In 2023, flexibility continues to be an essential factor for many workers, and we continue seeing people making a career change to work remotely. Among the many opportunities, Executive Assistant Jobs and Virtual Assistant Careers are among the best options for people looking to work from home.

Virtual Assistant careers have some significant differences to working as an Executive Assistant. Virtual Assistant career for the vast majority of VA is remote. However, there are a growing number of remote Executive Assistant roles that have arisen due to COVID’s impacts and business changes.

  • Virtual Assistants are self-employed

Virtual Assistants are normally self-employed.VAs take on multiple clients and manage their schedules. They offer their clients administrative, secretarial, and a wide range of other support services, such as data entry, graphic design, management of social media accounts, or web development. They often take on responsibilities based on their specific skills and deliverables.

On the other hand, Executive Assistants are often full-time or part-time employees with a more broad experience and a perfect mix of hard and soft skills. They provide high-level administrative support and might handle more confidential information, such as their boss’s schedule and inbox, meetings with clients, etc. This offers far more stability in your earnings.

  • Skills

The education requirements for Virtual Assistants can vary significantly based on the type of job they will be asked to do. You may often provide support services for smaller business, who need Bookkeeping or Social Media. Therefore, a diverse range of business skills that target a smaller business may be needed.

Executive Assistants might work with higher-profile clients for larger companies, so a qualification is often required by the HR in the company to ensure that you are an appropriate candidate. Business skills are also needed but often for larger businesses. These skills could include Finance, HR, Projects and Events to name a few.

  • Salary

Executive Assistants’ salaries are more fixed and stable. On average, they are normally higher and might include a series of company benefits, given that these workers are generally hired as employees. Meanwhile, Virtual Assistants, usually self-employed, might be paid hourly and earn depending on the number of clients they have. On average, this could mean lower earnings, but there is a portion of VAs that are very high earning.

A Career Change to work remotely

Virtual Assistant Jobs might be the best option for you if your goal is to work from home, as many Executive Assistant positions still require you to be present in the office at least a few times a week. Both options are worth exploring as more jobs are transitioning to fully remote. Many companies now allow workers to work outside the country as long as they are available during specific work hours and have a stable internet connection.

Regardless of the position you decide to pursue, investing in the proper certificate to acquire the necessary skills for that job should be your number one priority. Several companies offer online certifications to become a Virtual or Executive Assistant. You can also invest in specific courses based on the services you would like to provide.