If I asked you how smart, how efficient, how punctual, how savvy, how responsive (you may add to the list) you expect your virtual assistant to be, you’d probably answer without giving it a second thought: “ SUPER smart, SUPER efficient, SUPER punctual, SUPER savvy, SUPER responsive, SUPER… and it goes on end”. That much is expected from virtual assistant work. At least that is what I keep telling myself, what keeps me going, honing my skills, completing tasks, planning new day, my new virtual assistant day.

Should you be wondering: How does a virtual assistant work?, or feel you can relate to those aspirations: How does a virtual assistant work to become SUPER helpful to the client? or maybe you are on the other side of the bandwagon considering how to work with virtual assistant, here is how my average virtual assistant work day looks like.

6.30 am

I am up for the day or I should say 7ish for those frequent occasions when I stay awake working till late hours, so late that I can see the morning breaking through my window. In those days I usually opt for 30-minute longer sleep instead of 20 minute jogging or strength training. This is the case when 30 minutes go a long way if you know what I mean.

8.00 am

Already in the office settled at my desk with already half empty cup of coffee, my all-time energizer, ready to kickstart virtual assistant working day. First thing I check my email letters that came in over night. Those who know how to work with a virtual assistant are aware that remote helpmates are often located in different than their clients time zones. Then I sort tasks by their priorities and make notes in my day planner.

8.40 am

Virtual assistant working day is in full swing! Sometimes I feel like an extinguisher putting out fires my clients have been set to or as a person that goes in my clients’ contact books by the title the first person to call in case of emergency. Complying with the mission entrusted to me, I extinguish fires and attend to possible emergencies.

12.30 pm

Before I break for lunch I usually check email again to ensure that my clients are “save”, no longer on edge swamped with overflowing workload. In case I need a back-up, another helping hand to finish work on time or complete few time-sensitive or mentally challenging tasks simultaneously then I once again remind myself of this big bold plus of being part of a virtual assistant company.

1.30 pm

Food leftovers off the table – I start tackling my virtual assistant daily work that may include such tasks from my hard copy day planner as:

• setting up and managing spreadsheets, arranging electronic records;
• fleshing out contact lists;
• preparing reports;
• transcribing podcasts, phone calls, notes, videos, etc. for clients;
• performing qualitative and quantitative research;
• preparing new blog posts or responding to blog comments;
• SEO-auditing;
• etc.

6.00 pm

How does virtual assistant work? Mainly overtime. It’s 6pm and virtual assistant work process is in high gear. I have finally worked my way to social media accounts I manage for my clients. I check Socialoomph or Hootsuite to check whether tweets and posts I had previously scheduled for today generated any response. To maintain a sense of community on social media platforms I thank people for following or retweeting, respond to questions on behalf of my clients, follow people who share common interest with my client. My virtual assistant work also involves monitoring product mentions, hunting for interest and click-generating articles and preparing new posts.

8.00 pm

With all these overwhelming duties it is easy to pigeon hole oneself in the office. So, I try to avoid this trap and spend some quality time with my family.

10.00 pm

Since self-education is a gateway to success in virtual assistant industry I use few hours doing research, following and learning more about recent updates in the business area my client is involved. Work optimization is another area I try to keep in tune with. It is like infinite space that has no bounds and keeps opening new horizons which are new tools for seamless workflow between me and my clients.

00.00 am

When there is no pressing assignment I get ready for bed.

In fact there is no such thing as a typical virtual assistant day. Every time for the question: “How does virtual assistant work?” – the response varies simply because we all have different habits, approaches and learning curves. But one thing remains the same – the benchmark every virtual assistant aims at – high quality intensifier SUPER. And that means your sleeves are rolled up and you work SUPER quickly, SUPER efficiently, SUPER creatively. You wonder why? It is simple. Because then to the question: “How is it to work with a virtual assistant?” – your client will answer: “SUPER EASY”.