I hear the term “Virtual Assistant” more and more in business. Did you know that you could possibly hire someone from another continent that works while you sleep and maybe for $8 – $12 Dollars. Mos t of the VA’s I work with have degrees and one an MBA in Business Admin. I pay her a pautry $15.00 per hour and what a bargain that is.

With the growth of virtual assistants has also been a change in what it means to be a virtual assistant. The leaders and founders of this particular entrepreneurial job have made distinctions between what it means to be a virtual assistant, and what it doesn’t mean. When you are explaining your business to others, you want to make sure to keep this standard.

Being a virtual assistant is becoming a distinct definition of a specific home owned business. It is expected that the standards will be upheld of a virtual assistant for all others who are working in this profession. This means that a virtual assistant is someone who provides a variety of services to businesses and individuals following the standard that has become formalized in the past decade.

The first angle that is taken towards approaching what a virtual assistant is includes the idea of being virtual. If you are not working out of your home, or remotely, then you are not considered a virtual assistant. Instead, it is considered to be a temporary job or a telecommuting job. One of the standards for being a virtual assistant is having the freedom to work where you want.

The second part to being a virtual assistant is the distinction that is made in the job description. Most virtual assistants will cringe at the idea of being called a secretary or freelance worker. Technically, a freelance worker is one who only does the job for extra income. At the same time, a secretary is one who doesn’t do the work continuously with only one client. A virtual assistant is provided in order to create a substantial and long term relationship with a business.

Here are 5 things you should consider in a Virtual Assistant?

Step 1. Professionalism. Does the VA answer her or his emails, voicemails and other correspondence in a timely and professional manner? It is important if this person is to work for you has the right skills to not keep you or a deadline waitng. Make sure you give a covert task to her or him to pass that shows comittment to deadlines.

Step 2. Project Management. Juggling tasks nowadays is vital. We now tap out feet in front of the microwave so things need to get done. If a person cannot work with a few projects on the go you might want to move on. I guarantee you will only find out that they have a project management problem when you lose “the big deal”.

Step 3. Availability. Many of these people work for several people at the same time. It is not uncommon for you as an employer to be in a funnel system for the VA. You slowly move down the funnel as they take on better contracts from new virtual employers. Be aware that you and your project will get dropped at the most time you least need it. You also need to be lining up new VA’s. Try to split your work between 2 or more VA’s to combat this problem.

Step 4. Test. Give the VA a mini project before going ahead with a contract. I also give a minimum of 2 tasks that cost no more than $30 -$40 to complete. I need them done correctly and to my total satisfaction before I even consider this person. It is simple to hire one of the first few people to come along but please shortlist at least 10 and give the tasks to 2 of the 10 you shortlisted. Obviously make sure these tasks are something you actually want doe, dont waste any money.

Step 5. Get References. Can the VA give you a list of people whom you can contact who will tell you about working with her or him?

The main distinction that most virtual assistants will work towards creating is the idea of being in a relationship with a business, and making this their business. This goes beyond the Expectations of any temporary work or telecommuting job. It also means that the services a virtual assistant can provide will go outside of job descriptions that are made in the office. By understanding the standards for being a virtual assistant, you can best approach this in your own relationships with businesses.

Step 1 Use current terms

Often times, job hunters use terms that show they are not current in their field of study or industry experience. For example, if you are a web designer or technology specialist, using terms like cloud computing or Internet are appropriate and indicates that you are up to date in technology (at the time of this writing). On the other hand, using terms such as World Wide Web shows that you are a bit behind the times. Be sure to study terms in the field of study of the position you are applying to. Place some of the current verbiage on your resume when appropriate. By doing so, you will appear knowledgeable and up to date. These are traits that hiring managers love.

Step 2 Capture the attention of a human resource specialist

Nowadays most resumes are scanned and checked for keywords that match the description of the job that they are looking for. You need to be able to capture these keywords and use them in your resume based on your prior work experience. For example, instead of noting that you have experience in bookkeeping management, state that you were a manager of accounts receivable and payable accounts and was in charge of a staff of ten. Note that you are an expert in Peachtree and Quickbooks. Suppose the company you applied to had a need for someone with Peachtree experience, even though you applied for a job in customer service, the company may consider you for accounting.

Step 3 Visit provenresumes.com

To get an example of what a solid resume should look like in your specific position, go to provenresumes.com to find over 100 types of resumes for various job titles and job experience levels (i.e., entry, managerial, executive). By seeing what the standard resume actually looking like for an applicant applying for a teaching position (as an example) you can cater your resume accordingly also. You need to at minimum have a standard resume format for the specific position you are applying to be considered.

