Frankly, I can’t think of a more insulting title. But insulting it is, on many levels.
First off, the term”secretary” is pretty much passé and has been for a long time. Instead, the term has been replaced by Executive Assistant, General Admin, Personal Assistant, and a few others. And I’d like to see most businesses succeed without this type of assistance!
But I’ve been hearing that some people out there are trying to liken the term “Virtual Assistant” to “just a secretary.” Funny – but if you go to a site like IVAA (International Virtual Assistants Association), you will find just about any type of VA services out there which include:
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Architect/Engineer
- Association Management
- Author Support
- Coaching Support
- Concierge Services
- Contractor
- Desktop Publishing
- Editing/Proofreading
- Event Management
- Graphic Artists
- HR Support
- Internet Commerce
- Language Translation
- Legal and Paralegal Services
- Marketing and Advertising
- Online Business Manager
- Real Estate Support
- Research & Development
- Shopping Cart
- Social Media Services
- Website Design
In addition to admin-type services.
In fact, their definition of a VA is “Virtual assistants are independent contractors who (from a remote location, usually their home or office) support multiple clients in a variety of industries by providing administrative, creative, and technical services.”
So, the next time you hear someone or read something about the term VA being “just a secretary,” set them straight. They’re probably just trying to sell you their latest book/course/”certification” or whatever they’ve come up with as an attempt to be the latest fad.
Nickey Hollenbach Personal Touch Concierge Service, LLC nickeyh@ptconciergeservice.com
Virtual Caffeine 