What I learned from My first month as a Virtual Assistant
I admire people who are able to do this as a full time job, first of all. It is a lot of work, which makes sense given that it is work. There was a lot of trial and error during the first couple of days.
My computer started to conk out on me. A computer that lasted for about two years, which was already refurbished before purchase. I was sold by the DVD player at the time, as a fan of old media myself. For a marketing project, I had to use my tablet, which was primarily a kindle, to create videos and use several social media content.
I had a desk area set up, way before the pandemic started, but working on top of going to school was something that I still struggle with to this day. Part of it is due to my kitty coworker, who loves to help out with pressing random keys and presses herself right by the webcam. And to maintain the divide between work and home.
What has helped:
- Finding really good music to play in the back ground: due to the high amount of text interaction with my coworker, I had to create background noise to simulate working in an office setting. This is my current radio station.
- Having natural light in the room: On days when that wasn’t possible (which was most of last week), I ended up finding a nightlight that changes color, with an automatic system to do so when it is dark.
- Binders. I have to keep track of classes and work: And as much as I like working through tech, I am a primary a paper person.
- Rapid note taking: There are a lot of impromptu meetings, and when people talk fast, I write fast to catch up.
And this is only my first month. I’m grateful for the opportunity in any case. And even if this is only temporary, at least I’ve taken the plunge.
