My Journey to Becoming a VA

A good assistant's intuition will tell her something is changing

What you’re about to read might feel a bit rough, but that’s how it is when you look back to understand things better. I hope you’ll stay with me.

(Originally published January 2014 - updated April 2025, below)

I had been working in banking for almost five years when I began to feel that something was changing.  From the beginning, there was always something happening.  A large Spanish bank acquired the bank I started with within a year of my employment, and soon, restructuring and reorganization became the norm.  But this gut feeling I had during the middle of my fourth year wouldn't go away.  Something was different.  People who had made it through several restructuring and reorganization processes suddenly retired, or their positions were eliminated during minor re-orgs—one here, one there.

Around this time, we were allowed to explore LinkedIn from our work computers. We were encouraged to join groups and discover the networking opportunities available through this social media avenue.  While I built my profile and began to surf through groups, I kept noticing the terms EA, PA, and VA.  I knew what the first two were because I was an Executive Assistant and knew others who were Personal Assistants.  But what was this VA? The only organization I knew with this acronym was the Veterans’ Association, and I felt sure this was not what this VA was at all.  So, I began to do a little research.

I soon discovered there was another field of assistants called Virtual Assistants. Wow! They did everything I did sitting in my office at work but from the comfort of their homes, using their laptops and desktops, or while traveling, using tablets if necessary. I thought to myself that this must be a very rewarding and challenging endeavor, so why not look further into it?

I found a mentoring program that sounded promising and signed up for it.  The information available for this field has blown me away.  In addition, there are certification programs that one could study.  There is such a plethora of information and programs that it can be extremely overwhelming.  I'm glad I stuck with the program I found because it was easy to follow yet demanding enough to hold my attention and make me want to learn more.  The timing of finding this program couldn't have happened at a better time.

My husband and I commuted to work together, and it was on the way home one evening that he told me that his employer would be building a large campus much closer to our home.  He wanted me to start looking for another position even though his move to the new campus was at least two or three years away.  My intuition told me to stick to where I was for another year but to be prepared because something big was in the works.  I couldn't bring myself to tell him what I had discovered and that I was already learning all I could.

My boss was interested in the news about my husband's company, and I told him about my husband's request.  I also told my boss I wasn't prepared to leave my job because I needed a solid five years in my position, if possible. We discussed the reasons for my concern, and he agreed that I had valid reasons for wanting the five years.  I asked him at that time to please give me a heads up if he could and if my position was to come to an end, knowing all along that I was asking him to do something that, in all actuality, he shouldn't.  Again, I couldn't bring myself to tell my boss what I had discovered and was learning.  This must have been my way of strengthening myself and being prepared for when the other shoe would finally drop.

Fast forward to the tenth month of my sixth year with the bank, and I finally got the news that my job would end in three months.  I had been studying at my own pace for almost a year.  It was time to come clean with what I wanted to do.  I'm not a young person, not old by any means either, but when you hit 50, finding a new job doesn't come quite as easy.  My husband and I were on our way home again one evening when I finally told him the news he had also been expecting for a while.  Obviously, he wasn't surprised, but he was upset that I hadn't been looking or trying to interview with local companies for another job.  But he did listen to what I had to say.

Surprisingly, he was taken aback enough to put aside his thoughts and really think about what I was saying. He began to ask me to tell him more. What's more, he agreed to let me try! Wow! I started getting excited about my new endeavor and looked forward to my last day commuting to work.

Work.  I still had three months to decide whether I would do this, pursue another position within the bank, or look for another position closer to home.  I decided to talk it over with a few key people I interacted with regularly, as well as my boss.  He was extremely open to the idea because I often worked from home without any interruption of services.  He did, of course, play the devil’s advocate to question my motives and plans for success.  Everyone I spoke to reacted similarly when I told them I wanted to be a VA.  "A what?" with that deer in the headlights kind of look.  Once they understood what the position entails, they were all very encouraging.

Finally, my last day arrived. I had worked with the bank for six years and one month. I began as an Administrative Coordinator in Mortgage, moved into an Executive Assistant position in Wealth Management, and added the Insurance division when my boss was given an additional department to manage. The day was bittersweet, as I didn't want to leave, but on the other hand, I was excited about the new opportunities that lay ahead. 

It hasn't been easy, but I haven't regretted this decision.  My husband has been supportive even though he would like me to be more successful and faster than I seem to be now.  But I'm a Virtual Assistant, and I couldn't be more proud to say I am.

UPDATE:

Thirteen years have passed since I began this journey. So much has changed, and many significant events have occurred in my personal life and in the world around me. My husband has retired, and although my business hasn't grown as quickly as I had hoped, I have found happiness at home during both the miracles and disasters that life has brought my way.

Our area of Texas endured Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being at home meant I could prepare for the worst while we waited for it to hit. We were lucky that we only lost a tree while the power to our neighborhood was out for a week. I had informed my clients well before the storm and cleared my responsibilities before the storm arrived. They were very understanding and able to do without me for a while. They all checked in when they could to ensure I didn’t need anything. In 2024, Hurricane Beryl came barreling through, and this time, a tree fell through our home. Again, my clients were taken care of while I was prepared as much as I could for whatever happened. Needless to say, you can’t prepare for a tree to fall through your home!

Our children married during these thirteen years, and we became grandparents, too! We helped one child move from Texas to Colorado and enjoyed taking our time to enjoy the scenery, too.

We have loved each other and learned more about one another, discovering what truly makes us happy. We appreciate the freedom to work as much or as little as we choose, to focus on one day at a time, and to be present for our children, grandchildren, and extended family. This is all we could ever ask for.