Becoming a virtual assistant frequently asked questions

: What is the growth prospect of Virtual Assistant profession worldwide? The virtual assistant industry is growing by leaps and bounds. Initially there were only few Virtual assistants, but, now there are at least one million people situated globally. Virtual assistants both collectively and individually are spreading this concept and many are joining them daily. Many administrative assistants, office managers and experienced professionals have recognized Virtual assisting as an achievable and viable option for them. Why people choose to become Virtual Assistants? The reasons are many. Many people think that it is a lucrative option to earn extra income, while others consider it as an option to have a control over their destiny and some take up because they can spend more time with their family, while some take due to illness and health problems. The internet revolution has enabled people to work from home. Many people become virtual assistants due to their aspiration to earn more, due to their experience and knowledge and also due to the potential of the Virtual Assistant industry. Does any one need a business license to become a virtual assistant? It depends on where he lives. In States like Georgia, every independent contractor or Virtual assistant needs to possess a business license while other States does not require. It is better to check with the local county and state to be sure of all the legal protocols before setting up a Virtual assistant business. Is training necessary to become a Virtual assistant? It all depends on the person. Some would have got all the experience from the previous jobs, while some require to undergo training to gain confidence and knowledge to handle certain issues and tasks. As the virtual assistant industry is growing day by day, the competition and the business require to undergo a training to stay successful. How can the Virtual Assistant business marketed effectively? Virtual assistant business can either be marketed via Internet or offline. When opting the offline method, brochures, flyers, business cards, press releases, postcards, advertisements in yellow page and writing articles are very effective. Through internet, websites and online ads can be used to advertise effectively.

Interview questions for you to ask employers

Interviewing is a two-way street. Obviously, the organization is using the interview process to evaluate you and your credentials to determine if you are a solid fit for the company’s needs. But the interview is equally important for the opportunity it affords you to evaluate how well the company and the position match what you are seeking. Formulating a series of well-thought out questions in advance of the interview will not only help you draw out pertinent information form the interviewer, but also demonstrate your intelligence and sincere interest in the position at hand. The best questions are those that arise from the initial research you will conduct of the organization while preparing for the interview. Whenever possible, questions should be tailored to the position and company. The following questions will provide you with some ideas and get you started thinking about potential interview questions you may want to consider asking employers during the interview. - Fit for the Position What are the most important skills and attributes a candidate needs to be successful in this position? What are the characteristics of a successful employee in your organization? Describe the work environment. What are the challenging facets of the job? What would be a typical work day in this position? What is your management style? What is your preferred method of communicating with your team? What is the next step in the interviewing process? - Company Culture How would you describe your company culture? What is the organization structure of your department? Who are the primary parties that you are responsible to support: shareholders, customers, employees, etc.? How do you go about making decisions when the needs of these groups are at odds with each other? - Measures for Success What are your expectations for new employee hires within their first 90 days on the job? Within the first six months? How and when will my job performance be evaluated? What metrics are used to measure whether or not you are achieving your predetermined goals? How will my success in this position be measured? How is success measured in this department (or organization)? - The Future of the Organization What is your vision for the organization (or department) over the next two years? Next five years? What current major challenges are you facing as a manager? What is the organization’s biggest challenge currently? What is the organization’s competitive advantage in the marketplace?

