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lycorogue · 4 years ago

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Miraculous World: New York - United HeroeZ live-blogging (sorta)

Okay, it’s hard for me to live-blog everything I want to squee about, especially with the first watch. But I’m still wide awake and watching the re-air so let’s see how I do. (Turns out, I’m a slower typer than I thought and most of this was done post-watch again :P )

I absolutely love this special’s opening credits. It has a very Marvel feel. Nice.

Um... Uh... Did... Did Cristina Vee forget her Ladybug/Marinette voice over the break? I’m not liking this voice. I’m not liking it at all. STOP WITH THE VOICE! NOOOOOOO! (Also... Mr. Pigeon... Again? -_- )

Love that Adrien has started looking up the meaning of roses so he can find one Ladybug will actually accept. XD The boy tries so hard. <3

Hubby thought that Cristina might have decided to change up Ladybug’s voice so it’s not so obvious she’s Marinette (a la Batman) but the deeper voice is still here for Marinette. WHYYYYY!? The hiatus was clearly too long. She’s completely forgotten Marinette’s voice. OTL

Awww, Miss Bustier is pregnant!? She’ll be a great mom! eeeee

Also, smoooooooooth Marinette. Adrien is TOTALLY just a friend now... >_> Poor Luka. -_-

Also... ALYA’S VOICE IS WRONG TOO! WHAT THE HECK! WHYYYYYYYY. THIS IS SO AWESOME BUT I JUST CAN’T WITH THESE NEW VOICES! Everyone sounds deeper and gruffer... is that because the VAs are out of practice? Is it because they had to record at home with different equipment? What’s going on!?

Of COURSE Gabriel suspects a Miraculous in America. Good way to bring him to the States. At least Keith Silverstein remembered his Gabriel/Hawk Moth voice. I don’t know if I could have handled either Hawky or Adrien having the wrong tone of voice in this.

Oh. Oh no! Oh dear! Nathalie’s voice is the worst! At least hers can be explained away that she’s still recovering from the Battle for the Miracle Box but... *cringe*

KAGAMI’S OFF TOO! I think it’s 100% the actors not remembering the voices they used for these characters. -_- Such a shame. This movie is amazing, but the voices are so hard for me to get past.

OMG, THE LITTLE CAT TO ALERT LADYBUG IS FLIPPIN’ ADORABLE! I’d hit the button a million times myself, so I feel ya, Chat Noir. Also, BRILLIANT play, Ladybug. :D

Equally brilliant plan on Plagg’s part. At least, it would have been if they were able to actually exercise it. Also.... WHERE DID THIS POWER OF FLIGHT COME FROM AND WHY DIDN’T THEY USE IT BEFORE!? >_> Me thinks the recipe for this power is magically going to be forgotten again once we get into the show proper.

Also, I know there will be salt thrown by the handful at Adrien after this special BUT THE BOY DIDN’T WANT TO ABANDON PARIS! He was going to stay and give up his class trip, but Plagg was right, when does Gabriel ever give him the freedom to do something like this? As someone who never got to go on any out-of-state (let alone out-of-country) class trips, I know how hard FOMO hits. If I had the chance, I would have jumped at it, ESPECIALLY after Plagg came up with a solid plan. EVEN SO, HE WAS GOING TO STAY! PLAGG CONVINCED HIM! And Plagg meant well. He wanted his kid to have a taste of freedom. Just... JUST LEAVE THESE TWO PRECIOUS BEANS ALONE, SALTERS!

UPDATE: The salters did NOT leave Adrien alone for this -_-

-_- And of course Luka’s voice is ALSO off. Still, my boy RACING A FRIGGEN BUS so Marinette can make the trip to NYC! SUCH A FRIGGEN GOOD BOI AND HOW CAN FANS HATE HIM HE’S JUST AMAZING AND *chef kiss* My heart just BREAKS for him though, because he’s sending his would-be girlfriend off on a weeklong class trip with her “former” crush and he KNOWS she’s still in love, but he’s not asking her to stay or pushing her to give up on Adrien and omg this kid is too pure my poor son!

UPDATE: So, apparently the hate mostly comes from Luka being - excuse the pun but - “one note” where as Kagami is more fleshed out and well rounded? Really? We know just as much about her as we do Luka. Just because we’ve seen Kagami flawed and we haven’t particularly seen Luka stumble that makes her more well-rounded? What if we just haven’t seen what Luka’s bad at? It IS possible to write someone whose flaws don’t necessarily come up often without them being some 2D Mary Sue. Give the writers (and Luka) a chance....

Awww. Adrien feeling guilty about leaving Paris and Ladybug. :’( But look at how cheered up he was just by SEEING Marinette! LOOK AT HOW HE RACED TO HER TO SEE WHERE SHE WAS SITTING!

Aaaaand then she panics. -_- This could have been Startrain all over again, but NOOOOO she’s now so focused on “he’s just a friend and I have to get over him” that she just has 0 chill around him anymore. -_- Go back to admitting you have a crush and just stumbling over yourself around him, huh?

(The Adrienette is STRONG in this scene though and I’m eating it up)

LOOK AT HOW DISAPPOINTED ADRIEN LOOKS SINCE SHE RAN OFF FROM HIM! WHYYYYYYY? And he has to be stuck sitting between his bodyguard and Mendeleiev. Poor kid doesn’t even have a friend to chat with on the long flight. TT3TT

(So kind of serves Marinette right that she ALSO feels guilty about leaving Paris and now she has Mr. Damocles falling asleep on her instead of Adrien!)

I do appreciate that Cristina seems to be remembering Marinette’s voice more-or-less finally. Yay.

EEEEEE The sunset on the plane scene!!!!! <3 He speaks so softly to her and <3 <3 <3 (Also... Bryce Papenbrook seemed to have lost his Adrien voice in this recording... -_- )

UUUgh... was that still Ben Diskin doing Nino’s voice during the whole Operation New York dialogue with Alya? That didn’t sound anything like Nino! *sigh* Again, the main problem I have with this is the actors didn’t seem to get back into character before recording. Such a shame.

UPDATE: It was in fact NOT Ben Diskin anymore. :’( The new voice actor did well enough, but it just wasn’t Nino. I’m sure it will feel more like him the more I hear it, but I already miss the Southern Cali 90s Surfer Dude accent, even if it made no sense for a Gen Z Parisian to have it in the first place.

Awww, Mr. Damocles changing into his Knight Owl costume. <3 And then had to change back out of it. XD

They... actually named a superhero Uncanny Valley......

Knight Owl and Sparrow, AKA Batman and Robin.

“That’s just Captain Redlight directing traffic.” XD I mean, yeah, we have a lot of superhero characters but I think this is a bit much.

Alya oh so discretely pointing to Marinette as Nino directs Adrien to look out the window to see how beautiful NYC is. XD

AAAAAAND sliding doors vs Adrienette part 1. LOL I love how Aeon instantly figured out that Adrienette belong together.

Ooooooo Sabrina is gonna get herself an American boyfriend (And look at how jealous Chloe gets XD)

Adrien’s Soft Smile as Marinette realizes she was resting her hand on his stomach as she was hiding from Ms. Mendeleiev. So cute!

