For the first 10 years of my life as a military spouse, I was not employed outside the home. I felt it was crucial to my children's well-being to stay at home with them. I did not return to the workforce until the youngest of my three children started school. When I reentered the workforce - armed with a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university and past work experience - I was only offered entry-level administrative positions. That was all well and good - I was willing to pay my dues and work my way up - but no matter how hard I worked or tried to advance, I found no one was interested in helping me succeed. They were content keeping me doing the job I apparently did so well. I finally figured out that I was the only one that cared whether I succeeded or not. So, for my graduate thesis I completed a feasibility study on the Virtual Assistance industry. While finishing my Masters degree, I started my own business. I now specialize in desktop publishing and professional writing services.
Defining success
Am I successful? According to my own definition of success, yes I am. I do work that I love so much it doesn't even seem like work most of the time; I get to make my own hours (even though they are sometimes very long hours) and I am available to my family as necessary and I bring in another income. These are the issues most important to me and how I quantify success.
Real estate professionals and VAs: the perfect match
So who hires VAs? As most of you already know, real estate professionals have really embraced the virtual industry. Their profession seems well-suited to having an assistant on hand when needed. They need to be out of the office showing homes or aquiring listings; they aren't making the best use of their time sitting in the office doing necessary, but time-consuming, administrative tasks. That's why a Virtual Assistant is the perfect match for the busy professional. They pay the VA for only the time they actually spend doing the work, freeing the agent up to get out of the office to make money.
Why Virtual Assistance is ideal for military spouses
It's really hard for military spouses to have a career. Sure, they can get jobs but, because of the inherent transient lifestyle of the military family, no one really wants to hire them for anything more than a "job." One of the first questions asked in interviews is "Oh, you're military. How long will you be here?" And then look for the next applicant.
I was amazed when the Military Spouse Virtual Assistant training came to our post and only three people, myself included, were interested in attending. Didn't all the other spouses realize how important it is to have a career that could move with them? Maybe ACS didn't publicize it well enough, I don't know. I just know that it is one of the best moves I've ever made.
Words of advice
My advice to new VAs is to network and be life-long learners. Networking is the most cost-effective way to market your business. Join VA associations and volunteer in those organizations. Get your name out there. When other VAs need to pass along work, they'll remember names they have become familiar with through those associations. And I truly believe that you must continually update your skills or add new ones. We all know how fast technology changes, so change with it. Learning new skills means you have more to offer current and potential clients. It makes you more valuable.
These are the things I've learned along the way in the four years I've had my own business. I'd love to see more military spouses interested in the wonderful opportunities this portable career offers. You can work anywhere as long as you have a phone line and an Internet connection; you can live on top of an isolated mountain or in the middle of a big city, all without the hassles of commuting to work!
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I have been a full time Admin Assistant for 8 years. This sounds like something that is right up my alley.