Should a virtual assistant be certified? Yes or No
Read more about: Business Growth, Entrepreneurship, Work at Home Community
|
Stumble it! |
Delicious | 
Kirtsy | 
Digg
6
Comments
I will tell you right away my take on this controversy: I do not think a person has to have a virtual assistant certification.
Now, before some of you start yelling at me through your computers, allow me to add a few things and further explain myself.
I am not saying acquiring a certification is a bad choice, all I am saying is possessing a certification does not necessarily make a person a good virtual assistant.
To me there are two types of people I feel should or probably would want to have a certification:
- Beginner - with little or no administrative skills
- One who is working solely or most with corporate clients, in the corporate world, these type of credentials are looked at more readily.
However, I believe to be a successful virtual assistant one should definitely display previous experience, problem solving skills, knowledge, integrity & trust, and self discipline.
Experience - Nothing can replace experience. You either have it or you don’t. With experience comes knowledge.
Teresa’s Tip: And with knowledge comes the possibility of offering more services (if you want).
Problem Resolver - Are you a person who handles challenges head on or do you hide your head in the sand or throw your arms up? If you don’t know the answer, are you the type of person who will go and try and at least find the answer?
Teresa’s Tip: Take each problem or challenge as an opportunity for learning new resolutions. You become the resource more and more.
Reliability - You are self disciplined enough to be a virtual assistant? Are you a person that your customers can hand over tasks to and they will get done in a timely manner?
Teresa’s Tip: Verbalize your work hours & communication preferences. Also put them on your site/blog and on your contract.
Integrity/Trust- Do you work your business with integrity? After speaking with you on the phone, are your client left with a feeing of trust?
Teresa’s Tip: Be sure you tell people what you can do and what you can not do.
Again, I am not saying that certificate is a bad thing to obtain, however, I don’t think it is a needed item in order to be a very successful virtual assistant.
And I will end this article as such (and I am not pompous, I am just stating something)
There are two last points I would like to make
- I have over 15 years in the administrative field (working in various industries) so I have the experience, knowledge, reliability, integrity and self discipline to be a virtual assistant…and no certification.
- Since I have owned my business, I have yet for any of my clients to ask me if I had a certification. And 90% of my clients have referred others to me.
Teresa Morrow is on Florida Board of Advisors with The WECAI Network ™ (http://www.wecai.org) and one of Editors at Large at WE Magazine for Women ™ (http://www.wemagazineforwomen). She has over 15 years working with various industries to include property management, landscape architecture and financial planning firms in executive administrative positions. In 2007, Teresa started Key Business Partners, a virtual assistance & online promotional company. You can contact her via email at keybusinesspartners@verizon.net or visit her website at http://www.keybusinesspartners.com.
Sparkplugging Founder Wendy Piersall is dang passionate about helping people start & grow a business while maintaining life balance (somehow). 
Dawud Miracle has one focus: to help you get it. The it? How your website, and blog, can change the way you do business. You can find out more at 
Teresa Morrow manages online book publicity and event promotion for authors, speakers and writers with her company 
I agree NO.
I think a lot of VA’s based in the western countries spend too much time trying to defend hhe need for a certificate.
all it means is that you can pass a few tests, no indication of how good you are.
Gavin
Gavin ‘Outsource Success’ Allinsons last blog post..Can dial up increase your productivity?
Hi Teresa, I always enjoy reading your posts. I thought I’d comment on this one. I had 23 years’ corporate experience prior to setting up my own business over 14 years ago. I had to learn on my own because there were no VA networks or forums or anything of that nature all those years ago. But as the industry grew and developed I became aware of the need to show professionalism for the industry. In 2001 I launched one of the VA industry’s very first certification programs - co-incidentally the same month that vacertification.com was launched by Fred Gandee. Fred and I chatted with one another over the phone and via email shortly thereafter, totally unaware of what each other had been planning, researching and setting up over the previous 2 years, but very aware of the need for the industry to develop a professional outlook. We could have collaborated had we known. His certification program is probably more well known than mine as I’m in Australia and not as ‘visible’ in some ways.
However, I agree that certification isn’t necessary and many very successful VAs out there don’t have it, but it can assist.
Unlike you I have had clients enquire about credentials from time to time.
I would like to point out here (for the benefit of your readers) that there is a difference between training and certification. Many newbies entering the industry need VA coaching or training as they are coming into the industry with much less office experience, unlike you and I. But others don’t. It really depends on their background experience.
Certification isn’t about training people, it’s about acknowledging what they already have done and achieved and many like to have that acknowledgment on show.
Hi Teresa, I agree with you. Certification in any profession does not necessarily make you more skilled. It is nice to have credentials to provide a competitive edge but not essential.
Karen Swims last blog post..Are you a commitment phobe?
Teresa, I agree the certification does not necessarily mean success.
There are two questions I ask where the answers are very important…
What were your last accomplishments? Give details and dates.. in case they were 20 years ago things have changed..
What references may I call which are former clients? And do follow up with calls.
If you should choose someone with no experience, and that can sometimes work be sure of the work ethic, and have personal references which are not family. Be specific… and let them know, teachers, ministers, will do.
My best, great article..
Dorothy from grammology
remember to call gram
grammology.com
Dorothy Stahlneckers last blog post..Helping another blogger and prayer for my Grandson returning to Iraq
Teresa, I agree certifications are not necessary. There are many VA associations you can join that are respected and bring validation to your business.