“Is it a bird?” “A plane” “No, it’s Hotdog Dan!” Oh. Em. Gee. Seriously? Ketchup Boy and Mustard Justice? Why!? Who came up with these code names!? XDDD

HOW DID NINO AND ALYA JUST RIP A HOTDOG IN HALF!?

eeeeeeeeeeeee THE FLOATING SCENE!!!!

Also, helium-voiced Nino commenting about his chick having wings <3

“Do you know this song?” I KNEW INSTANTLY WHERE ALYA WAS GOING WITH THIS AND I’M 100% HERE FOR IT. I AM SCREAMING!

Adrien’s soft asking Marinette to dance with him? He was practically PLEADING for her to say yes! And then she just scurries away from him!? And he grabs her hand to stop her from floating away. And then they just... nuzzle into each other as they dance and... yup. I’m screaming. <3 <3 <3 <3 (Also, the dance was at a party Chloe threw to prove to Adrien that she can be nice; it wasn’t her birthday, but I guess canonically it now was????)

Superheroes in America don’t have to hide their identities... perhaps someone should look into the comic book run of Avengers Civil War and decide if that’s a good thing... >_>

“I don’t mind being stuck with a friend like you” My heart is just flatlining. Like. ADRIEN, JUST SAY YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH HER ALREADY, OKAY!?

Jess and Aeon’s plan is as convoluted as one of Marinette’s XD I just love these two and I hope we see more of them.

Ah, Alya and Nino are good at manipulating their friends.

Paris is under attack! Oh no! 0_0

Ah, bargain-bin Doctor Octopus

After fully watching the special I know the answer, but when first hearing Sparrow I wondered if maybe Jess was genderfluid. Kind of a reverse of the Sailor Stars.

The transformation for the American heroes is both awesome and ridiculous and I love them.

“Marinette’s in danger” Adrien then INSTANTLY becomes Chat Noir to save her! <3 <3 <3 <3 I FREAKED when I first watched this part because I was afraid he might have spotted (excuse the pun) Marinette transforming. I was also curious how they were going to explain why they were in NYC. “I’ll explain later” is a good excuse. They are preoccupied by the villain and that gives him time to come up with a lie. Smart?

Aaaaand Cristina Vee forgot her Ladybug voice again. I hope this isn’t a new thing; switching up her voice for Ladybug. I’m not much of a fan, especially since she hasn’t always done it. :/

It kills me that Sparrow constantly comments about not calling for backup and gets in trouble for not calling when Sparrow DID try and the communicator was destroyed.

*flinch* The Chat Noir Cataclysm scene. My heart. It hurts. Poor Adrien. </3 All the guilt he has to hold for the majority of the second half of this thing.

EDIT: Totally forgot about the “American superhero gets understandably emotional over a loved one and smashes the villain through about half-a-dozen buildings with complete disregard for the collateral damage” trope.

Dollar Store Batman couldn’t figure out the manhole cover wasn’t in place. Whoops.

The breakdown scene where Ladybug lets Chat Noir know about how her powers work and how she can’t repair Paris. And Adrien giving up his powers. </3 And even though she’s so upset, and she felt betrayed by Chat Noir, the fact that she INSTANTLY yelled when she heard him renouncing his Miraculous and relinquishing it to Ladybug! And her TEARS as she realizes she lost him and won’t be able to return his Miraculous to him since she can’t even ask Fu to return it anymore!? Aaaaaaaaa! My heart!

“Gilbert?” XD I’m sorry but just hearing the poor little Eagle calling out the name is just too adorable.

ADRIEN WANDERING ALONE IN THE RAIN!? MARINETTE LOOKING ONTO THE CAT MIRACULOUS ALSO IN THE RAIN!? MY HEART IS BREAAAAAAAKINGGGGGG

The press conference requesting the NYC residents to stay inside until further notice. >_> Yeah... that... that might not work out so well if real life is any indication.....

“I wouldn’t have minded being stuck here a little longer with a friend like you.” >______< OH MY GOD, ADRIEN! (Also, Bryce lost his Adrien voice again... *sigh*)

Oh, and Marinette trying to chase him down to finally confess!? TT3TT

Oh man. Releasing a superhero from her fear of her powers. That can’t be.... yup. There goes like a dozen buildings in Manhattan.... -_-

Of course the POTUS is a superhero as well.... with access to weapons. Greaaaat. This isn’t a terrifying thought right about now.

I adore Sparrow. I ADORE SPARROW. I ABSOLUTELY FRIGGEN ADORE SPARROW!

About a million missile launchers hidden throughout the streets of NYC... >_< This isn’t hitting close to home or anything.

Eeeeeee. Marinette isn’t just unsure she can be Ladybug without A Chat Noir. She needs HER Chat Noir. She needs ADRIEN specifically. (Also, there goes Bryce once more forgetting his Adrien voice. Maybe he forgot what Adrien sounds like when he’s sad???)

UPDATE: Can we just talk for a minute the significance that Uncanny Valley - the superhero (accidentally) KILLED by Chat Noir (even if she was revived shortly after) - is the one happily returning Adrien’s superhero powers to him? How she has NO malice towards whatsoever towards Chat Noir? How SHE is the one to tell him that “to err is human”!? Beautiful! Love it!

Nice. I liked that Uncanny can’t see the kwamis. Nice continuity.

THE LADYNOIR GLOMP! She was so afraid to never see him again. I LOVE how much this solidifies how important he is to HER, if not the team itself.

The Americans being coerced by a foreign power to start a world war. -_- This truly is hitting too close to home right now....

Uh...How did Ladybug come up with the plan to trick Doorman to go to the Statue of Liberty? Both her and Adrien were already out of the room when he talked about the mystery of Eiffel’s safe inside the statue, and Marinette didn’t have any time to talk to Alya, so the two of them couldn’t have discussed how Doorman resisted figuring out this mystery because you don’t use your superhero powers for personal gain. Did she just luck into there being a mystery there that Doorman wanted to solve? Slight continuity issue there with the writing.... Whoops.

Awww, poor Doorman. He just wants to know the answer to the mystery!

Eagle’s transformation is so awesome! I love it. I love her. I want more of these American superheroes and wielders.

I love that Knight Owl and Sparrow are hand-me-down superhero titles!

Oh my god, Hawk Moth slowly walking backwards dramatically from the window. XD WHY IS THIS MAN SO EXTRA AS WELL!? At least we know where Adrien gets it from. :P

I FORGOT ABOUT THE GORILLA! OMG! THAT IS AN AMAZING CALL BACK TO HIM! XDDD

So the American Miracle Box looks like it’s filled with Native American styled jewelry. So... are they based off the spirit totems!? I NEED TO KNOW MOOOOOOOORE!

UPDATE: Upon really paying attention to the opening credits, yes, the American Miraculous do indeed seem to be based off spirit totems.

I’m sure there’s more that I reacted to in real-time, but, as I mentioned at the top, I wasn’t writing fast enough to keep up with the pace of the show itself, so this is also largely by memory. :P Oh well. Always wanted to do a sort of reaction post about this series. One thing off the fandom bucket list, I guess.

