Virtual Assistant Resume: Examples, Skills & Job Description

Think about it:

It takes a lot of trust to hire a virtual assistant—Video calls aside, the employer has to hire you basically sight unseen. Plus, there’s no keeping an eye on you while you’re working from home.

And yet—

So much depends on a VA’s work. No wonder the bar can be so high and competition so fierce. Make sure your virtual assistant resume stands out and gets through.

In this guide:

• A virtual assistant resume example better than nine out of ten.
• How to create the perfect virtual assistant job descriptions for your resume.
• Whichskills of a virtual assistant will land you the job.
• Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing an interview with VA resume. 

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Looking for other work-from-home opportunities? What about other assistant jobs? We have guides for all these and more:

• Administrative Assistant Resume Examples
• Call Center Resume Examples
• Entry-Level Administrative Assistant Resume Examples
• Executive Assistant Resume Examples
• Event Manager Resume Examples
• IT Help Desk Resume Examples
• Legal Assistant Resume Examples
• Office Assistant Resume Examples
• Office Clerk Resume Examples
• Personal Assistant Resume Examples
• Receptionist Resume Examples
• Research Assistant Resume Examples
• Social Media Resume Examples

Looking for a different job? Check best resume examples for all jobs.

Virtual Assistant Resume Example 

Virtual assistants are individuals who provide remote administrative or personal support. They typically communicate with their clients through emails or video conferencing tools. They are usually responsible for managing emails and calendars, social media accounts, and providing customer support.

Now here’s how to write a virtual assistant resume:

1. Choose the Right Virtual Assistant Resume Format

Written communication—

It’s a big part of being a VA and working remotely in general. A virtual assistant resume that’s oddly formatted and a pain to read is not making the right impression.

Make your resume format a pleasure to read:

Virtual Assistant Resume Format

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format to show your most recent contracts first. If you’ve been living la vida freelance, then use a functional resume format instead.
• Go with a professional resume font like a Arial in 11–12 pt.
• For a neat resume layout, leave your margins at one inchand space things out as much as possible.
• Submit a one-page resume. It’s plenty for all but the OG VA’s from the ‘90s.
• Use at least these resume sections: Resume Header, Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.
• To enhance readability, use a basic simple template. Modern visual resumes can be hard for ATSs to parse.

When it comes to stability and portability, there’s no contest between PDF and *.docx for a resume.

All the same, check the job ad to see what’s required—the company might be using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that can’t handle PDF resumes. To make sure you've got an ATS-friendly resume, check that you're using an ATS resume template and submit your resume in the format requested in the job ad.

Expert Hint: If you’re writing a resume for your first job ever, change the outline of your resume and move the education section above the work experience section.

2. Start With an Impressive Virtual Assistant Resume Objective or Summary

It’s one thing to say you need to “stand out”—

But what’s the right way to do that?

With a resume profile that grabs their attention from the get-go.

Got VA experience?

Start with a resume summary.

Use:

1. One adjective (motivated, reliable, friendly)
2. Job title (Virtual Assistant, VA)
3. Years of experience (2+, 6+)
4. What you’ll contribute (handle travel arrangements effectively and efficiently)
5. Two or three of your best achievements (saved $15,000+ per year when booking travel arrangements, responded to as many as 20 internal and external telephone calls per day)

These virtual assistant resume examples show how:

Virtual Assistant Resume Summary

Quite the difference.

The first one ticks all the boxes: It’s concrete, quantified, and fully focused on what the candidate can bring to the table.

Writing an entry-level virtual assistant resume with little or no experience?

Use a resume objective to move the spotlight to non-VA achievements:

Virtual Assistant Resume Objective

The first example nails all the basics in spite of a lack of VA experience.

Expert Hint: Include keywords from the job ad in your summary of qualifications. Think of them as your resume keywords that will help you pass the ATS scan.

3. Create Winning Virtual Assistant Job Descriptions and a Compelling Skills Section

There’s no better way to show what you’re capable of—

Than describing what you’ve done in the past. So turn your resume work history into a catalog of past achievements.

How to write job descriptions for a VA resume:

1. Take a minute to re-read the job ad.
2. Take note of all the virtual assistant skills and duties mentioned in it.
3. Go over times you’ve impressed employers by using those skills.
4. Write resume bullet points that describe those times and quantify the benefits that went to your employer as a result. 

These virtual assistant resume examples show how:

Virtual Assistant Resume Job Description

Kind of similar, yet way different.

The first example oozes the quiet confidence of someone who’s got things under control.

How does it do it?

By being concrete, putting numbers to things, and focusing on benefits brought to previous employers.

Writing a virtual assistant resume with no experience?

Include achievements from non-VA jobs or studies. Volunteering counts as work experience, too.

Expert Hint: Start your work experience bullet points with resume action verbs such as saved, implemented, exceeded. There’s no better way to show you had impact.

There’s one more thing you’ll need here—a selection of skills to put on a resume.

The trick to a winning skills section:

Be selective. Go for quality over quantity—The job ad will let you know which skills are important (it’s called targeting a resume). And since every job ad is different there is no concrete list of skills for a virtual assistant. But—

We can still provide a comprehensive list of the most commonly desired skills of virtual assistants. Use it for inspiration when writing your own virtual assistant skills section.

Esential Skills of a Virtual Assistant 

• Customer service
• Project management
• Data entry
• Word processing
• Office administration
• Online research
• Making travel arrangements
• Calendar management
• Editing 
• Proofreading

• Time management
• Communications skills
• Problem solving
• Organizational skills
• Social media
• Multitasking
• Decision-making
• Analysis
• Critical thinking
• Collaboration

In some cases you may want to show your software proficiency in the virtual assistant skills section. What cases would they be? If you're making an entry-level resume and you don't have a wide array of programs you can operate in yet. Also, always keep in mind to not list more than 10 skills for virtual assistants. It will flood the page and artificially make your resume longer.

When listing computer skills on your resume, make sure to add your level of expertise, for example “MS Excel–Advanced.”

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4. Your Education Is an Asset—Treat It as Such

You don’t always need a particular education to be a VA—

But that doesn’t mean you can afford to neglect your education section. List any degrees (including majors), school names, and years attended. Then:

Add bullets that point to key skills.

Check this virtual assistant resume example:

Virtual Assistant Example—Education Section

Lacking in VA experience? 

Include more bullet points that cover projects, courses, and accomplishments that speak to your VA skills.

Expert Hint: When listing certifications on your resume, make sure to add them in a separate section to give them more prominence.

5. Boost Your Virtual Assistant Resume With Added Sections

Not enough people do this—

And that’s great news for you. Add one or two extra sections to your virtual assistant resume:

• Additional Activities
• Awards
• Courses Taken
• Foreign Languages
• List of Hobbies and Interests

These two virtual assistant resume examples show yes vs no:

Virtual Assistant Resume Samples—Extra Resume Sections

Opportunity taken vs opportunity fumbled.

Both examples stick to relevant information—this is good. But, it’s the first example that manages to be concrete enough to get ahead.

One more thing:

You’re going to need to write a cover letter. Including it is the norm—you’re not off the hook unless you’ve been asked not to. 

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Key Points

For a VA resume that gets video calls:

• Make good use of the virtual assistant resume sample from the beginning of this article. It’s a ready-made formula for success.
• Put VA achievementsin your resume profile, work history, and education sections to show how you’ve handled VA duties in the past.
• Pick the right virtual assistant skills for your resume. The more selective you can be, the better. The job ad will be your guide here.
• Write a virtual assistant cover letter. Use it to show your passion for the job and entice recruiters to read your resume.

Got questions that this guide and the sample virtual assistant resume weren’t able to answer? Leave them down in the comments and we’ll get back to you.