On job platforms like Onlinejobs.ph, it’s not uncommon for an entry-level virtual assistant to enjoy a salary starting from 2.5 to 5 USD per hour. For many people living in a developing country, this is substantially more than what you can expect from a regular minimum-wage job. It’s no surprise that many have been attracted to this opportunity to earn a livelihood online.
Virtual assistant jobs are at the forefront of the remote work movement. Without the need to go abroad or even leave home, remote workers now have the opportunity to earn a higher wage compared to their local counterparts.
If you are thinking of becoming a virtual assistant (VA) in the Philippines, you need to write an appealing virtual assistant resume to get your career started.
Table of Contents
What Makes a Virtual Assistant Resume Different from Other Kinds of Resumes?
1) More often than not, a virtual assistant resume will be read by the business owner or CEO of the company. So, you should write a resume that appeals to a business decision-maker.
2) Virtual assistants can be categorized into a General VA, which does a broad range of tasks, and a Specialized VA, which requires a particular skill. Each VA job is different, so you have to read each job posting carefully to customize your resume properly.
3) Communication skills, adaptability, and proactiveness are all basic requirements. Show these qualities in your resume or portfolio to increase your chances of getting hired.
4) If you are applying to a virtual assistant agency instead of directly to a company, you have to adjust your resume to follow the VA agency’s requirements. Also, since your resume will be read by HR people, make sure to check what the agency values in an employee to have a better chance of being selected.
Virtual Assistant Resume for Filipinos | Photo by Markus Winkler
Free Virtual Assistant Resume Template & Sample
We have two kinds of free virtual assistant templates available on this website:
First is the Free ChatGPT-Assisted Resume Template, the RFW Job Excelerator. This is very useful for people who are not used to customizing their resumes based on the job description. By using the AI, ChatGPT, it will help you write your resume based on industry best practices.
Second is the General Resume Template for Online Jobs. This is another useful template if you want to write everything in your own words. As a document file, it’s also a bit more flexible.
Regardless of the template version you use, it’s important to learn and follow the 5 tips below to increase your chances of landing a VA job.
5 Tips to Write a Virtual Assistant Resume That Will Get You Hired
Tip 1: Highlight Your Accomplishments, Not Tasks
There are best practices for writing a resume that is applicable to almost all jobs. First of all, you should never just list down your tasks and responsibilities. Instead, you should frame everything as an accomplishment.
Another technique is to use active verbs, statistics, and numbers when listing your accomplishments. This helps you sound more proactive – an important trait for a virtual assistant.
Apply these techniques to your VA resume to make it stand out. Follow the guide “How to Write the Ideal Resume for Online Jobs (With Free Template)” for a step-by-step process to writing your initial virtual assistant resume.
Tip 2: Match Your Virtual Assistant Resume with the Job Post’s Requirements
After writing your initial VA resume, you need to customize it.
Getting hired is not a lottery, it’s a matching game. You need to carefully read the requirements of the job post and adjust your resume according to what they are looking for.
Is the employer or client looking for a VA who is skilled in social media management? Then adjust your resume to highlight your social media skills.
Is the employer or client looking for a general VA? They’ll still have a preference for the skills and qualities they are looking for. Make sure you customize your virtual assistant resume as necessary.
You may also need to do research on the company by going to their websites and social media pages. They should give you a better idea of what they want in an employee.
Tip 3: Put Yourself in the Shoes of the Decision-Maker
Does this look like how you write your resume?
“I am looking for a company that can help me grow my skills and career.”
Unfortunately, lines like that just don’t work. Decision-makers want someone who can help them solve their problems.
Put yourself in the shoes of the decision-maker. Aren’t you hiring a virtual assistant to have the time to focus on the important things?
Decision-makers don’t want to hire a virtual assistant that needs a lot of supervision. If you are a decision-maker with very little time, you don’t want to invest time into someone you don’t know will stay long in the company.
Instead, focus on communicating what you can do for your clients in your virtual assistant resume. You can say something like:
“I can clear all admin tasks with little supervision so you can focus on growing your business.”