#ML #ML spoilers #Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous Ladybug spoilers #ML NY special #ML NY special spoilers #live-blog #reaction post #If only they could have gotten the voice acting down #amazing animation #loved it #allll the Adrienette #long post #LycoRogue original #LycoRogue reacts #LycoRogue delayed live-blog

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sol1056 · 6 years ago

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hey im the anon who asked about how you knew the stuff, sorry i wasn't too clear on what. i just read the post explaining EPs and how the behind the scene stuff worked and i wanted to know how you knew all that, like are you involved in the industry? or just a nerd?

gotcha! Well, remember how back in S1/S2, people kept pointing out Hunk could be… awfully nosy? always getting into things, asking questions?

I was over here going, YES HUNK IS MY PEOPLE.

It’s a hallmark of a certain type of engineer: insatiable curiosity, and never satisfied with only one answer, always sure there’s more to discover. Okay, we’re not all engineers — a lot of us are Russian Lit majors — but the key is our drive to discover. We take apart, put back together, connect dots close and far, turn things around and study them from a new direction. We’re those people who randomly show up in your part of the building, poke our heads in the room and say, “so, what do all y’all do here? what’s this do? hey, what’s that?”

Despite the fact that most of us seem to be (strangely) strong introverts, that doesn’t stop us. We’ve got questions for everyone. We’ll talk to total strangers all day if we’re on the trail of a particularly interesting idea. In a nutshell, we’re utterly shameless.

I did post-production back when NLE was relatively new and the compositing applications required massive nearly-mainframe computing power. I was mostly in the sfx/cg areas, but I weaseled my way into the color suite pretty regularly. I sat in on editing sessions and was a happy lunch-fetching lackey if it got me a chance to watch the compositing team. Any lull meant a chance to chat up directors, cinematographers, producers, etc. I totally took advantage.

It’s been awhile since I did that – and since then I’ve been a roady, a mental health & substance abuse admin, a doorman, and even owned a bookstore, before going corporate. But for every wacky thing I’ve done, I’ve also kept in touch with people I met. Frex: the friend who got me the post-production job is now an executive producer. Yes, I do call him with questions. He’s used to it. If he doesn’t know an answer, he sends me to someone who does. (Another reason we’ve been friends for so long.) One answer is never sufficient, never a reason to stop there.

Meet one novelist, get introduced to six more, and three of them write for TV. Oh, that’s handy. Should save that contact, could be useful someday. It’s actually rare for someone to say no, come to think of it. idk, as long as I can get access, I can usually get the person to tell me something I can use.

However, since my actual area of expertise applies across many industries, I’ve worked all kinds of places. A lot of it’s client-facing, and if you think that means I’m not wandering around the client site poking my head into rooms and cheerfully interviewing people on the spot, then you haven’t been paying attention.

Now that I work at a multinational corporation, I have literally thousands of people in my network, including everyone who’s moved on to a new place. You might be surprised how many people are fine with, “hey, I work at X with Y, and Y told me you’d know this.” Of course, everyone has a bias and a view limited to their own experience, so you can’t stop there. You can’t really understand a situation without knowing the agendas of all the players. You gotta ask a bunch of people, make sure you’re getting the most rounded sense of things.

Not really a hardship for me. It’s kinda the whole point.

People are people everywhere (outside cultural quirks), and it’s rare I’m ever researching a single person (I’m not an investigative journalist, if you were wondering). Most of the time, I’m looking for the industry-based cultural expectations. As in, “given X and Y, what would someone who does A generally think is a reasonable action, in this situation?”

The key is to have a believable reason for asking, and being a writer definitely qualifies. “I’m researching for a story, and I have a character who do X. I wanted to know if it’s realistic for them to know Y. Who do you think would be the best person to ask?” I frequently cold-call, and I never ask “is there someone there,” I ask who they think is the best person. A lot of times it ends up being someone that the phone operator knows (personally or by reputation) who’s full of bizarre trivia and enjoys a chance to show it off. (Plus, it’s amazing what you can learn about a person from all the other subtle cues people are unaware they’re telling, when they’re focused on their area of expertise.)

That’s how I ended up interviewing the Director of the DEA about whether a non-US-university degree would satisfy the education requirement. His letter of introduction got me monthly lunches for awhile with the DEA director in my city. (Oh, the stories I heard.) It’s how I learned about sheep subsidies from one of the top execs at the USDA, and that there’s a single surviving Civil War widow still getting a VA pension. Going in person is even more fun. You could wind up talking to one of the very few artists in the world whose speciality is touching up pre-Renaissance books so the repairs aren’t visible. Or the art historian whose job is going through the nation’s attic and identifying century-old fakes.

I’ve talked to embassy officials from five different countries, NASA biophysicists and astrophysicists, OSHA inspectors, Nobel prize-winning economists, police detectives, celebrity chefs, environmental lawyers, arena-level sound-people, race-car drivers, potters, opera singers, patent examiners, train mechanics, fire marshals, foley artists, and club DJs. I’ve interviewed fashion photographers, farriers, puppeteers, lighting designers, Catholic bishops, bioethicists, rabbis, fighter pilots, public radio personalities, newspaper editors, chemists, club organizers, war correspondents, Episcopalian nuns (yes they exist), textile artists, prison architects, midwives, cabinetmakers, tall ship sailors, haute couture seamstresses, and civil engineers. On and on and on.

Don’t neglect official avenues, either. The Department of Labor, the International Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, the Screen Writers’ Guild, the list is nearly endless — any organization, union, or federal/state dept that sets or guides policy. Everyone has a bias, so what people consider normal is sometimes… not. Or they just didn’t know (or saw no need to know, the fools) the reason for A over B. You have to check the rules, because a discrepancy between what you’re told should be done versus what people tell you is actually done… is also useful to know.

(Labor practices are definitely one of those areas, since federal labor policy is something every company must observe. It’s the law. So when a workplace seems to be violating the law, it raises a lot of interesting questions.)

And finally, of course, there’s traditional research. Textbooks written by people in an industry can be particularly interesting, especially if it’s a book meant for readers outside that industry (which usually means a lot of firsthand anecdotes to round out the gaps). Popular articles, academic essays, post-mortem white papers, TED talks, interviews. You need to do your basic homework, because there’s no waste of someone’s time quite like asking them a question that’s patently absurd once you get past common assumptions.

I once explained the plot of a popular SF show to a NASA astrophysicist, and his response was simply, “Every word you used was English, but those words in that order make absolutely no sense at all.” Kind of a dead-end, there. You can’t come at a top-level expert with intro-level questions.

Since I don’t always know who I’ll stumble over next, being an information sponge means I at least have a whole encyclopedia of analogies. If I can find common ground (cars and houses are two of the best), I can at least get a basic idea of the person’s meaning. “Oh, so it’s like when you turn the key in the ignition, and the lights don’t come on because the battery is dead?”

It’s asking the right questions, using an open and friendly approach, and having the right timing. Remember: there is no such thing as unskilled labor; there is only undervalued labor. That is, their time is also valuable, so be brief, open, and sincere. Treat every person as if they’re an authority in something, even if you haven’t figured out what that is.

The world is a massively complex place, and contains more things than are dreamt of in our philosophies, all of it waiting to be discovered.

