Virtual Assistant Job Opportunities

7 Ways to Locate Clients and Job Opportunities

Virtual Assistant job opportunities are out there you just have to know how and where to find them. I am going to discuss some of these with you.

1. Your Current and Former Employers
The first place to start is your current and former employers. If you are currently working or have worked for someone, let them know about your company and what you are doing. A plus is that they already know you, your qualities, personality, and what type of work you provide. Draw up a proposal. Let them know how utilizing your services can benefit their company.

2. Job Boards and Search Engines
Careerbuilder.com, Monster.com, HotJobs.com are examples of job boards. Google.com and Yahoo.com are examples of search engines. You can use both to find clients who are looking for help by using specific keywords. Keywords are what you type in when you are searching for something on the internet. The more specific your keyword is, the more relevant the results will be. For example a generic keyword like "work at home", will more than likely return a lot of scams. Most legitimate companies don't post job leads using those phrases. Here is an example list of keywords you can use when searching for clients.

Example Keywords:

"remote contractor"
"must have home office"
"independent contractor"
"freelance"
"freelance job/s"
"1099 Contractor"
"Virtual Assistant"
"remote office"
"1099 employee"
"must have home computer"
"virtual worker/employee"
"online work"
"telework"

You can also use these keywords with search engines like Google and Yahoo.
Note: Make sure to put the "" marks before and after the phrase. Surrounding your keywords with quotations show more specific results from the search engines. The search engines will only the show results with that exact phrase. If you don't use them, it will look for either or.

3. Fee Based Websites
Fee based websites have already did the hard work for you. These sites have searched the internet, job boards, etc. and found the legitimate jobs for you. All you have to do is apply. Buyers beware however; not all these fee based job sites are legitimate. Make sure you do thorough research of the company. Here are some fee based websites that I am comfortable recommending:

1. Telework Recruiting (I landed my first Virtual Assistance client through this website)
2. HomeJob Stop

4. Freelance Websites
You can also browse some freelance job sites like Guru and Elance. These sites allow freelancers to bid on projects posted by individuals or companies. If your bid is accepted you will be awarded the project. Most of these projects are short term, but are a great way to build your clientele and portfolio.

More Freelance Websites:

Freelance Work Exchange

Workaholics4Hire

All Freelance Work

Freelancers Network (UK Based)

12 Freelance

5. Work At Home Websites
There are some free work at home websites that you can use to find clients. This has it's pros and cons. Most of the time the job leads are unresearched, limited, and old. Also you can be sure that they have been applied to many times by others seeking work at home jobs. The upside is that someone has kindly searched for and posted these job leads for you. You will still need to research these job leads for legitimacy.

6. In Your Neighborhood
Well…not literally in your neighborhood, but you know what I mean. In other words, in the area you live. Why not have some flyers made and pass them out to local vendors. You can also have them posted in local grocery stores. Have some business cards made and leave them with local vendors.

Have your business cards handy to pass out when you meet people. This is a good networking strategy as well. Be prepared to explain what you do when someone asks. I remember when I started my Virtual Assistant Business people would ask me what I do and I found it hard to explain. So be prepared and keep it simple.

7. Networking and Word of Mouth
Networking and word of mouth is an excellent way to get your name and company out there. Get to know fellow Virtual Assistants. Sometimes they will have an overflow of work and will subcontract or outsource the work to another Virtual Assistant (VA).

Joining Associations and Organizations is another way to network. There are several organizations out there just for VAs. Some VAs have found success in locating clients by joining their local Chamber of Commerce.

You can view some of the associations and organizations we have listed at:

Virtual Assistant Associations

So now you know how and where to find the virtual assistant job opportunities and clients. Go get them.....

More Resources: