Virtual Assistant: Do You Need a College Program or VA Certification?

Don't let the false hurdle of college or courses keep you from being a Virtual Assistant 

You want to become a virtual assistant and you’re wondering:

1. Do I need to take virtual assistant college courses?

2. Do I need a VA certification?

Simply put: No and No.

You do not need special college courses or a certification to be a Virtual Assistant. Here's some Q&A that will explain why.

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Big Question #1. Do new VAs need to take a Virtual Assistant college program?

No, you don’t need to take any VA college courses to get started working as a virtual assistant. There are community colleges like this one which offer certificates in Virtual Assistance but we’ll cover why they’re not necessary.

On the one hand, it’s good that these programs exist because they do get in front of college students; it’s another way for the world at large to learn about and perhaps take part in this amazing profession.

On the other hand, looking at this college’s example, it seems to be a curriculum cobbled together from other subjects like Accounting, Business, and Computer Science.

It’s not VA-specific and therefore wouldn’t be very helpful. In a perfect world, all of the classes toward a VA certificate should be from the College of Online Entrepreneurship (ha ha - which doesn’t exist yet at most schools, unfortunately).

Why a College Program is Not Helpful

At a community college, who would be teaching you to be a VA – a working, experienced virtual assistant? Nope, it would be a college instructor who’s an expert in their one subject but not necessarily how it applies to working online as a VA today.

Also, the classes aren’t appropriate to today’s VA profession. You don’t need Quickbooks and Advanced Word Processing to be a virtual assistant. (Knowing those things won't hurt you but most VAs do just fine without them).

Also, check out this description for the Web Page Design course they require you to take:

CO 276 Web Page Design (3 Cr. Hr.) This course will enable the student to use HTML programming language and WYSIWYG software to create basic web sites that will meet various business needs. The student will explore style sheets, database-driven sites, forms, tags, tables and frames, basic design principles, color and typography, scripting, hosting, and web mastering concepts.

It’s just way too much.

An aspiring virtual assistant does NOT need to learn HTML programming, tables and frames, etc. Sure, if you end up specializing as a Techie VA or a WordPress VA, or you later move on to being a web designer or programmer, then go to Colby College and take just the web design course - but you don’t need it to get started as a VA.

So bottom line: It’s not necessary to delay starting your virtual assistant dream by taking 31 college units. Just imagine how long THAT would take, assuming you’re already busy and would attend part-time? Too long and there's no reason for it.

Three Reasons You Don’t Need a VA College "Degree"

1. Your potential VA clients aren’t going to ask if you’ve taken college courses.

2. This isn’t the best way to learn the Virtual Assistant biz

3. You’ve got way better things to do with your time and money – like getting started MAKING money.  

There's no legal body governing Virtual Assistants that makes certification a requirement

Big Question #2. Do Virtual Assistants need a certification?

In the opinion of most experienced VAs you ask, you DON’T need a certification to work as a VA. Even if you want to get certified, you might have a struggle finding someone to certify you.

>>> There isn’t one official governing body of the Virtual Assistant profession.

There are associations and groups but, while they may issue a certificate after you complete their program, it’s not “real” like, say, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate is.

State and Federal governments (at least in the US) don’t require you to be a certified VA to practice the profession. There’s no filing of government paperwork or continuing education requirements to fulfill.

There are colleges like mentioned above or online courses that may sell you a “certificate.” There's no harm in getting one if it makes you feel more confident but it doesn't hold any weight within the VA industry.

Sure, it’s possible that you’ll learn skills to help you in your Virtual Assistant career and you get a snazzy badge you can put on your website. However, you aren’t required to take any specific course, program, or degree path to be a VA.

Can I really get work as a Virtual Assistant if I don't have a certification?

Yes, you can. Clients just want to know that you’re good at what you do, reliable, honest, and worth the price you’re charging. There are many different ways you can prove these traits to them.

The ways you can prove this take place on your VA website, your social media, and in your contacts with potential clients. Handing them a piece of (virtual) paper that says you’re “certified” doesn't really mean anything.

What should I say if a potential client asks if I'm certified?

If a potential client ever asks if you’re a certified VA, you can say something like: “Virtual Assistants don’t have a governing body or a way to become officially certified. It’s not customary nor expected in this profession. However, I’m happy to discuss my training and experience that qualifies me to perform the work you’re requesting.”

2 Things a New VA Can Do Besides College Courses or Certification

There are 2 alternative ways to learn what you need to know as an aspiring or new Virtual Assistant:

1. Online courses taught by a working virtual assistant.

Take online courses that are VA-specific, in tune with today’s virtual business and entrepreneurial worlds, and taught by someone who has worked as a virtual assistant for at least a few years (the longer the better) – with valid client testimonials to prove it.

There are tons of options out there; just ask Mr. Google (and stay tuned to this site as we keep adding resources like links to VA courses). This way of learning is the best option if you have more money than time - for instance, if you're working full-time in a day job.

2. DIY research online.

You can also use Google to completely DIY your Virtual Assistant education by researching pertinent VA topics online. This is a great option if you have more time than money - for example, if you're not currently working and don’t want to spend money on a course.

The downsides to this are that you won't have one reliable source for VA info, a way to ask clarifying questions, or any guarantee that things you learn from different places won't contradict each other (leading to confusion and wasted time).

No College Courses, No Certificates - Just Learn

 I hope you’re sufficiently reassured that you don’t need to take college courses or get “certified” to start working as a Virtual Assistant. Taking paid online courses by an experienced VA or learning on your own with free resources are your two best options for preparing to be a proficient Virtual Assistant.