Or, the shorter version:

btw: I don’t actually recommend going in person to the Dept of the Interior, though. You’ll get lost. Like, instantly. That place is MASSIVE.

#research #asking questions #to paraphrase bertrand russell #it's a good thing #to hang a question mark #on things you've long taken for granted

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emilyzh2019-blog · 5 years ago

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Jess Works as a Virtual Assistant

Travel Jobs

Are you good with computers, following instructions, and social media? You might be the perfect fit to work as a virtual assistant making money online remotely.

Today, my friend (and my own VA) Jess shares her experience becoming a virutal assistant, along with tips for how to find jobs while traveling. Here’s Jess:

The Best Travel Jobs

Hi guys! My name is Jess, and I work as Matt’s virtual assistant for this blog.

After traveling around the world full time for 9-months, my savings were starting to run out, and I was determined to find a travel job that would allow me to earn an income on the road.

I was already “living the dream”, now I just needed to figure out how to afford that dream!

After many trials and errors, I finally figured out how to make extra money traveling the world while working as a virtual assistant (VA).

In this article, I’m going to share how to start working as a virtual assistant, where to find virtual assistant jobs online, what skills are important to know, and tips for working remotely.

Searching For A Travel-Friendly Job

I remember the moment I decided to become a virtual assistant. I thought to myself “If other people are doing this, why can’t I?”.

It all started when I wrote out a list of all the skills I had picked up from studying and working in digital marketing, photography & video throughout the years prior to my gap year.

I knew what I was good at, but I had no idea how I was going to find someone who needed my skills.

Somewhere along the way, I figured it all out – and now it’s time for me to pass this wisdom onto you my young Padawan. ;-)

How to Work as a VA

What Is A Virtual Assistant?

This will change from client to client, but essentially a Virtual Assistant can do any digital task you need them to!

Most virtual assistants provide support to their clients by answering customer emails, updating websites, organizing files, bookkeeping, coordinating schedules, social media management, research, or even photo & video editing.

Basically, any small task that your client doesn’t want to do or doesn’t have time for. Freeing up valuable time that can be used on his or her primary business objectives.

In modern times, the need for an executive assistant to work in the same physical office space as their clients has reduced dramatically with the power of the internet, online tools, and new software.

Virtual Assistant Duties & Tasks

Virtual assistants can work as executive assistants, administrative assistants, or personal assistants depending on the client. Tasks may include things like:

Email Management

Answering customer support emails, highlighting promising business opportunities for the client to follow up on, declining unattractive offers, clearing out spam messages, or putting together a monthly newsletter.

Social Media Management

Scheduling posts on social media accounts like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. Designing graphics to use. Crafting descriptions. Researching hashtags. Maybe even responding to comments, updating profiles, and more.

Website Management

Formatting, editing, drafting, and scheduling blog posts on WordPress or another CMS (Content Management System) for the client’s website. Moderating the comments section. Fixing broken links and other general website maintenance tasks.

Administrative Tasks

Managing a client’s calendar, setting schedules, booking travel arrangements, creating spreadsheets, answering phone calls, etc.

Computer skills are also very important, as is knowledge of certain common software programs like:

Word Processors (Microsoft Word, Google Documents)

Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets)

Blogging Platforms (WordPress)

Image Editors (Adobe Photoshop, Canva)

Social Media Tools (Tailwind, Buffer)

Just Another Day at the Office!

My Typical Day Working As Matt’s VA

While I’m going to share what my day looks like, there are all kinds of variations to this. Because virtual assistants can do all sorts of different tasks.

9 AM: Email Management Rise and shine! Time to check in on Slack (our team collaboration tool for organizing tasks, sending files and chatting about projects) to see if there’s anything to add to my to-do list for the week.

Next, I respond to and organize emails as well as approve blog comments — which can start to pile up overnight.

Matt receives a lot of similar questions & comments via email, so we have some standard replies for saving time. I save them as drafts and Matt adds his own personalizations before hitting “send”.

10 AM: Content Research & Blog Post Formatting I review Matt’s upcoming blog content, maybe do some extra research, or format unfinished blog posts so they’re ready to publish.

We are constantly working to improve Expert Vagabond content, updating older blog posts with more relevant information, plus adding maps or additional imagery to enhance the reader experience.

12 PM: Social Media Management Over the past few months, I’ve worked on creating Matt’s Pinterest ‘brand’, to ensure that there is a consistent look and feel between all of his pins. Creating some eye-catching pins using his images.

Once the Pinterest images are ready to go, it’s time to open up Tailwind to schedule the pins to go out for the next week. I create, source and schedule 15 – 20 pins per day.

Matt recently decided to try out Flipboard as another platform for sourcing and sharing content, so I usually spend 30-minutes updating our online Flipboard ‘magazines’ for the week.

Benefits Of Working As A Virtual Assistant

1. Work From Anywhere In The World

For me, this cancels out ALL of the disadvantages of VA work. I found out about this position when I was traveling through Asia earlier this year.

My bank account was telling me it was time to go home, but I wasn’t ready to stop traveling yet.

Having the opportunity to work from anywhere gave me the freedom to live life on my own terms. I can work from home, from a coffee shop, from a different city, or even a foreign country!

2. Cut Costs On Your Commute

When I worked in a typical office in Dublin, I would spend €11 and 2.5 hours on my commute every day.

Working from home allows me to save €220 every month – that’s €2,640 every year. That’s the price of a new camera or an incredible holiday abroad. I’ll take that over commuting any day!

3. Set Your Own Hours

If working the 9 – 5 grind works for you, stick at it! But if not, how about finding a job that allows you to work at a time that suits you.

Not much a morning person? Do the late shift. Not much of a night owl either? Not a problem, working from 11am to 7pm solves that problem. This is the kind of flexibility you just don’t find in a typical office environment.

4. Spend More Time With Your Family

What would you do if someone gave you an extra 2.5 hours in your day? I spend mine with the people I love, doing the things I used to have to save for the weekends.

Coffee Shops & Coworking Spots

The Downside Of Virtual Assistant Jobs

1. Loneliness

If you are thinking of getting into the digital nomad world, you’re going to have to get used to the idea of being alone.

There’s no one sitting beside you to support you or even just have a little chat with over lunch. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you should look into co-working spaces or networking events that you can go to in the evenings to get some human interaction in your day.

2. Distractions

I’m learning how to master this slowly but surely…

When there is no one looking over your shoulder all day, making sure you are focused on the task at hand, it is easy to become distracted by anything and everything!

You have to remember that you will only get paid for the hours you actually complete, not the 40 minutes you spend daydreaming out the window.

3. Self Discipline

Tying in nicely with the last point, self-discipline is a skill. Technically, you are your own boss now, so you have to make sure that you get the task done on time.

If you lack in self-discipline, you will lag in productivity. Set yourself boundaries, time frames and rules – then stick to them.

How Much Money Can You Earn?

Virtual assistants can usually make between $10 to $35 an hour with a median hourly rate of about $16. It will really depend on your skills, qualifications, and experience level.

If you’re just doing data entry, the pay might not be that great.

But if you’ve built up some basic graphic design skills, understand WordPress, know how to edit videos and photography, have in-depth experience with social media platforms, or other specialized knowledge, you can earn more.