Get hired and prove your worth first. You can think about growing your skills and career after you get the ball rolling.
Tip 4: Go Beyond Company Research, Learn about the Person
For jobs where you are not working closely with a decision-maker, doing research on the company is enough.
However, for a virtual assistant job, you might want to do research on the personal profile of the decision-maker as well, especially if it’s available online. You can check LinkedIn and other professional networks.
You may be able to learn important details about the person’s hiring preferences. What you’ve learned can be used to customize your virtual assistant resume further. At worst, knowing more about the employer will help you build rapport during the interview.
Tip 5: No Experience as a Virtual Assistant? Consider a Video Resume and Portfolio
It’s very hard to make your resume stand out if you don’t have the accomplishments to back it up. If you have no experience, consider making a video resume instead.
They say “a picture says more than a thousand words”. Well, then a video says more than a thousand pictures.
Using a video as your virtual assistant resume will help your potential employer understand what it’s like working with you. When making a video resume, showcase how you communicate, manage tasks, and do other kinds of work relevant to the job posting.
This will give you the edge you need to stand out from the rest of the applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
i) How do I write a virtual assistant resume if I have no experience?
Virtual assistants are primarily tasked with admin work. If you have any work experience at all, chances are you’ve done admin work before.
Use what you’ve accomplished in your other line of work to make your virtual assistant resume more appealing to potential employers.
For example, if you have a background in market research, then you’ve probably worked with spreadsheets, documents, slides, and forms. You can use what you’ve made there as your experience and portfolio.
If you have no work experience at all, then it might be better to make a video resume or portfolio that showcases your potential instead. Find a job posting and make samples of what you can do for them. Even if you do not get hired, you’ll still be able to use what you’ve made for another job application.
Lastly, if you don’t feel confident about applying to a VA job with zero experience and no portfolio, consider joining a VA course to build your skills.
ii) Are video resumes effective for virtual assistants?
Videos can convey an applicant’s personality much better than a document can. While it might not be suitable for applying for all kinds of jobs, it’s definitely great for virtual assistants.
Communication skills, adaptability, and proactiveness are important for aspiring virtual assistants. These are qualities you can showcase much more easily in a video version of a virtual assistant resume.
Show your enthusiasm and creativity through your video resume and you might just find yourself getting hired.
iii) How do I find virtual assistant jobs?
You can find job posts for virtual assistants on websites such as Onlinejobs.ph. You can use what you’ve written in your virtual assistant resume to fill up your Onlinejobs.ph profile so you can start applying immediately.
However, you don’t have to limit yourself to job platforms. You can find opportunities for virtual assistants almost anywhere. For more ideas on where to find virtual assistant jobs, please see the guide “How to Get Clients Directly: 4 Tips for Filipino Freelancers”.
iv) What are the most important skills for a virtual assistant?
Since the decision-maker of a company is relying on you to make their workday go much more smoothly, you need to have excellent organization and communication skills.
You can use tools, such as to-do lists and project management apps, to help you become more organized.
To improve your communication skills, you have to practice and learn from your mistakes. However, you can always learn from the mistakes of others by reading the article “8 Bad Virtual Communication Examples & How to Avoid Them“.
Lastly, you might have to invest in a fast and reliable internet connection. Not only will it help your work go much more smoothly, but it also give your client a favorable impression because you can be reliably reached.
v) What is the most important equipment for a virtual assistant?
Virtual assistants live and die by their computers. A fast computer means a better performance at your job, so you can impress your client and get paid more.
Since a VA multi-tasks a lot, it’s important that you get an SSD hard drive and a high enough amount of RAM. These two will make your work experience smoother and more efficient.
General VAs will find that an 8GB RAM is passable, but a 12GB delivers a better experience. Meanwhile, VAs that do more computer-intensive work, such as photo and video editing, will enjoy working with at least 16GB of RAM.
If you need laptop recommendations for VAs, please see the article “Best Laptops for Virtual Assistants Philippines for Every Budget 2022“
