Boosting Your Career as a Remote Worker
Climbing the career ladder when you work in a typical office setup is pretty straightforward. You do your job well enough to impress your boss and then you angle for a promotion. When you work from home or do remote work, however, things can be a bit trickier.
A lot of the people who do online work, like those in the virtual assistance industry for instance, usually work on a client-by-client basis. This means doing jobs that afford little to no room for promotions. For many virtual assistants, this setup is completely okay. These people don’t need promotions and title changes to feel fulfilled.
On the other hand, some VAs still derive satisfaction from seeing their careers heading towards a certain direction. If you are one of these VAs, how can you push your career forward when you’re typically working for many clients on a project-based or short-term contract?
Here are some tips on boosting your career as a remote worker.
Volunteer to take on more tasks.
Even in a typical office setup, the one who gets promoted is usually the person who goes above and beyond their normal tasks. As a remote worker, it’s important for you to be observant and find any additional tasks that you can take on for your client. If you’re a content writer and you see that your client is in need of a social media manager, consider asking them if they want to hand over that job to you as well. This could mean a pay raise and a brand new job title for you, and it will definitely look good on your resume.
Upgrade your skills.
You can’t volunteer for new tasks if you have absolutely no idea how to do them. Make sure to spend some of your free time learning new skills – preferably ones that are related to your current skill set but can still be considered as another skill. If you’re a graphic designer VA, you might want to learn web development. Look for skill growth opportunities in your industry and be proactive when it comes to learning something new.
Boost your productivity.
Productivity is a trait that impresses all clients. The more you show them that you can be trusted to meet deadlines and get the job done quickly, the more likely they are to keep your services and trust you with more important tasks. As your client expands their business, there might be room for you to get promoted to supervisor and oversee new recruits.
Communicate well and be always available.
Communication is extremely important in all jobs but especially so in remote work. Because you’re not required to talk to each other or catch up on a day-to-day basis, it’s important for you to take the initiative and reach out first. This way, you will always be on top of their mind and they will know that they can rely on you to be there whenever they need someone on the job.
Cultivate long-lasting connections.
Even if your current client can’t give you a bigger, more important job, some of their friends with more established businesses might be able to. That’s why it’s essential for you to foster great relationships with all your clients.
Just because you’re a home based virtual assistant, it doesn’t mean that there’s no room for career growth. If you take control of your career, you will definitely discover plenty of opportunities to reach your professional goals.
Next: Jumping Careers: Tips To Make It Easier
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