Where To Find Virtual Assistant Jobs

If you’re ready to start making extra money on the side with a virtual assistant business, here are a few places to get started.

Freelancer Websites

FlexJobs

Upwork

People Per Hour

Social Media

Let your family and friends know you’re looking for a virtual assistant job by posting it on social media. Networking is a powerful tool. You may be surprised who knows someone that may be able to help you up with a job.

In fact, this is how I got my job! By posting on social media that I was looking for VA work.

Reach Out To Potential Clients

I’m sure you follow some professional bloggers, YouTube video creators, or social media influencers who you’d love to work with. It doesn’t hurt to send them all a quick message via email offering your services.

Be friendly, don’t be pushy, and if they aren’t hiring — maybe they know someone who is?

Tips For Landing Your First VA Position

Step 1: Work On Your Skills

The first step is to define the skills that you can use as a Virtual Assistant. Not sure if you have the right skills for the job? No problem!

Put some hours aside every week to learn skills and within a few months, you will be ready to put your new knowledge to the test.

There are millions of Youtube videos you can watch that will teach you how to run a successful social media campaign, manage calendar appointments, edit video on Final Cut Pro, create social media images using Adobe Photoshop and more.

You can also sign up to Skillshare (2 months free with that link!) to get unlimited access to over 23,000 classes.

This is exactly what I did to improve my organizational skills, digital marketing, video editing and photography before I started to look for jobs online.

Step 2: Find The Right Industry

For me, I knew that I wanted to work in the travel industry so that immediately narrowed down my options.

A lot of people go straight to the internet to search for a job. I decided to start my job search using the “networking” route by telling everyone I knew what I wanted to do.

I told my family and friends “I’m looking for a Virtual Assisting role in the travel industry. If you know someone who might be able to help me, could you give them my details?”

Then I put the message out to my connections on Facebook and Instagram.

Within a week, a friend of mine posted that Matt from ExpertVagabond.com was looking for a virtual assistant! Moral of the story – put it out into the world, and the world will often support you.

Step 3: Create A CV & Cover Letter

Throw away that boring Microsoft Word CV that you created when you were 16 in computer class! It’s time for a modern upgrade.

My go-to tool for CV creation is Canva.com. Not only does it have a tonne of templates for you to use, but you can also customize them to really showcase your top skills and highlight the many reasons why someone should hire you.

Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of personality to your CV. Keep in mind that your potential employer is probably sifting through a hundred CV’s, so you want them to open yours and say “Ooooh, what’s this?”. Leave them feeling intrigued.

Please remember that your CV should only be 1 – 2 pages long and your cover letter should be 2 – 3 paragraphs maximum. Employers usually don’t have a lot of time to look at them, so you need to present the information as concisely as possible.

Step 4: Interview Prep

Now that you have nailed the CV & Cover Letter, it’s time to prepare for the interview stage.

It is almost 100% guaranteed that they are going to ask you to tell them more about yourself, so make sure to have a little elevator speech worked out in advance.

Remember you don’t have to solely focus on the business side of life. Give them an insight into your hobbies, where you get inspiration from and how your life has lead you to this new role.

This is your moment to show them exactly why you are perfect for their virtual assistant position, so take the time to discuss your skills, your experience, your education (even if it is just from Youtube and Skillshare!).

They will love to hear that you are constantly learning and improving your knowledge of the key skills needed for the role.

ALWAYS have 2 – 3 questions prepared to ask them at the end of the interview. If you don’t, it can look like you are not interested in finding out more about them or their business.

If they have already answered all of your questions throughout the interview, you can tell them the question you wanted to ask, and thank them for already answering it in so much detail.

Step 5: Go Above & Beyond

If you want to really knock their socks off, why not create an example of the work you will create for them.

Show them your social media image designs, or write out a sample travel blog post to show them how serious you are about taking these tasks off their hands.

Not only will you stand out from the crowd, but it will instantly build trust that you can get the job done.

In the past, I’ve created video CV’s for clients who have a background in Youtube and have even created a brand new CV in the style of my favorite book for a position to work with the book’s author.

You have to do whatever it takes to stand out from the hundreds of other candidates.

The truth is there are many advantages and disadvantages to this type of job, but if you can master the art of virtual assisting, the world is your oyster!

It takes dedication, drive and an enormous amount of self-discipline, but it is definitely a dream job that will give you the freedom to live life on your own terms (and travel if you want to).

If you are attempting to find a VA job at the moment, just remember that the first client is the hardest. If you can land that first client, the next 50 clients should be no problem.

So keep on trying, keep improving your skills, and don’t stop learning until you’re living it up swinging from a hammock somewhere with your laptop in one hand and a cocktail in the other! ��

BIO

Jess Glynn is the author of The Gap Year Guru and has worked in digital marketing for over 5 years, specializing in Social Media and Content Creation. In 2017, she decided to quit her job and write about her travels through Brazil, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines for 9 months. Follow her on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter!

Virtual Assistant Job Resources

Remote Job Listing Websites

FlexJobs.com

Guavabean Facebook Group

Remote.co

Freelancer.com

Useful Tools & Software For VAs

Canva

Slack

Trello

WordPress

Ultimate Travel-Friendly Job Guide.

Enjoy This Post? Pin It!

READ MORE DIGITAL NOMAD ARTICLES

How To Find Online Translation Jobs Working On Sailing Yachts How I Make Money While Traveling Side Income Ideas: Earning Money From Home

Have any questions for Jess about working as a virtual assistant or landing your first job? Drop her a message in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

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qnangelica-blog · 8 years ago

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Stained Glass Eyes

Note: I’m a new fic writer! I love writing but I’m also super busy so I’m not sure how frequently I’ll get to write but I’m doing this so hopefully more often than not. Lmao also I started writing this like 2 years ago for a completely different fandom so the first few chapters (bc there will be more than one) the writing could be a little weird, I’m editing them and such but they’ll most probably be different than later chapters bc I’d like to hope that my writing has improved since then :) This is the 1st chapter, so it’s just getting things started, let me know if a part 2 is wanted!

Pairing: Lafayette x reader

Summary: (High School! AU) Lafayette and (Y/N) are seniors, and their paths only crossed under an unfortunate (and unlikely) event.

Warnings: some swearing, semi-badly translated french

Word count: 2310

Laf

“Merde” was my first thought as I walked into the school building. Three years into American high school, and I was not having une bonne fois (a good time). My friends were great, but I can’t say the same for Ridgeview High School. I was ready to go and explore the country, to bring justice to those who need it most. Instead, I was stuck in an old (and kind of dirty) building learning mostly boring things. Seulement une année de plus. Seulement une année d (Only one more year to go. Only one more yea)-

“Laf!” Hercules, one of my best friends (and partner and crime) yelled. He started barrelling towards me, having no mercy for the poor freshman he mowed down on his way over.

“Herc!” I shouted back, not being able to help myself. I ran towards him too, but, he wanted to high five, and I wanted to hug, so he ended up slapping me in the face and we both stumbled a bit.

“Fun.” I muttered, reeling slightly from the force of Hercules’ slap. Herc was laughing, seemingly unaffected by nearly falling to the ground. He was one of the few people I acted like a relatively normal person around. To most at Ridgeview, I was the aloof Frenchman, who wouldn’t give many people the time of day. I was with the “in crowd”, and no one could touch us. It bothered me that my friends and I didn’t bother to associate ourselves with people lower down on the “social pyramid", but Burr and Jefferson insisted that we had an image to keep up. As much as I enjoyed their friendships, their elitist attitudes really irked me, to the point where I could only take small doses of them. When we graduate Alexander, Herc, John, and I plan to band together and do something to help people in need. We just can’t agree on what to actually do. Start a nonprofit, become politicians, go on speaking tours, whatever it will take to make change.

“I would ask you how your summer was, but I spent most of it with you. How’s life?” Hercules asked.

“Eh, c’est pas grave, mais- (it isn’t bad but-)” I started talking but he was quickly distracted by Alex and John walking toward us.

“Johnny boy!” Herc yelled, yet again, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“Jerkules!” John shouted back. Good to see he hadn’t changed a bit.

When they got to us, I smiled at Alexander. “‘Bonjour, Hamilton.”

“Salut, Lafayette, ça va (Hi, Lafayette, how are you)?” He grinned back at me.

I rolled my eyes. “Je ne suis pas un grand admirateur d’ici (I’m not a big fan of here).”

Alex slapped me on the back. “Well, feel sad no more!” His signature grin spread across his face, then he nudged John.

“Attention people of Ridgeview’s main hallway!” Multiple people looked up, some getting their phones out in order to spread the word of whatever John was about to say. “Alex and I are having a party at my house this weekend. Tell all of your friends!” he yelled.

“Except Thomas!” Alexander quickly added, only half jokingly.

Everyone immediately burst into excited chatter; people knew John and Alex threw the wildest parties, so it was no question that the turnout would be huge. I, for one, was quite excited. I loved their parties, particularly because of the chance of les jolies filles (pretty girls) attending.

I talked to Herc for a minute before turning around to find John and Alex making out against my locker. “Hey! Non! If you two could not taint my locker, that’d be great.” John pulled away and smiled sheepishly, but then proceeded pull Alex a locker over and continue their antics.

I quickly got my Physics II book out of my locker so I could not have to see any more of John’s tongue being that far down Alex’s throat, and hurried down the hall to catch up with Herc, who was on his way to find his English classroom.

“Herc! Attends (wait)-” I bumped into someone on my quest for my friend. I looked and was momentarily taken aback. Elle est trés belle (she is very beautiful). Her (Y/E/C) quickly drew me in. I remembered that I wasn’t supposed to be friendly with those not in my social circle. I had never wanted to disagree with Burr’s philosophy more. However, after seeing a flash of fear in her eyes, I snapped out of it.

“Watch where you’re going.” I said, harshly. I know it was a bit cold, but I can’t show weakness or associate myself with someone as unknown as her, because I feared Jefferson, as did the rest of the school (except maybe Hamilton). I pushed down the emotion that came with bumping into her, and remembered what Jefferson said: “if you didn’t know who they are, then they must not be that important.”

It was lunchtime, and I was so relieved. Physics really was not my cup of tea, Mr. Jones’ lectures made sense when I was there, but as soon as I received the homework all of his words flew out the window.

“Laf!” Herc shook me lightly. “You’re totally out of it. What gives?”

“S’il te plait (please), never speak like that again. And I just had to go through more than an hour of electric fields.” I smiled lightly. Everyone at the table groaned, starting to complain about their teachers and classes they had this year.

I looked over to Jefferson, who was sitting a couple of people away from me, as far away from Hamilton as possible. He smiled lightly at me and waved. “How’s your first day of school going so far, Laf?”

“Like I said, J’ai plus de une heure de la physique. Je préfèrais être mis dans un champ électrique que apprends plus de choses sur eux (I had more than one hour of physics, I would rather be put in an electric field than learn more things about them).” I said, scrunching my nose up and earning some chuckles from my friends at the table.

“Okay, but you notably did not say that earlier, because you were speaking in English at that point,” John pointed out, Hercules nodding as well.

A collective chuckle spread across the table, then quieted down slightly, everyone having their own conversation. Honestly, the lunches at my school weren’t half bad, nobody really complained about them, and they had all the elements that are needed for a growing teenager. It was surprisingly good for the classic American high school. I looked around the room, and my eyes immediately landed on cette belle fille (that beautiful girl) I bumped into earlier. She was sitting next to girl with dark hair and a pink dress, who was talking to her, but she didn’t really seem to notice. She was staring right back at me. I quickly averted my eyes, making sure no one had seen the exchange. Like I said before, I wasn’t really supposed to associate myself with people outside the group.

A few minutes later, I looked back, but this time the mystery girl averted her eyes when I caught her staring for the second time. Je me demande qu’elle veut. (I wonder what she wants).

The lunch bell rang, causing a collective groan to ripple throughout the cafeteria. No one wanted to go back to class, obviously. I had U.S. History next and I was okay with that. I liked learning about this still kind of new country, and what lead to the systems in place today. That was my last period because I had a free one after that, so I planned on just going to the library and hoping to get a computer to study before Alex drove John and I home.

However, all throughout history, I couldn’t get that girl out of my head.

(Y/N)

The first day back at school was always one of the best. You walked into the Ridgeview doors slowly, taking in the environment you would be in for the next nine months.

You didn’t mind school, you were an honors student and on the student council. You kind of just cruised along socially, some people knowing who you were, and others not (despite you being friends with some of the most known and respected people in school), and that was mostly how you liked it. You were excited for the first council meeting tomorrow, you wanted to see if something could be done about the lack of functioning computers in the library and the state of the school bathrooms, you only ever used the one at home.

Along with making changes to the school, you help out with the special ed students when you can. No one really messes with the student council, not because you’re all badass and terrifying-- quite the opposite, actually-- it’s just that you make meaningful changes and people respected you for that.

Suddenly, you heard a familiar voice project throughout the hallway. “Attention people of Ridgeview’s main hallway! Alex and I are having a party at my house this weekend. Tell all of your friends!” John Laurens shouted.

“Except Thomas!”

Hmm, a party. You’ll have to ask your friends about whether you wanted to go or not. You quickly went to your locker to get your French textbook and hurried to class so as not to be late.

“Herc! Attends-” you slammed into someone when walking down the main hallway. You recognized that voice. Oh no, you just ran into Marquis de Lafayette.

You looked up slightly, feeling embarrassed. You definitely had a slight crush on him. Thinking about him may or may not have made heat rush to your cheeks. You made eye contact with him; his face was blank for a split second before a look you couldn’t really read crossed it.

“Watch where you’re going.”

Oh. You nodded slightly and scurried away. Your crush on Laf was one sided and shallow. It’s clear that he’s super hot, it’s quite hard not to like him. He could be cold, distant, and mean, and didn’t like to associate himself with people who weren’t as popular as him. Oh well, you could always admire from afar, and pretend that he was super nice and wanted to make out with you… kind of like how Alexander and John were against someone’s locker. As cool as you thought they were, you were not incredibly enthusiastic to continue watching.