Jobseeker faqs on thank you notes

Career advisers tell jobseekers to send a thank you note after an interview. To address the most frequently asked questions on how and what to send in a thank you note, here are some give aways. Won't the employer think that an applicant is desperate and a sissy applicant if he sends a thank-you letter? Of course not. Rarely does an employer not pleased to receive a thank-you letter. It is considered as a common way of showing politeness, a gesture of courtesy, one way to outshine the rest of the interviewees, and a way to keep your name upfront. Will it not jeopardize the possibility of getting the job? Not in most cases, but it could in some point of time. So why take the chance? (so they ask) The answer: Most bosses wavers between the last two most promising applicants, a student and experienced officer for example, after the final interview for a certain position. But when the boss gets a thank-you letter from the student, it made all the difference. Because of that simple well mannered gesture, the student lands on the job. Can it be handwritten or should it be typewritten? Actually, it does not matter. What's important is the thought of doing it. It must be tailored to your prospective company and the officer who made the interview. Thus, respect is further established. However, if the company, interviewer or the position being applied calls for a formal business letter, then do so. Mostly, a handwritten note is okay if the interviewer and the applicant have built rapport. Will it be okay to e-mail the thank you note? First thoughts indicate that this is a big NO. However, it depends on the company's culture. If the people in the company use e-mail in all of their communication and correspondence, then it should be acceptable. This will also apply if the company is into fast decision making when hiring applicants. Always remember that even if e-mails fit in with the culture of the company, it's still a better idea to follow up the email with a hard copy of your thank you. So you can just save yourself from trouble since "anything goes" right? NO. On the other side of the previous story, there are prospective applicants who were almost on the verge of being hired but suddenly hit the skids after sending in a sloppy, ill-fixed thank you letters, with many typographical errors and misspelled words. A part of having a good communication skill is being able to write effectively and companies do not need employees who have to be taught simple writing skills. Will a borrowed thank-you letter do? Yes, borrowing is one thing. But make sure to look at the basic structure of the letter. Never plagiarize the whole letter as it may be applicable to the one person but not for the other. Surely, there are employers who can distinguish a thank-you note that has been copied or not. If it was a panel interview should thank you letters be sent to all interviewers? Frankly, that's the best. The same letter to each is as essential as making one for each. All you have to do is edit some phrases for individuality in case the interviewers would bump in to each other and compare the notes they received. How soon should a thank-you note be sent? The golden rule is to send thank you notes within 24 hours after the interview. Will it still be okay to mail the thank you note if the hiring decision will be made sooner than when the mailed thank you note is received? Come to think of it, if the mail is too pre-historic for the hiring decision makers, then find a much speedy way: it can be via e-mail, fax, express delivery or personal delivery. In fact, if you have hand delivered the thank you note, it can leave a great impression. What if there's already an offer before even sending the thank you notes? It's still better to send the thank you notes as this can be used to accept or decline the offer. This could also be a confirmation of your agreement and/or understanding of the offer they have given (salary, benefits, other compensation, starting date, vacations, etc.), this way any discrepancies can be straightened out before even starting for the job. Always find a way to make it as personalized as possible. Try to think out of the box, you may even adapt what you have observed the interviewer has in the office during the interview. Sending an article that you think the interviewer could be interested in is also another suggestion. Whatever method you use, make it fast and professional.

Résumé writing common mistakes and how to avoid them

Creating a rйsumй or CV is central to the search for a job, but is something most of us hate doing. Unfortunately, very few people are adept at presenting themselves in the best possible light and this can mean their application is rejected at the first hurdle. One of the biggest mistakes most people make is sending out the same rйsumй for every application. It’s a big temptation – you’ve spent hours getting the details and layout just right, or perhaps you’ve paid a considerable amount of money to have someone write it professionally. The trouble is, each rйsumй needs to be tailored to the job in question, and it’s vital that you do this if you want to stand out from the crowd. What does tailoring a rйsumй mean? It simply means writing it specifically for the post you are targeting. To do this you must recognise the keywords the employer will be looking for and relate them to your own experience. Keywords will be found in the job description and person specification, or in the job advertisement and on the company website. They describe the skills, qualifications and experience needed for the post. Keywords should stand out on your rйsumй – don’t forget that in the first round of the selection process, rйsumй s are usually only given a 20 second glance. So if the interviewer doesn’t see what he’s looking for, your rйsumй is destined for the shredder. Here’s an example of targeting: let’s say you are a secretary who speaks several languages and can take shorthand in all of them, but are applying for a job in an office where only English and audio are used. Languages and shorthand, impressive as they are, would not be the most prominent skills on your rйsumй. Instead, you would focus on the skills required, which might be fast typing, advanced Excel or Powerpoint. Languages and shorthand would be mentioned briefly, perhaps under the heading “Additional Skills.” Another common mistake, usually made by older applicants, is including their entire work and educational history. It’s usual (in the UK) for CVs to go back only 10 years in terms of work and if you have a degree, school qualifications can be omitted, unless specifically requested or relevant. Employers occasionally ask for a full CV, in which case you do have to include everything. Choosing the wrong format can also condemn your rйsumй to the bin - different styles work best in specific situations. Many people stick to the chronological rйsumй, but this is not always the most appropriate. It works well if you have been steadily progressing up the ladder in a particular career, or if your most recent jobs are likely to impress the company you hope to work for. A skills-based or functional rйsumй is great if you have gaps in your work history, as you can use it to highlight the fact that you have exactly the skills the employer is looking for. It’s also useful if you are moving to a new career or area of work and your work experience isn’t completely relevant. A targeted rйsumй is aimed at a precise job or career, for example if you retrained as a teacher in your 30s or 40s and were applying for a teaching post, your work-related heading might be “Teaching Experience” and your main skills would all be relevant to teaching, for example using IT in the classroom and curriculum development. For soft skills, such as communication skills and team work, you would use examples from your teaching career. You may need to have different styles of rйsumй for different applications. If we use the previous example of the secretary, she might have had a series of language related jobs and is now applying for linguist and non linguist posts. She could choose a chronological rйsumй for the language jobs and a functional rйsumй for the others. To sum up, individualise every rйsumй for the job concerned, choose the most suitable format for the situation and remember: keywords must jump out at the reader in the first 20 seconds. © Waller Jamison 2005

