Freelancers of all levels find virtual assistant (VA) jobs attractive. Not only can they pay well, but they also tend to involve a variety of administrative tasks – such as managing social media accounts, running advertising campaigns and answering emails. Almost every business can use a VA.
Although there are thousands of VA job opportunities online, you may find the many options intimidating. Newbies won’t even know where to start looking. To jump-start your job search, we’ll share the best freelance sites and platforms that offer legitimate, lucrative VA jobs.
1. Upwork
Upwork is arguably the biggest freelance platform out there today. Since its launch in 2013, it has amassed 12 million active freelancers and 5 million paying customers worldwide. The site also accommodates users from 180+ countries.
Considering the size of Upwork’s database, freelancers won’t have trouble finding multiple gigs that suit their expertise. A quick search for the keyword “virtual assistant” already returns 9,000+ results. And although the platform operates on a per-project basis, many clients offer long-term positions and recurring job orders.
2. Fiver
Fiverr is a widely known and trusted marketplace for freelance services. It has over 3.42 million paying customers from 190+ countries who regularly employ various freelance virtual assistants.
Unlike Upwork, Fiverr doesn’t focus on displaying job listings. It primarily functions as a marketplace where freelancers, otherwise known as sellers, create profiles and market their services. Customers come to you, not the other way around.
Fiverr’s setup gives you more control over your rates, clients, and upcoming projects, plus you no longer have to send pitches. However, it also requires attractive, persuasive service listings. With more than 35,000 VAs offering administrative services, standing out will prove challenging.
3. LinkedIn
LinkedIn serves as the go-to social media platform for professional networking. Although the site was originally built for headhunters and job hunters, it has recently been more friendly to freelancers.
It also launched the LinkedIn Services Marketplace in 2019. Here, virtual assistants can showcase their skills and services to clients who need independent contractors for specific projects.
Unsurprisingly, administrative services are in demand. Try finding virtual assistants; You’ll instantly find dozens of international listings, from one-time gigs to full-time remote positions.
4. 24/7 Virtual Assistant
The 24/7 Virtual Assistant primarily caters to the needs of Novice and Intermediate VAs. It offers one-time gigs for administrative tasks such as document filing, basic bookkeeping, simple web development, site maintenance, and customer service. Most projects will require availability of 1 to 6 hours a week.
Although complete beginners can apply to 24/7 Virtual Assistant, they must also go through a rigorous training program. Reviews show that only 5% of applicants pass. If you fail the first time, try reapplying after at least a few weeks.
5. Fancy Hands
Fancy Hands takes on projects from SMBs and medium-sized enterprises, then splits them among its operations associates, otherwise known as VAs. Expect to see a wide range of orders. In addition to standard administrative services, you can also perform specific tasks, such as making phone calls on behalf of clients, finding good shopping deals or looking for hotel room discounts.
You will also need a working audio headset when applying. However, not all tasks at Fancy Hands are voice process jobs, and you’ll rarely need to jump into group meetings or 1-on-1 calls.
6. $99 Social
99 Dollar Social is a social media marketing agency that outsources content production to VAs on a per-project basis. It mainly requires content creation for short blogs and advertisements. So if you have experience in copywriting, you’ll have a better chance of qualifying as a VA.
The company pays a flat rate per completed order. Although you can take on as many projects as you want, note that the work seems limited since HR only accepts new hires every few months.
7. Belle
Experienced VAs who want steady work at good rates may want to consider Belle. It has a strict recruitment process which consists of three parts: initial screening, a skill assessment and a final interview. Although the application takes some time, qualified VAs are rewarded with well-paying, long-term clients.
Unlike other VA platforms, Belle only allows VAs to take orders within their expertise. You can’t do random things. For example, if you specialize in data entry and accounting, the platform can pair you with bookkeeping projects.