You hurried along to your class, trying to see if you could find your friend Angelica on the way. You had no such luck, not finding her in the halls. Suddenly, a pair of cold hands clamped themselves over your eyes. “Guess who?”

Spoke too soon. “Eliza!” you exclaimed jokingly, knowing it was not her. You turned around, smiling at your best friend. Her eyes were curious, her dress was pink, and her mood was fierce. She was holding a can of Peace Tea (typical) and a little box in her outstretched hand.

“What’s this?” you asked, taking the box from her.

“Well, I didn’t see you all summer because I was in Florida, so here!”

You opened the box, seeing an assortment of little charms for a bracelet she had gotten you on her vacation. The charms shimmered and glinted in the fluorescent hallway lighting, and made a delightful jingling sound as you picked up the bracelet and inspected it. You’re sure Angelica had spent a lot of time trying to find charms that said something about you, and you engulfed her in a hug. “Thanks so much, Angel!”

“It’s Angelica.” she grumbled playfully.

“Yeah, well tell that to kindergarten me who didn’t know how to pronounce your name,” you smiled. “What do the new charms mean?”

Angelica grinned. “This one,” she pointed to a little fist, “represents our friendship, because we’re bros.”

You snorted, doing your best jock imitation. “Totally, my main dudebro!”

She rolled her eyes and continued. “This one’s a needle, to represent sewing the broken heart charm back together.” Wow, Angel had put a lot of thought into this. “The boxing gloves is what ur boo thang Laf does, and the best person in the universe, a.k.a. me, so obviously you have to have a charm to remind you of us.”

You gave her a look of horror, making sure no one had heard her announce your crush on the school’s resident frenchman. It’s not like it wasn’t uncommon for people to have crushes on him, especially considering his looks, but even so, if anyone heard that you had a crush on the Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, you would never live it down. “Shhhh!” you shoved Angelica lightly.

She laughed, showing you the last charm. “This one’s a shooting star, representing my knowledge that you’re going places with your life, and the fact that you should always remember that your dreams are possible and worth reaching for.”

You pulled her into a hug. She put so much thought into this, you really couldn’t have asked for a better best friend. “Thanks so much, Angel. I got you some knuckle tape but it’s at my house, you can come over after school if you want.”

“It’s all good, girl. And sure, I’ll meet you out front after school, I gotta go give Peggy her charger and head to music.” And with that Angelica walked off down the hallway, being mindful of the lost freshman.

You gently readjusted your french book that Laf had jostled and headed off to class.

At lunch, you and Angelica sat together, along with Peggy, Eliza, Sally, and Maria. You arrived to the table, quickly falling into conversations about your summers and excitement for the upcoming year. However, you quickly became very busy staring at Laf, Angelica and Maria were trying to figure out the equation of the curve of Peggy’s butt with their graphing calculators, and Eliza and Sally were having their own little conversation.

Angelica leaned over and nudged you. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

You laughed. “As if I haven’t stalked his social medias for selfies all the time. I have seen many pictures in my years, young woman.” You continued to stare. You couldn’t help yourself, he was just so goddamned attractive. You’re pretty sure you could start a fan club for his biceps, you probably wouldn’t be the only one in it. The way his nose crinkles slightly when he smiled, or his tan skin, or how you really wanted to run your hands through his thick hair…

You were so busy staring and daydreaming that you didn’t notice him looking back at you. As soon as you snapped out of it, he quickly averted his eyes.

You hit Angelica’s arm repeatedly until she looked at you. “I just made eye contact with Lafayette,” you squeaked.

“I’ll start planning the wedding immediately.” She rolled her eyes, chuckling lightly at your antics, then added: “He’s not that great, you know.”

You mock gasped at her. “Angelica! We all know he’s all that great… looking.” You sent her a goofy smile.

She tried not to smile as she replied. “True.”

You looked back, just to see him staring right back at you. You were the one to avert your eyes this time. You turned to Angelica and started talking to her quietly, asking her what the eye contact could’ve meant.

Angelica just rolled her eyes again. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to get the invites out fast enough, your relationship with him is moving so fast!”

You laughed sarcastically. “Oh, ha fucking ha, Angel. You are actually the funniest person I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

“I know, I’m hilarious.” She stood up and bowed dramatically.

“Hey, did anyone hear about Lams’ party?” Maria asked the table.

“Oh yeah, what do you guys think?” I asked, looking around at your friends’ faces.

“Hell yeah I’m in, I’m always ready to look hot and find a cute guy!” Peggy exclaimed. After getting a look from Eliza and Angelica, she coughed. “I mean, I always love partying responsibly!”

“Alright, calm down Pegs.” Sally said, causing a collective laugh to spread throughout the table.

“I’m fine with it.” Eliza said, having everyone agree with her.

“Alright, we’ll go then.” You said.

“Yes! Squad up!” Peggy yelled.

“How about shut up?” You laughed, pushing her shoulder lightly to let her know you were joking.

Shortly afterwards, the bell rang, and you all made your ways to your respective classes. After school, Angelica and Eliza came to yours, and you studied and argued passionately about conspiracy theories. They went home later, and after they left, you ate and went to sleep, preparing yourself for school the next day.

#lol sorry for that ending #this is my first imagine on here pls don't roast me #hamilton #hamilton imagine #lafayette x reader #lafayette imagine #reader insert #hamilton fanfic

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marymperezga · 5 years ago

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How To Become A Virtual Assistant

Jess Works as a Virtual Assistant

Travel Jobs

Are you good with computers, following instructions, and social media? You might be the perfect fit to work as a virtual assistant making money online remotely.

Today, my friend (and my own VA) Jess shares her experience becoming a virutal assistant, along with tips for how to find jobs while traveling. Here’s Jess:

For more travel friendly job ideas, check out my ultimate guide: The Best Travel Jobs

Hi guys! My name is Jess, and I work as Matt’s virtual assistant for this blog.

After traveling around the world full time for 9-months, my savings were starting to run out, and I was determined to find a travel job that would allow me to earn an income on the road.

I was already “living the dream”, now I just needed to figure out how to afford that dream!

After many trials and errors, I finally figured out how to make extra money traveling the world while working as a virtual assistant (VA).

In this article, I’m going to share how to start working as a virtual assistant, where to find virtual assistant jobs online, what skills are important to know, and tips for working remotely.

Searching For A Travel-Friendly Job

I remember the moment I decided to become a virtual assistant. I thought to myself “If other people are doing this, why can’t I?”.

It all started when I wrote out a list of all the skills I had picked up from studying and working in digital marketing, photography & video throughout the years prior to my gap year.

I knew what I was good at, but I had no idea how I was going to find someone who needed my skills.

Somewhere along the way, I figured it all out – and now it’s time for me to pass this wisdom onto you my young Padawan. ;-)

How to Work as a VA

What Is A Virtual Assistant?

This will change from client to client, but essentially a Virtual Assistant can do any digital task you need them to!

Basically, any small task that your client doesn’t want to do or doesn’t have time for. Freeing up valuable time that can be used on his or her primary business objectives.

