Learn How to Become a Virtual Assistant in Canada

Are you that friend who’s always initiating plans? Coordinating schedules, finding the best meet-up, and remembering small details like allergies and plus-ones? It sounds like you’re a Master Planner, treating group outings like a second job. So why not turn it into a full-time gig? Becoming a Virtual Assistant in Canada could be your next big move, and here’s how to do it.

Skills Needed to Become a Virtual Assistant

You’d be surprised that many of the skills needed to become a Virtual Assistant (VA) are ones you most likely already possess. Like the Master Planner of your friend group, VAs are excellent communicators. Virtual Assistants in Canada pay great attention to detail; they are creative problem solvers and adaptable.

To succeed as a VA and find work as a Virtual Assistant in Canada, pair those “soft” skills like organization and self-motivation with “hard” or technical skills. You’d make an excellent VA if you are proficient in software like Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and various CRMs.

Amongst the VAs in Canada, we’re able to offer our northern primrose services because our VAs are great at:

  • Data entry
  • Transcribing
  • Project Management
  • Travel and event planning;
  • Social media scheduling;
  • Customer service;
  • Research and reporting;
  • File Management and Cloud Storage
  • Time management

Decide What Type of Virtual Assistant You Want to Become

With many executive assistant companies in Canada, the VA industry is steadily expanding, and thousands of professional Virtual Assistants are out there to help entrepreneurs scale their businesses. This growth means that companies now require a wide range of types of Virtual Assistants to meet their diverse needs. These range from Digital Marketing, Accounting, Consulting, Bookkeeping, Data analysis, and so many more!

Every VA specialization has its own set of skills and requirements, so it’s worth figuring out which area matches your expertise and career goals. Focusing on a specific niche boosts your marketability and ensures you’re delivering high-quality, tailored support to your clients.

Choose Your Virtual Assistant Course

Once you’ve identified your area of expertise, it’s time to choose your Virtual Assistant course and get trained!

Yes, you can become a Virtual Assistant without formal qualifications and learn on the job. Our executive assistant company pays for our new VAs to get trained. If you’re working for yourself, you’ll want to invest the time and money into doing a Virtual Assistant course.

Many are offered online and can be found on e-learning sites like LinkedIn Learn or Coursera. These are great because they are self-paced and short. Our VAs love Udemy’s Minute Taking Course and Udemy’s Project Management Course. 

Make sure you choose a programme that will give you a certificate at the end of the study; it will help you stand out. We recommend the Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate and the Google Project Management Professional Certificate.

Remember, while most VA roles don’t require specific licenses, certain fields—like real estate or medical assistance—might need you to get certified or licensed to meet industry standards.

Find Work as a Virtual Assistant

Congratulations, you’re now ready to become a Virtual Assistant in Canada!

When it comes to finding work as a virtual assistant in Canada, you can go the traditional route of searching for and applying for jobs on recruitment websites like Indeed or freelancing sites like Upwork. Consider extending your scope and leveraging your connections, attending networking events or career fairs, talking to friends and family, and promoting your services on social media; you could even try a recruitment agency.

As with many things in life, it might take a little time before you start seeing the fruits of your labour in becoming a Virtual Assistant. But here’s the great news: anyone can make it as a Virtual Assistant! Your efforts will pay off, and the satisfaction from helping others makes it all worth it. If you’re highly motivated, a great communicator, and are willing to learn, there is a good chance a business will take you on.

If that sounds like you, reach out to Northern Primrose. We’re always looking for new talent to join our team!