Step 4 List keywords under a heading called Skills at the top of the resume

Remember that employers scan your resume in 5 seconds or a computer reviews it in under 1 second. You need to have keywords that are specific to the job that you see advertised. Some of these key words need to be under your skills section as each directly relates to your experience. This will keep you resume in the consider pile and avoid ending up in the dumpster during the first cut.

Step 5 Find and solve potential problems

Smart job hunters realize that to have the ultimate competitive advantage, you need to get through the hiring manager’s head and cite potential problems within the desired company and show how you can resolve this on a resume, For example, if you are applying for an elementary teaching position, then you should anticipate that managing teachers or the principal will want a teacher that can handle disciplinary issues, identify special needs students and be able to work with them, and also be able to provide some level of counseling to students who have emotional problems. In similar fashion, accountants should expect to be able to interact with every department and understand the flow of accounts for all departments in a firm. Both positions involve an applicant being able to research unique problems and finding creative solutions to them.

Remember, you have to sell yourself and be a financial value to firms now. Please visit stepsto.com for more great business advice.

Step 1 Online or offline

There has been great debate about whether an online degree has equal or more value than a degree from a regular brick and mortar college or university. According to the National Education Association (NEA), in the last two years there has been a 20% increase in the number of students enrolling in an online class. Although manty employers view any degree as favorable, be sure to take online classes that are offered through a brick and mortar school to valid the course legitimacy. Recent legislation that will take effect at the beginning of 2011 has changed the value of strictly online degrees and notes that most of them are not valuable despite their claims. hence, consider getting a degree from the University of Nebraska extension or the University of Texas. For lower costs schools consider Western New Mexico university. There are many online classes you can also take at community colleges and most four year schools.

Step 2 Pick a major

As states slash university budgets and fewer departments exist within schools, consider the value of a major. Why are states slashing the budgets of schools and the schools in turn shutting down certain departments? Because the major(s) offered from that department are no longer applicable or there is little enrollment. English, Math, Language, and evem Computer Science departments are getting closed at schools across the nation. Currently, the most popular major is business and with good reason. Business is directly applicable to nearly all facets of life as there is a business of some kind in every industry.

Communicatons/Writing is second as we as humans need to communicate. Pick areas that will be there years to come and cannot be replaced with technology. For example, agriculture will alwaysd exist because human must eat food to survive. In like manner, water must always be tested because humans cannot function without water.

Step 3 Think ahead

Where do you want to be five years from now? Do you want to own your oown business or be the head of a company? Even though it is difficult to determine what we want to be in the future given lack of jobs and the elimination of industries, research the possibilities of what may be.

Step 4 Transfer yourself

You need to be able to have a college degree that can be used in most industries. By doing so, you can easily be employable and may only require specific on the job training.

Step 5 Evaluate the alternative

Do you believe you would be better off investing in a franchise or ETF? consider the reality. If you have not embarked on college yet, you may consider this alternative. YOu can also get a two year degree in graphic design, radiology, or nuclear medicine, and then invest the rest of the money that you would use for a four year degree. Review the market and look around your area. Are businesses locking up? If so, then go to school. If not, consider the alternative.

Remember, your life is in your hands. Please visit stepsto.com for more great business advice.

Step 1 – These days, there are specific kinds of accountants who do separate jobs as part of a given company. There are accountants who monitor spending and resource use; these are called ‘audit’ accountants. Then there are other professionals who use accounting information to guide procedures and to facilitate decision-making, and these are referred to as ‘management’ accountants.

One could say that while audit accountants are involved in book-keeping history, management accounting is a process of looking to the future to try to foresee events and plan for these in terms of a company’s resources. ‘Ledgers’ and classic ideas of accounting belong more to audit accounting, while management accounting deals directly with the machinery of a firm. Both positions require people skills and analytical skills; both types of accountants need to know how to use computers. Spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel is popular in keeping accounting information available in a flexible format.

Step 2 - As to the issue of how the two are related, audit accounting is often considered more essential to small businesses. A small business may not need any more oversight than the owner or general manager can provide, but someone always had to keep the books. Also, in management, the old adage may apply that ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’. Management accounting seems to be a more useful role in large companies that need many consultants to micro-manage a variety of projects.

Step 3 - In general, accounting is becoming a popular career choice. Some may shy away from it due to an aversion to how accountants have been described in the past. Some people ‘don’t like numbers’ and consider accounting work to be unbearably dry or tedious. Others, however, have already completed their degree to become a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and these may find themselves well placed in high-profile audit accounting positions. For others, management accounting provides a new look at a classic career.

Either way, the study of this valuable field can be a good way to get into a certain kind of company. many companies are hiring temporary accountants, and the abundance of opportunities means that employers and university graduates may be able to find each other through the phenomenon of accounting, as the majority of businesses turn their efforts toward the study of resource allocation, asset management, or more simply, crunching numbers.