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The Level 1 Virtual Assistant

Your journey to becoming a Level 6 Virtual Assistant starts here!


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Here is what is expected from you as a Level 1 Virtual Assistant


1. Being an A-player
This includes having
- excellent English writing and comprehension skills
- excellent research skills (so you can find answers to basic questions instead of asking them, which are all documented using our failsafe methods)
- excellent communication skills (reliability is key)
- ability to learn fast and being coachable but not overconfident
- ability to do your own QA (For example, if you are a level 1 content VA, check your article yourself against the Blog Posting Guidelines instead of asking someone to review)
- leadership skills (We want folks who can quickly learn and then teach others to do the same)
 
2. Basic understanding of SEO and digital marketing (you’ll need to learn A LOT more once hired, but a basic understanding is enough to start)

3. Ability to work in a team (#RACI in communication, practicing #DDD, #CID)
 

When a VA disappears without informing us


We already know the behavior from the last 30 years.

That when a VA disappears, doesn't do quality work, then makes excuses AFTER disappearing, that if we continue to attempt to reason with them, we'll just go in circles.

To be fair, in their mind, their excuses sound great, since this is all new for them. 

However, we already know the most common mistakes and excuses, which is why we have the following 4 classic articles that all our VAs must read and understand: 

Excuses: I’ve Heard Them All | Dennis Yu

Don’t Make Me Chase You | BlitzMetrics

The hidden, but most obvious reason your campaigns are failing | LinkedIn

The hidden reason why you are failing | Dennis Yu

A players make sure to understand the above articles in advance, without us having to remind them. This way, we never have to go in circles with them each time, providing one-on-one coaching on why reliability is important, etc:




What is Do-Delegate-Delete (#DDD)


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As a Level 1 VA, we expect you to be able to Do-Delegate-Delete, or #DDD.

#DDD is one of the nine triangles that comprise our Mega Framework of Business Triangle. Here, you will learn to develop personal efficiency. Before you can move on to bigger things, you need to start at the most basic level.

On tasks, do it now or don’t do it at all. More time tomorrow is an illusion, as opportunities and corresponding tasks increase.

If you are not able to do a certain task because of other higher priority tasks, delegate some of your tasks to the most appropriate virtual assistant who is able to demonstrate #LDT (Learn, Do, Teach) for that particular task. 

On email management, Delete (archive) is your most common option to keep “inbox zero.” So don’t skim; read thoroughly enough the first time so you can recall or search later.



Additionally...


  1. Know the rules, and follow them.
  2. Make sure you're fully on-boarded.
    • Get your company e-mail address.
    • Add yourself to the Team Roster.
    • Finish the Level 1 Virtual Assistant Training.
    • Learn and understand the 9 Triangles.
    • Read the Operations Process Guide.
    • Make sure you have access to all files and systems (Google Workspace, YouTube, Basecamp, WordPress & TimeCamp).
  3. Learn what is the #1 VA mistake so you can avoid it at all costs.
  4. Make sure that our Blog Posting Guidelines are at your fingertips and ALWAYS QA your articles against the verification checklist given at the end of these guidelines. 
  5. Learn how to use TimeCamp and how to create an invoice.
  6. Be on top of your communication following #RACI (email & Basecamp).
    • Don't ignore messages (reply within 24 hours).
    • Never contact Dennis directly (copy him only).
    • Aim for "inbox zero" as much as you can (maximize Boomerang).
    • Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Communication - Know the difference.
    • Understand what RACI means.
    • Practice active listening.
  7. Familiarize yourself with Basecamp.
    • Never ping Dennis.
    • Never mark your own tasks as complete (only managers can do that).
    • Learn how to create continuation threads.
  8. Know who the other team members are and their roles.
  9. Know what "rescue" and "revive" mean.
  10. Prove that you're coachable.
  11. Prove that you're reliable.
  12. Prove that you're resourceful.
  13. Don't procrastinate.
  14. Submit your End-of-Day (EOD) report consistently. The EOD report is for the tasks that you performed for the company that measure your productivity and performance, and should not include things like (I created an invoice; I answered my emails, I watched a video.)


Before you get overwhelmed...


After reading all the expectations, you may be thinking now that you can't do this. Don't let fear set in. Fear is the enemy.

If you take a closer look at each expectation, you'll realize that they're just basic things that any decent and successful company requires from their employees.

We've worked with a lot of virtual assistants from all over the world. Some have been with us for more than seven years. They all went through the same process you're about to go through, and now, they're doing quite well.

So, take the jump and do everything that's expected of you to move up to the next stage, Level 2.

Check out the 6 Levels Main Page to learn more.



Resources


To get you started, here are some resources for you to dive into.

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Our Level 1 Virtual Assistant Guide will teach you all the basic things an aspiring virtual assistant needs to know. These include the rules, Basecamp essentials, effective communication, and more.

A lot of new VAs make the mistake of skimming through it just to get done with it. Don't make the same mistake.



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You should enroll in our Level 1 Virtual Assistant Course if you want your training to be complete.

You will find everything you need here to become a well-trained virtual assistant. Aside from the guide above, you will also gain access to instructional videos, quizzes, checklists, and more.

Complete the training to earn your badge!




Good luck!