Everyone has more opportunities to become a virtual assistant nowadays. With the right experience and skills, you will be able to catch a client’s eye during recruitment. Even if you have no sufficient background in a certain field, as long as the employer allows neophytes, then you may be employed, as well.

That being said, if you want to stand out, you must possess qualities that will make up your irrefutable reliability, which your client will hold onto for a long time. It is not that difficult to become a virtual assistant that an employer would want to have a long business relationship with. You simply have to consider the following when developing your personality as a VA:

Having a sense of relentless loyalty. No one can deny the fact that most clients always opt for someone that would be committed to them all throughout their tenure. Apparently, it will always be a disappointment for an employer to have a remote worker, who is simply looking for connections or contacts to work with in the future (which can be partners or customers of the employer). 

Be reminded that once you signed a service agreement or even verbally agreed upon a work setup with a client, you should dedicate your loyalty to him or her wholly. It will never be wrong to be loyal to a person, who has given you an opportunity to work. Even if you are eyeing another job in the future, it is best to finish what you have been entrusted with prior to making another step.

If it is also included in your service agreement to avoid being connected professionally to your employer’s partners after some time following your departure, then you should comply with it. Some may think it will no longer matter once you leave, but remember, you still have signed the contract. The way you disregard it will reflect how feeble your commitment to anyone can be.

Considering professionalism all the time. Even if you become fast friends with your employer, it is always advisable to maintain your professionalism. One good example is considering his or her day off or holiday. No matter how urgent your concern is, unless instructed to bypass his or her day off or holiday, you should cut your communication during the said times. 

Furthermore, be reminded that even if you have an open communication with your client, avoid asking personal questions no matter how curious you are. Always consider topics that would not go beyond the boundary of your client-virtual assistant relationship.

Welcoming opportunities to learn more. If you want to stand out as a virtual assistant, you should never deny an opportunity to learn more, particularly in terms of skills you can offer to your clients.

One good example is when your employer offers you a chance to train for a new task, which may be something he or she may assign to you sooner or later. Denying this, regardless of the fact that your workload would still be fair once this task is added, shows that you are stagnant. It is fine to be content but most clients prefer remote workers, who would be open to gaining more responsibilities to ease their burden.

Be reminded that your client is not the sole benefactor of your training for new skills. Instead, you may also be able to utilize this new learning to your future work commitments. You may even make your profile more promising as time passes. It would be much easier for you to grab an opportunity, whenever you need a new one.

Keeping one’s team members supported. Despite working from home, it does not mean that you are working independently all the time. If you want to be a reliable virtual assistant, never forget that you have team members working with you. Whenever someone new comes in, it is always best to lend a helping hand with his or her adjustment. Keep in mind that you have been a newbie once, as well.

On the other hand, whenever working with a team, you should consider that your sluggish behavior or poor productivity could affect everyone. Thus, it is always best to monitor your performance and avoid pulling your team members with you towards failure.

Never forgetting the basics. No matter how skillful you are, at times, the smallest things could prevent your employer from keeping you. One good example is being on time. This may be given consideration for a few times, but if it becomes a habit, then you would never gain the favor of your client. Your tardiness could mean delayed output, customer service failure, missed opportunity with an interested lead, etc.

Moreover, if you cannot abide by the simple rules of the organization, such as by requesting for leaves at least a couple of weeks before, then, it could also be a sign you are failing at standing out as an effective VA. There are exceptions, of course, such as emergencies, but if it becomes a norm without due reason, then it shows you are not respecting the rules anymore. Be reminded that these are made to maintain discipline and order in a company.

It is not yet late to improve your personality as a remote worker. By considering the aforementioned facts, you can start moving forward with a different perspective on how to stand out as a virtual assistant. It takes practice but it is definitely a change that would be most beneficial for you in the future.