Differentiating Between Personal Assistant and Virtual Assistant

by Steve Jen Nothing The swing of virtual offices has easily made it one of the fastest growing businesses today. On account of this trend, the profession of virtual assistants is getting a lot of attention. However, one of the main concerns surrounding virtual assistants and personal assistants is that people consider them to be similar, and use these terms interchangeably. The fact is that there are significant differences between the two professions.

Without much ado, here are some of the basic characteristics of personal assistants and virtual assistants that differentiate them; have a look:

Personal Assistants

To begin with, personal assistants perform their job responsibilities within office premises. They are responsible to report to the management of the company that hired them and perform a number of duties assigned.

They perform the role of an intermediary between the management and departments within the organization. Personal assistants supervise if the rules and policies outlined by the management are being executed in the most appropriate manner or not. Furthermore, the management expects them to show some level of creativity as well. Personal assistants are often considered to be one of the most reliable and trustworthy people in the organization.

The ultimate goal of a personal assistant is to give surety of the comfort and convenience between business functions and relationships within the organization. They primarily design business schedules, meetings and events so that the immediate manager’s time is utilized in the most optimum manner.

Depending on the educational background, experience and exposure of personal assistants, they are often considered for suggestions and recommendations. At times, they also act as company advisors because their opinions and perceptions hold immense value to the company management.

Virtual Assistants 

Virtual assistants are often considered as entrepreneurs that work from a remote place that’s far from the vicinity of the office premises, more commonly from home. This indicates the fact that unlike personal assistants, the physical presence of a virtual assistant is not obligatory. Typically, virtual assistants perform their duties through internet, email, fax, phone and courier.

Virtual assistants have specializations in a wide array of administrative activities that fall under the business sphere. This way, virtual assistants get the opportunity to work with its own team of specialized people, while making use of external resources.

Another key difference between the two is that virtual assistants are not reporting to a single employer; they work for multiple employers simultaneously. They work on order/project basis and are not tied up with a single employer for long-term.

Furthermore, virtual assistants are not required to work at a fixed timing; rather their schedule is more flexible. Likewise, the remuneration they receive is not a fixed one too.

The fear of losing a job is greater for a personal assistant than a virtual assistant because the latter is working for several clients at a time.

Lastly, unlike personal assistants, virtual assistants depend on themselves for career and professional growth, not the company or its management.

If you are on the lookout for virtual office support and want to hire one of the best virtual office assistants in London, then The Hoxton Mix is your pick. Have a look at their website to learn more about their services.

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Created on Dec 31st 1969 18:00. Viewed 0 times.

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