How To Present Yourself In Writing As A Virtual Assistant

I’m a trainer at heart and absolutely love your questions. It lets me know you’re taking action towards your goals of earning an income as a virtual assistant.

Whether you’re looking for projects here and there or a regular client roster, your questions give me a peak into what’s happening on the other side of my computer. When you’re silent I can only guess at what’s happening on the other end and hope that you haven’t given up.

To submit your questions, please contact me here.

In today’s newsletter, I’m discussing how to present yourself in writing when going from corporate employee to freelance virtual assistant.

Michele, sent me a long and wonderful email inquiring about this very matter.

Here’s what she wrote:

Hi Tiffany! I just in the past week discovered your podcast and thusly your website – SO LOVE IT! Currently, I am a corp paralegal (been so at various companies for more than 15yrs) and I am really tired of the hamster wheel and being boxed in. Back during the recession when I was laid off – I temped for a legal agency and loved the flexibility and the different aspects of each project. Now I am pigeon holed as a contracts person… So bored… SO I am thinking of going back to freelancing and VA seems awesome b/c I can work from home, flexible, and different everyday. All the things I am looking for.

I have set up accounts on eLance & Odesk. I have a few questions…When you re-write your resume to shift to a VA or VP (Virtual Paralegal) what format is best? This is a big question for me as I am adding it to my proposal pack I am building to use (in addition to my services page & references page). Currently, if I were to send to a traditional job it’s 2 pages and typical chronological w/ qualification summaries at the top. My thought was leave the qualification summary and then list the places I worked & title along with “Projects of Note” from each rather than a lengthy list of duties – but not sure if that’s appropriate… Also, I will be keeping my full time job for now to as you said “test the waters” and eventually shift to just being a freelancer when I am comfortable with it. That said – is it good or bad to on your resume put your current job as 2013 – Present or to just list them? So I guess what is a good set up for a VA resume when transitioning from the corp world to a freelancer world? My VA services fall under Paralegal/Admin/Creative (the website I have is my food blog – so I am familiar with some of those needs as well).

Also, I know several local solopreneurs and attorneys, and I am developing my “elevator pitch, but any recommendations on an intro letter/email to them to introduce my new business and see if they need help?

Any guidance you may share and feel free to share as a podcast topic.

Thanks in advance for your guidance and thank you so much for sharing your knowledge here and on your podcast. So helpful!!!

Regards,
Michele

My answer:

If you are currently in a corporate position and you’ve setup your account on Elance and ODesk and wondering how to I translate what you do corporately into the freelance world, we use proposals and NOT a resume.

When you are doing job proposals it’s completely different from a resume. If someone is asking for you to send them a resume, it’s really outside of how most projects on Elance work.

Most people are focusing in on your skills, your experience, can you complete it by their deadline and within budget. The biggest thing that’s going to help in writing proposals for that is my write winning proposals course.

All this about resumes, forget it, forget it, forget it!

If you are looking to do virtual assistant work, you are a business owner. Let me stress that, Business Owner.

Have you ever asked for a resume from your doctor?

Have you ever asked for a resume from your hair dresser?

Have you ever asked for a resume from your plumber, your handyman, your daycare, etc.?

NO!

What do you want to know from your doctor, hair dresser, plumber, handyman, daycare?

You want to know about their experience. Can they do it? Are they skilled in what they’ve been doing? How long have they been doing it? etc, etc…

But you’d never ask to see an actual resume…So all these questions about a resume….

NO RESUME…lol! 🙂 And yes, I’m shouting with a smile.

Even if you’re taking on assignments, project by project, you are a business owner. Put on the mindset of a business owner.

Business owners do not give out resumes. –> (click to tweet) <-- The next time someone ask for your resume, put own your business hat. Find out what they need help with and show how you can provide it. If they insist on getting a resume, you know they are NOT your client. YOUR client understands that you are a business owner and NOT an employee for hire.

I’ve been working with clients since 2008 and not once did a client ask for my resume, degree, or GPA. However, they have requested phone and Skype interviews, my portfolio and references.

Much love,
Tiffany 🙂