3 Rookie Work Mistakes to Avoid at All Cost

Posted December 23, 2018

When people hire a remote office assistant, they often have preconceived notions and expectations about the ability of their virtual secretary or virtual assistant. As the VA, you definitely want to do your best to meet and even exceed your client’s expectations. This is why it’s important for you to make as few mistakes as possible especially during your nesting period in your new job.

To avoid committing preventable mistakes, you need to learn what the most common pitfalls are for a new VA first. Here are 3 rookie work mistakes you need to avoid at all cost.

Not asking questions because you don’t want to seem helpless.

It’s normal to want to show off how capable and resourceful you are especially during the first few weeks or months of being in a new job or working for a new client. But when you overdo it, you’re likely to end up doing the wrong thing or missing out on something important because you were too afraid to ask for help or clarification.

While you should definitely avoid asking questions without thinking, you also shouldn’t rely on guesswork when simply asking for help could have solved the issue. To make sure that you’re asking the right questions at the right time, give yourself enough time to research the answer to your questions. If you’ve spent over 30 minutes to an hour and still came up empty handed, it’s time to ask for help.

Not updating your client about what you’ve been doing.

You might be thinking that because of how busy your client is, they wouldn’t want to receive email updates about your tasks and responsibilities. However, sending your client regular updates actually saves them time and effort. Instead of calling you to ask how you’ve been doing, they only need to refer to your emails to stay on top of things.

Don’t bombard them with updates for every little thing you’ve finished, but try to send them a daily email telling them about what you’ve accomplished for the day. Aside from keeping them updated about the status of their project/s, a daily update email from you also shows initiative and good communication.

Not saying no to impossible tasks and requests.

You should know your limits as a VA. As much as you want to impress your new client, you don’t want to make promises that you can’t deliver. If you’re absolutely sure that what they’re asking for is impossible, then you should tell them that you won’t be able to do it. Pushing yourself too hard and trying to meet impossible demands will just result in poor workmanship, stress, and dissatisfaction with yourself and your job. Don’t worry about coming off as pessimistic. As long as you properly explain why you won’t be able to do something, your client will surely understand.

Whether you’re new to the virtual assistance industry or already have a long list of clients under your belt, taking on a new job always presents a challenge. Don’t forget to avoid the rookie mistakes mentioned above for a smoother, easier nesting period.