor role
• VAs earn 47% of their client’s monthly plan
• Average earnings = $3,000-$3,500 monthly
• You can fill out a profile to be considered for future roles

7. Contemporary Virtual Assistance

• Offers both full and part time virtual assistant jobs
• Prefers individuals with specialized experience in a particular field, ex. social media, WordPress, graphic design, Google tools, etc.
• Must be available at least four hours a day Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST
• Need to have high speed internet and reliable phone access
• Pay rate starts at $10.00 per hour with room for advancement after 60 days
• Rarely hiring

8. Time Etc. has Virtual Assistant Jobs

• Appears to be very part-time work (read the review here)
• Requires a minimum of just three hours of availability per week but prefers a five hour per week commitment
• Must be available Monday through Friday
• Need to have 2-3 years of admin/secretarial experience
• Starting pay rate of $13.00 per hour
• Need to have a Skype account, printer, and Microsoft Office
• Writing skills preferred as jobs might include blogging, content writing, social media updates
• Prefers a one-year commitment

9. Paragon Planners

• Part-time work only, 20-32 hours per week
• Hires Virtual Administrative Assistants & Virtual Assistant Schedulers
• Pay rate is $14.00 – $16.00 hourly
• Fill out a Google Form to apply
• Must be available Monday – Friday
• Only hires in select US states

10. Vicky Virtual

• Seeking work-at-home receptionists to handle calls, answer questions, schedule appointments, etc.
• Must be living in the United States
• Need to have a headset for answering calls, reliable high-speed internet connection, type at least 50 wpm
• Should be able to speak in a “neutral accent”
• Experience providing phone-based support and customer service is a plus
• Pay rate starting at just $10.00 per hour
• Rarely hiring, Usually posts job openings on FlexJobs

11. Fancy Hands

• Crowdsourced VA platform (read the review here)
• Requires a lengthier application process
• Paid per task ($3-$7)
• Work available 24/7
• Payments issued every other week on Tuesdays
• Opportunity to move up

12. $99 Social

• Help small businesses around the world with their social media accounts
• Write creative content for social media (Twitter, Facebook, G+, LinkedIn)
• Discover and find unique content around the Internet
• Minimum commitment of 10 hours
• Earn an average of $12/hour
• Must be available Monday – Friday
• You will have to perform a practice assignment to be hired

13. Smith AI

• Hires virtual receptionists
• Tasks include taking messages, collecting payments, transferring calls, etc.
• Minimum 40 WPM typing speed
• Must be available for at least 5 days a week for 5 hours per day
• Shifts are broken into 2-5 hour blocks
• Starting pay at $15/hour for US agents
• Starting pay at $11/hour for agents outside of the US

14. Red Butler Delegated

• Red Butler is now Delegated. You can read my Red Butler Review to learn more.
• High school degree needed
• College degree preferred
• 5+ years of relevant experience
• Virtual, remote, or freelance experience a plus
• Newer computer (3 years or less)

15. Aspire

• Work as a virtual concierge
• Roles include Lifestyle Concierge and Travel Concierge
• $500 sign up bonus if you pass certification
• Employee role
• Can choose a 4 day or 5 day workweek

16. Virtual Assistant Jobs with OkayRelax

• English fluency
• Currently only hiring in Philippines and Pakistan
• Full time
• Availability during US West Coast Hours
• Previous remote work required

17. Team Delegate

• Says they’re always looking for the “best and brightest.” However, they’re not always hiring
• Must pass background check to get hired
• Availability during business hours required
• 1099 Contractor role
• Does not hire residents of MT, PA, NY, NJ or CA

18. Vasumo

• Must live in US or Canada
• 3 years minimum experience needed
• Requires 3 months of paid training
• Must pass certification after training to get hired

19. U Assist Me

• Must live in El Salvador
• Candidates must have advanced English skills
• Requires availability between Monday-Friday
• Must be comfortable working on tasks like bookkeeping, social media, management, and bill collecting

20. 24/7 Virtual Assistant

• Must email your resume to: careers@247virtualassistant.com
• You will only be contacted if you are a good fit for an existing client
• Average pay rate is $13-$14/hour
• Most assistants work part-time, 20-120 hours per month

21. TaskBullet 

• Should be committed to learning new skills and professional development
• Services you may need to know include marketing, admin support, and real estate
• Can work as an executive assistant, personal assistant, or social media assistant
• Also has opportunities for non-U.S. residents (learn more here)

22. Peachtree Versatile Assistants

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Available at least 15 hours a week
• 1099 contractor role
• $22/hour pay rate
• May undergo a background check
• Must pass a a skills assessment

23. Equivity Virtual ASsistant Jobs

• Hires part time virtual assistants
• Availability between 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday – Friday
• Bachelor’s degree
• US resident
• Hires virtual paralegals and virtual executive assistants

Former Virtual Assistant Jobs

Finally, you’ll see a crossed out list of VA companies below. Those are there on purpose. At one time, these were all active virtual assistant companies. However, they have since become inactive, were sold, or simply went out of business.