Virtual Assistant Duties & Tasks

Virtual assistants can work as executive assistants, administrative assistants, or personal assistants depending on the client. Tasks may include things like:

Email Management

Social Media Management

Website Management

Administrative Tasks

Managing a client’s calendar, setting schedules, booking travel arrangements, creating spreadsheets, answering phone calls, etc.

Computer skills are also very important, as is knowledge of certain common software programs like:

Word Processors (Microsoft Word, Google Documents)

Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets)

Blogging Platforms (WordPress)

Image Editors (Adobe Photoshop, Canva)

Social Media Tools (Tailwind, Buffer)

Just Another Day at the Office!

My Typical Day Working As Matt’s VA

While I’m going to share what my day looks like, there are all kinds of variations to this. Because virtual assistants can do all sorts of different tasks.

9 AM: Email Management Rise and shine! Time to check in on Slack.com (our team collaboration tool for organizing tasks, sending files and chatting about projects) to see if there’s anything to add to my to-do list for the week.

Next, I respond to and organize emails as well as approve blog comments — which can start to pile up overnight.

10 AM: Content Research & Blog Post Formatting I review Matt’s upcoming blog content, maybe do some extra research, or format unfinished blog posts so they’re ready to publish.

We are constantly working to improve Expert Vagabond content, updating older blog posts with more relevant information, plus adding maps or additional imagery to enhance the reader experience.

Once the Pinterest images are ready to go, it’s time to open up Tailwind to schedule the pins to go out for the next week. I create, source and schedule 15 – 20 pins per day.

Matt recently decided to try out Flipboard as another platform for sourcing and sharing content, so I usually spend 30-minutes updating our online Flipboard ‘magazines’ for the week.

Benefits Of Working As A Virtual Assistant

1. Work From Anywhere In The World

For me, this cancels out ALL of the disadvantages of VA work. I found out about this position when I was traveling through Asia earlier this year.

My bank account was telling me it was time to go home, but I wasn’t ready to stop traveling yet.

Having the opportunity to work from anywhere gave me the freedom to live life on my own terms. I can work from home, from a coffee shop, from a different city, or even a foreign country!

2. Cut Costs On Your Commute

When I worked in a typical office in Dublin, I would spend €11 and 2.5 hours on my commute every day.

Working from home allows me to save €220 every month – that’s €2,640 every year. That’s the price of a new camera or an incredible holiday abroad. I’ll take that over commuting any day!

3. Set Your Own Hours

If working the 9 – 5 grind works for you, stick at it! But if not, how about finding a job that allows you to work at a time that suits you.

4. Spend More Time With Your Family

What would you do if someone gave you an extra 2.5 hours in your day? I spend mine with the people I love, doing the things I used to have to save for the weekends.

I Often Work from Coffee Shops

The Downside Of Virtual Assistant Jobs

1. Loneliness

If you are thinking of getting into the digital nomad world, you’re going to have to get used to the idea of being alone.

2. Distractions

I’m learning how to master this slowly but surely…

When there is no one looking over your shoulder all day, making sure you are focused on the task at hand, it is easy to become distracted by anything and everything!

You have to remember that you will only get paid for the hours you actually complete, not the 40 minutes you spend daydreaming out the window.

3. Self Discipline

Tying in nicely with the last point, self-discipline is a skill. Technically, you are your own boss now, so you have to make sure that you get the task done on time.

If you lack in self-discipline, you will lag in productivity. Set yourself boundaries, time frames and rules – then stick to them.

How Much Money Can You Earn?

Virtual assistants can usually make between $10 to $35 an hour with a median hourly rate of about $16. It will really depend on your skills, qualifications, and experience level.

If you’re just doing data entry, the pay might not be that great.

Where To Find Virtual Assistant Jobs

If you’re ready to start making extra money on the side with a virtual assistant business, here are a few places to get started.

Freelancer Websites

FlexJobs

Upwork

People Per Hour

Social Media

In fact, this is how I got my job! By posting on social media that I was looking for VA work.

Reach Out To Potential Clients

Be friendly, don’t be pushy, and if they aren’t hiring — maybe they know someone who is?

Tips For Landing Your First VA Position

Step 1: Work On Your Skills

The first step is to define the skills that you can use as a Virtual Assistant. Not sure if you have the right skills for the job? No problem!

Put some hours aside every week to learn skills and within a few months, you will be ready to put your new knowledge to the test.

You can also sign up to Skillshare to get unlimited access to over 23,000 classes.

Click here to sign up for a 2-month free trial, which is exactly what I did to improve my organizational skills, digital marketing, video editing and photography before I started to look for jobs online.

Step 2: Find The Right Industry

For me, I knew that I wanted to work in the travel industry so that immediately narrowed down my options.

A lot of people go straight to the internet to search for a job. I decided to start my job search using the “networking” route by telling everyone I knew what I wanted to do.

I told my family and friends “I’m looking for a Virtual Assisting role in the travel industry. If you know someone who might be able to help me, could you give them my details?”

Then I put the message out to my connections on Facebook and Instagram.

Within a week, a friend of mine posted that Matt from ExpertVagabond.com was looking for a virtual assistant! Moral of the story – put it out into the world, and the world will often support you.

Step 3: Create A CV & Cover Letter

Throw away that boring Microsoft Word CV that you created when you were 16 in computer class! It’s time for a modern upgrade.

Step 4: Interview Prep

Now that you have nailed the CV & Cover Letter, it’s time to prepare for the interview stage.

It is almost 100% guaranteed that they are going to ask you to tell them more about yourself, so make sure to have a little elevator speech worked out in advance.

Remember you don’t have to solely focus on the business side of life. Give them an insight into your hobbies, where you get inspiration from and how your life has lead you to this new role.

They will love to hear that you are constantly learning and improving your knowledge of the key skills needed for the role.

ALWAYS have 2 – 3 questions prepared to ask them at the end of the interview. If you don’t, it can look like you are not interested in finding out more about them or their business.

If they have already answered all of your questions throughout the interview, you can tell them the question you wanted to ask, and thank them for already answering it in so much detail.

Step 5: Go Above & Beyond

If you want to really knock their socks off, why not create an example of the work you will create for them.

Show them your social media image designs, or write out a sample travel blog post to show them how serious you are about taking these tasks off their hands.

Not only will you stand out from the crowd, but it will instantly build trust that you can get the job done.

You have to do whatever it takes to stand out from the hundreds of other candidates.

The truth is there are many advantages and disadvantages to this type of job, but if you can master the art of virtual assisting, the world is your oyster!

It takes dedication, drive and an enormous amount of self-discipline, but it is definitely a dream job that will give you the freedom to live life on your own terms (and travel if you want to).

If you are attempting to find a VA job at the moment, just remember that the first client is the hardest. If you can land that first client, the next 50 clients should be no problem.

So keep on trying, keep improving your skills, and don’t stop learning until you’re living it up swinging from a hammock somewhere with your laptop in one hand and a cocktail in the other! ★

BIO

Virtual Assistant Job Resources

Remote Job Listing Websites

FlexJobs.com

Guavabean Facebook Group

Remote.co

Freelancer.com

Useful Tools & Software For VAs

Canva

Slack

Trello

WordPress

For more ways to make money while traveling, check out my Ultimate Travel-Friendly Job Guide.

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