Virtual Jobs: Tools of the Trade

The Internet has permanently changed the world of work. First it made it possible for companies to reduce their labor costs by outsourcing whole work functions to companies operating in less expensive countries. Now it is allowing them to go one step further and bypass outside companies altogether.

At the same time, it has made it easier for individuals to realize the dream of working for themselves from home. More and more workers are looking for ways to avoid the time and expense of long commutes and three piece suits.

Other workers who have been displaced by a sagging world economy have turned to the Internet to find temporary work while they continue to look for something full time offline. Often what they're finding is that the skills and experience they possess are as valuable to a growing marketplace of small virtual companies or entrepreneurs as they once were to companies that employed thousands.

For both these groups, the right combination of software, hardware and experience is providing a way for these workers to not just find a temporary paycheck, but to launch a full time career as a Virtual Assistant or virtual employee.

True Virtual Assistants (VAs), are entrepreneurs who provide professional administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients from a home office. However, more and more companies are directly hiring individuals to fulfill many of the same duties in their own home offices as they might onsite for the company. These people can be called virtual employees.

The virtual job either one is hired to fill is very real. The deadlines, profit responsibilities, need to communicate with other company personnel and vendors as well as directly with customers are all as pressing as they are when all the workers come together at a central company location.

The tools that a Virtual Assistant or virtual employee will use to carry out their duties are sometimes very different than offline, however. Here are some of the most basic pieces of equipment (hardware and software) that any virtual job seeker should have before they tackle looking for that online work assignment. Here too are some of the tools they may be expected to have, know and use to fulfill their virtual jobs:

Basic Computer Equipment: Any fairly new computer is likely to have enough speed, memory and computing power to operate efficiently. A specific operating system, usually Windows XP, is frequently required. Vista and many Mac operating systems are not compatible with large corporate software requirements.

Phones: Separate landline phones are also still required by many companies, especially those looking to fill spots in their virtual call centers. Since calls are routed to workers through their central systems, VoIP systems, cellphones and sometimes even cordless phones cannot be used to connect. High speed Internet connections: High speed Interent connections are nearly always a basic requirement as well, again because of requirements to log in to corporate systems and quickly and efficiently handle customer inquiries, order entry, etc.

Email, Word processing, spreadsheets, etc: Open source word processing, spreadsheet or database programs are easily found online, and many companies will provide access to any proprietary programs of these types that they want their workers to use. Understanding and a certain level of proficiency in their use is usually a requirement of any virtual job. Expertise, not just competency, in their use is what many clients are looking for from their Virtual Assistant.

Accounting software: Unlike the programs above, the type of accounting software used by a Virtual Assistant is usually not dictated by the company unless the virtual position is for an accountant. It is a vital piece of business software to have, understand and use if you intend to make a career out of working virtually.

Virtual phone numbers, voicemail boxes, and fax capabilities: Companies have a right to expect that the virtual employee or Virtual Assistant they hire have such basic communication tools and know how to use them. However, there are a number of different online companies offering fax services, or virtual phone numbers, for example, so the decision of which one to use and who will pay for it is something usually negotiated at the time of hire.

Video and audio equipment: Increasingly virtual meetings are being held to train workers, or just to conduct business the same way face-to-face meetings used to be held. That means more workers will soon need to have and understand some sort of webcam and the software to use it. Similarly, audio calling services such as Skype are becoming more widely used, and may or may not be required for a virtual job.

Other tools, either hardware or software, that may be required to complete your virtual tasks are more specifically tied to the nature of the assignment itself. Web designers and developers, for example, usually use or need some sort of program (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, BBEdit, Textpad, etc.) to carry out their work.