Instead of deleting them, strikethroughs are used so you can see these companies.

Virtual Office VA Staffing

• Must be a resident of the U.S. (Texas residents cannot be accepted)
• Contract position
• Pays weekly; $9.00/hour for actual work completed (not idle time)
• Must complete free training before being offered a contract
• Decide how much you want to work and for which clients

Clara Labs

• Work as a remote assistant, mostly processing emails
• You also help ‘train’ Clara’s artificial intelligence platform
• Must be familiar with Google Calendar and Gmail
• Hired as an independent contractor
• Flexible schedule, but must be available during business hours PST

Lifebushido

• Always hiring
• Part-time work starting at five hours a week with the option to increase to 20 hours based on performance
• Hires worldwide
• Must email jobs@lifebushido.com to receive information about the hiring process

Care 2 Share

• Real estate staffing company that hires VAs
• Must have Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. availability
• WordPress, Adobe, and real estate experience preferred
• Must have high speed internet, noise-free working space, headset with microphone
  for phone calls
• Also prefers college grads, those with accounting experience and knowledge of QuickBooks
• Send resume to jobs@caretwoshare if interested

exec-u-sist

• Must complete a self-guided interview
• Employee position
• Will need to create a five-minute video as part of the application process (answer questions, show your workspace, and demonstrate your personality)
• Have four days to complete the application process

Office 88 Tele-Staff

• Must sign up and take a short test
• Four types of virtual assistant jobs:
  • web designer
  • graphic designer
  • translator/proofreader
  • secretary
• Hired as a freelancer
• Can also earn commission for selling Office 88 services

Create Your Own Virtual Assistant Jobs

As you can see, there are no shortages of virtual assistant jobs out there. But contracting with a virtual assistant company or getting hired on as an employee doesn’t make sense for everyone.

The good news is, you can start your own virtual assistant business — even if you have no experience. Just ask Gina Horkey. She built a successful VA business from scratch to $12,000/month. Impressive, right?

She’s pretty transparent about how she got there, and even delivers the step-by-step goods in her self-paced course. You can snag the Jumpstart Your VA Biz course right now for under one hundred bucks.

This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosure statement for more information.

The post Virtual Assistant Jobs: 20+ Companies Hiring Remote Agents appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.

So, I finally took a moment to correct the outdated information and added some new details too. Now, it’s a much more accurate reflection. To my knowledge, this is up-to-date info as of January 2022. Without further ado, let’s get on with the User Testing Review!

Chances are, you spend a lot of time online. You probably read the news, check your email, do some shopping and give status updates to friends and family via social media. And this familiarity with browsing the Internet and navigating websites can actually translate into some extra cash each month.

When you become a usability tester for User Testing you can earn a little extra money in your spare time just for your thoughts. Ready to learn more? Let’s dive into my User Testing Review. As far as work from home jobs, this is one of my favorite extra money makers!

User Testing Review Fast Facts

• Sign Up Process: Easy, Requires a Sample Test
• Pay Rate : $4.00 for 5-minute test, $10 for 20-minute test, and $30-$120 for live interviews
• Availability of Work: Varies
• Income Type: Supplemental, Less than $500 monthly

What is usability testing?

All sorts of companies want to know what we Internet users do while navigating their sites. They want to know what makes us click on certain links, abandon our shopping carts and our general likes and dislikes about their websites and apps. Why? Because it gives them the opportunity to improve points that are confusing and promote things that work well. This leads to greater customer satisfaction which turns into more money for them.

Why does usability testing matter?

According to Rocket55, user design is important “because it tries to fulfill the user’s needs.” Meeting user needs provide a positive experience and help build brand loyalty. And brand loyalty translates to recurrent sales.

Since companies want to constantly improve their bottom line, they will pay users for their thoughts so they can perfect their user design.

