A day in the life of a virtual assistant

A virtual assistant’s day can vary widely from individual to individual and day to day, which is one of the benefits of the job! Hi! My name is Sara, and I’m a part-time Social Media Support virtual assistant. Working for Virtual Gurus allows me to build a career for myself while I homeschool my children, study as a part-time student, and run a small business as an artist and designer. Because of the many hats I wear, there is no other job that would fit so seamlessly into my lifestyle than being a virtual assistant.

Working Part-Time

I start each morning by making daily social media posts, checking client inboxes, and checking in with clients via email and Slack. Then I have breakfast and do my personal tasks for the day. While that routine mostly stays the same, my afternoons can often be more varied. Some days, I may have a Zoom meeting. Other days, I may spend a few extra hours creating and scheduling social media content or writing monthly blog posts and newsletters for a few different clients. My day-to-day fluctuates just enough to keep things from getting boring. 

I am in charge of my schedule, and my work is task-oriented, so I never have to waste time trying to look busy while waiting for the clock to hit 5 pm. On top of that, I’m always learning! An exciting part of being a virtual assistant is the opportunity to expand one’s knowledge and skillset. If I have spare time in a week, I’m checking out a course at the Virtual Gurus Academy. 

Working Full-Time

I’m part-time, but some VAs choose to work full time. How do their days look?

To answer this question, I contacted a fellow virtual assistant, Kellie Evetts, who works full-time with Virtual Gurus. She holds the title General Admin and Office Management VA but would call herself a virtual assistant of all trades. When she started, she specialized in Pinterest but has grown her skillset exponentially. 

Morning

Kellie’s day starts at 6:30 am when she gets up to take care of her rescue dogs, do her household chores, and get ready for her workday. Her commute is short as her office is in her dining room. First, Kellie checks her email, navigates to the Virtual Gurus Community Hub, and opens the Teamwork app to access her To-Do list. 

Kellie’s current clients are new to working with a virtual assistant. Each of them has large projects needing attention that, for the most part, involve a lot of cleanup and organization. Kellie spends the first couple of hours of her workday sorting client emails and setting up new organization systems to help each client feel less overwhelmed by their inbox.

As Kellie works, she will have an open line of communication with her clients via email, Slack, or other means. If one of her clients has questions or a problem, Kellie can jump on a quick call to help troubleshoot.

Afternoon

No two days are ever exactly alike for Kellie. That variety is one of Kellie’s favorite parts of being a virtual assistant. However, routine is still important. Kellie has made a habit of taking an entire hour for lunch. During her lunch break, she takes her dogs for a walk which also gets her moving after spending the morning sitting. When she returns home, she will do some stretches and eat lunch while listening to a favorite podcast. This break has her refreshed and ready to return to work.

For Kellie, afternoons bring a variety of learning, meeting clients’ needs, and planning for the next day. Because Kellie has access to her clients’ emails and calendars, she can see which clients will need more support in the coming day. She will create a loose plan for the next day before she finishes her workday.

Kellie usually reserves an hour or two each week for professional development. She is constantly learning new skills and looking for more efficient ways to assist her clients.

By 3:30 pm, Kellie will often have completed her work. Then she can run errands, go swimming, or take her dogs to a dog park. Kellie enjoys having those hours before supper to get things done so that her evenings are free for relaxation.

Flexibility for a Full Life!

Just as my part time virtual assistant role provides me the flexibility I need for my lifestyle, Kellie also finds that flexibility essential. Kellie has chronic health issues and must attend various appointments associated with them. Working from home as a virtual assistant means Kellie can schedule her workday around her appointments. It also means that she can attend to her physical needs and be comfortable taking time to look after herself. For Kellie, a flexible job is an accessible job.  

Having variety in tasks, flexibility in schedules, and constant learning make being a virtual assistant an attractive career choice. Those were all reasons why I became a virtual assistant. What surprised me was that one of the most rewarding parts of the job was the clients.

Working from home might sound lonely, but virtual assistants collaborate closely and create rewarding work relationships with clients. There is a sense of community. I love logging in to work every morning and having open communication with clients and fellow virtual assistants throughout the day.

Each of us is coming from a different place and may have a workday that looks different, but we have shared goals.