Vacancies rise to record

UNEMPLOYMENT is set to fall further with the number of job vacancies rising to record levels, fuelling speculation of another interest rate rise. National job vacancies in the three months to August rose 2.9 per cent, seasonally adjusted, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Job vacancies rose by 11.9 per cent in the year to August. CommSec equities economist Martin Arnold said with job vacancies now at a record high, the unemployment rate was set to fall below 4 per cent - from its present 4.3 per cent - as business conditions encouraged bosses to seek more staff. "The Australian economy is recording solid growth and business conditions are virtually as good as they get," he said. The strength of the economy led a frustrated John Howard to say the public was failing to give the government credit for economic management. "I think there is a view in the community ... perhaps a significant number that, for somehow or another, our economic strength and our economic stability and growth is happening naturally, that the economy is on autopilot," the Prime Minister told a public forum at Ocean Grove on the Victorian coast yesterday. He said this was one of the reasons why the government was faring so poorly in the public opinion polls: "I think people are starting to take the Australian economy for granted." Seasonally-adjusted job vacancies totalled 172,700 in the three months to August. Mr Arnold said there were fewer than three unemployed people for every vacant job, the lowest level on record. Business services has been one of the strongest growth areas, with 45,200 vacancies, 28.4 per cent more than a year ago. The number of positions vacant in the communications industry has more than doubled to 2800 in the same period. There was strong demand for labour in the construction, retail trade and transport industries. Areas that appear to be less desperate for staff include hospitality, recreation and personal services. The public sector is continuing to expand, with the number of vacant jobs 11.8 per cent higher than a year ago. In the year to August, job vacancies in the boom state of Western Australia were up by 31.8 per cent, unadjusted, followed by the ACT, which was up 31 per cent. Only Queensland had a decline, with year-on-year vacancies down 3.3 per cent. Matthew Johnson, the senior economist at broker ICAP, said the rise in jobs vacancies should deliver employment growth of more than 2 per cent. "This means that unemployment will probably fall lower, and that everyone from the Reserve Bank down will continue to fret about wage-push inflation," he said. High job vacancies and low unemployment is a traditional recipe for inflation, with a limit to how many positions can be filled. There has, so far, been no evidence of wage inflation, with the average cost of labour rising broadly in line with costs in the economy. The next inflation figures are published on October 24. UBS chief economist Scott Haslem said the growth in job vacancies would contribute to higher inflation in the final months of 2007. He predicted the Reserve Bank would raise interest rates in February 2008 to stop inflation going above the RBA's 3 per cent target range. However Mr Arnold said the increase in labour supply, coming from skilled migration, would not generate wages pressures.

Bartending building a foundation for a profitable and rewarding career

Dating back thousands of years, bartending began as a trade by those that produced liquor and in turn sold it to the public. This was not only a profitable venture for these early bartenders, but provided a product in huge demand by the public. Historically humans have always had a fondness for spirits which is an enormous benefit to those pursuing a bartending career. Prohibition makes a very clear case that people want their drinks and demand is not quashed by the absence of product. Very few careers can offer you virtually guaranteed placement in literally any place you wish to live and work in the world. Most bartenders, in fact, earn more than entry level college graduates, with some eventually earning 6 figure incomes. Becoming a successful bartender takes more than just learning to spin drink recipes. The professional bartender is well versed on the legal and business ramifications of alcohol management and service. Today's bartenders are a breed apart, savvy and knowledgeable performers in a fast paced exciting environment. Simply put, there is no aspect more vital to a professional bartending career than the foundation built by a quality bartending school. Bartending schools provide more than just preparation, they directly effect how much you earn from your very first day on the job. Some certifications, such as TIPS ® (Training for Intervention Procedures or TAM ® (Techniques in Alcohol Management) are required by law in many states. Given the earning potential bartending offers as a career, the cost of attending a quality bartending school becomes a wise investment rather than an expense. Most bartending schools are very affordable, require very little time (as little as 2 weeks), and can be found in nearly every state in the country. Bartending-World offers a state by state listing of reputable bartending schools that make selecting a school a breeze. When selecting a bartending school, make sure to ask these questions, and be leery of those that cannot offer answers. What is the schools' industry reputation and how long have they been teaching? Look for a school well recognized in the bartending education industry. Many schools have a long history making research easy. What are the size of the classes and how well equipped are they? Look for low teacher to student ratios and facilities that mimic actual working environments as closely as possible. Is the bartending school licensed by the state? What credentials are required for the instructors? Verifying that a school is actually licensed by the state they teach in is important. Find out what they look for when they hire instructors. Instructors, if well chosen, are industry vets that can provide invaluable insight into the bartending industry. Can you be given references of graduates who are working in the industry? What is the bartending school's job placement policy? Any reputable school will have working graduates who will endorse the school. If not, you need to be careful. A successful job placement plan is always indicative of a good training facility. If local bars have had success with hiring quality graduates then you can rest assured that school is worth a second look. Bartending offers a rewarding and profitable career for those that are serious about their pursuit. While there is a lot of hard work involved, the excitement and fun of the atmosphere is hard to beat. Investing in a quality education will put you on the fast track to maximized earnings in bartending.