And that’s how usability testing companies (like User Testing) came about. These companies recruit people like you and me to “think out loud” while browsing websites.

Our thoughts are relayed to well-known companies, giving them valuable insight into our personal thoughts and experiences while visiting their online spaces. To date, companies like HP, Samsung, Wayfair, Adobe, CBS, Ford, and many more have used User Testing to create positive customer experiences online.

What does a usability tester do?

As a tester, you provide direct feedback so companies know exactly what your needs as a user are. This means you have to verbally relay your thoughts while visiting a website. Remember, companies want to know your thoughts both good and bad!

Confused? No worries.

Let’s take this User Testing review a bit further with a sample scenario. (Note: This is an actual assignment I’ve completed as a user testing).

Example User Testing Scenario

For example, let’s say Target wants to test out a new homepage design before publishing it. They hire Usability Testing to recruit real users so they can gather real feedback. You decide to complete this review, so you accept the task and get started.

The User Testing app or Chrome Extension will record your voice and screen as you navigate. For the test, you might have a scenario to keep in mind during the test. A scenario could be anything from “pretend you are looking to buy a new sheet set” or “act like you are shopping for items on a baby registry.”

As you compete the test, you will speak out loud about your experience in real time. Hate the layout? Let them know. Love the graphics? Say it. Not sure about navigation? Speak up.

You need to be honest and point out things you like as well as things that are frustrating and confusing. Remember, companies want to improve the user experience. Your honest feedback plays an important role!

User Testing Review: Requirements

There are a number of different companies offering usability testing jobs. Each of them operate a bit differently, but the premise is typically the same: record people’s thoughts as they complete tasks online.

My personal favorite usability testing site is User Testing. They’ve been around for a long time, are highly reputable and have never, ever been late with payments. I know this from personal experience since I’ve been a tester with User Testing since 2015.

But, before you jump in and sign up as a contributor make sure you meet their requirements. Check out the next section in this User Testing Review for all requirements.

Requirements for Testers

Before you jump into the User Testing waters, make sure you meet the criteria to become a tester:

1. Be 18 years of age or older
2. Have a PC, Mac, or mobile device with specific specs
3. Reliable internet connections (upload speeds must be at least 3MBps)
4. Microphone (here’s an inexpensive one on Amazon)
5. Able to add the User Testing extension to your Chrome Browser or download the User Testing app
6. Comfortable filling out a demographics info sheet
7. Capable of speaking thoughts out loud in English
8. Can accept payments online via PayPal

How to Sign Up as a Paid Tester

No User Testing review would be complete without talking about the sign up process. Fortunately, User Testing has a relatively easy one. If you meet the requirements above and you’re interested in becoming a tester, head on over to their sign-up page. Once there, enter your email address and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Now it’s time to complete your sample test. Don’t panic!

The sample test is just to make sure you have a clear speaking voice, are comfortable talking out loud while browsing a site, and can actually provide valuable feedback and not just describe what you see on your screen.

You don’t have to install the Chrome extension if you take the test on a computer. However, you will need to download the User Testing app if you take the test on a mobile device.

If your sample test is approved, you receive an invite to become a paid contributor. Now you can claim tasks and earn extra cash. Woohoo!

How do I start taking tests?

You get notified of new tests by email. If you are interested in a test, act quickly! Tests expire once all the spots are taken. Keep in mind, you won’t qualify for every one. Many tests will have specific demographic requirements. If you don’t meet them, you can’t take the test.

User Testing Review: Other Considerations

As part of this User Testing Review I want to address other facts to know before you get started. Here are important considerations for aspiring testers:

1. You do not have to live in the United States.
2. PayPal is the only way to get paid.
3. A microphone is a must.
4. Taxes are not withheld from payments.
5. You do not have to pay to become a tester.
6. Live Conversations pay $1 per minute (30 min. = $30, 60 min. = $60, etc.)
7. Payments are sent 7 days after you complete a test.

That’s it! Remember to keep track of your earnings. US test takers are expected to pay taxes on all income (even side income).

User Testing Review Conclusion

To conclude this User Testing review, let’s recap and set expectations. This is an extra income opportunity only. You cannot rely on User Testing to provide any steady income. Remember, tests are released and expire once they get enough testers. Plus, you might not qualify as a tester if you don’t meet the demographics.

Have a question? Leave it in the comments below. I’m always here (and happy) to help!

Happily,

Ashlee

The post User Testing Review: Get Paid to Think Out Loud appeared first on Work from Home Happiness.