| In years long past, secretaries were only | | | | paper. This is different from medical or legal |
| expected to know how to take down notes using | | | | transcriptionists and should not be confused. |
| their skills in shorthand, they then had to | | | | Virtual secretaries will transcribe the |
| transcribe these and send them off as | | | | communications into paper and send them off to |
| communications. Eventually, secretaries evolved | | | | their respective recipients upon the request of |
| into something else, no longer did they have to | | | | the company or individual hiring them. |
| just stick to stenography and typing jobs, they | | | | Bookkeeping duties could also be done virtually. |
| became well versed in the use of the computers, | | | | Again, the company sends them the details and |
| they had to have a good idea of the stock | | | | the VA will do what are needed. They work in a |
| market trends, the latest news which can | | | | tight schedule so they are bound to submit within |
| influence the company she is working for, others | | | | the allotted deadline. |
| had to become paralegals in order to gain a | | | | Data entry services are also easily done by the |
| foothold on their career and salaries. | | | | VA. They again get the details, be it audio or text |
| The smaller business operators can no longer | | | | attachments which they have to encode into the |
| afford to hire such highly educated and skilled | | | | company's system within a deadline. |
| executive assistants and they find themselves in | | | | Customer support is actually done by a company |
| a quandary when they think of hiring a virtual | | | | that focuses on customer support to entertain |
| secretary. What skills can these VA or VS do | | | | the hundreds of calls that may come in a day. For |
| outside of the office? | | | | a VA though, this is done in a much smaller scale |
| There are five things that a virtual secretary can | | | | as they will only handle a number of calls for the |
| do: typing, transcription, bookkeeping, data entry | | | | company or individual. |
| and customer support. These secretaries can | | | | Among other things, the VA can also arrange for |
| charge from $16 to $75 an hour, however, they | | | | appointments, travel plans and other assistance |
| are still more cost effective than those hired in | | | | that their job may entail. The only thing they |
| house. | | | | could not do is buy gifts for their clients or to |
| The virtual secretaries depend on their computers | | | | bring them coffee. Also, hardly will they ever get |
| to submit their completed work. The company or | | | | the chance to meet each other except via a |
| individual can send an audio attachment to their | | | | messenger apparatus. |
| email and the VA can transcribe the audio into | | | | |