Virtual Gurus

 

November Partner Spotlight

The Youth Employment Centre (YEC) asked the Virtual Gurus to answer a few questions about their organization. 

What kind of services/programs do you offer? 

Virtual Gurus is the largest community of remote virtual assistants in North America. We match experienced assistants in our core service areas with clients from all over Canada and the United States. Our core services are: General Administration, Executive Administration, Office Management, Bookkeeping, Social Media Management, Marketing Support and Sales Support. 

We’re an inclusivity-first, equal opportunity employer with a social mission to support individuals from traditionally underrepresented communities. 

How many locations do you have in Calgary and nationally/internationally? What locations are recruiting locally in Calgary and area?

Virtual Gurus has a head office located in Calgary for our internal staff. Our virtual assistants and clients are based across Canada and the United States.

How many people does your organization employ? Or how many people does your organization accept into the program(s)? How many locally? 

We have 30 employees in our Calgary head office and 350+ (and growing) virtual assistants across Canada and the United States, with about 70 of those local to the Calgary area. We recruit and onboard about 20-30 virtual assistants per month.

What type of positions do you support people in the program to get once they’ve completed the program(s)?  (ex. Full time, part time, seasonal, contract etc.) 

Working with Virtual Gurus means that you are a contractor and you set your own schedule, depending on your availability. Our minimum requirement is 20 hours of availability per month, with the option of increasing your availability for full-time hours. 

Keep in mind, hours are not guaranteed as it is based on client’s needs, requests and your performance. The more available and skilled you are, the more opportunities our team is able to present. 

Once you complete onboarding, you will begin with one client and will be given additional opportunities to grow your client portfolio based on your work performance. The better you do, the more clients you will earn. 

What are some of the employers you work with or opportunities people can get once they’ve completed the program(s)?

Virtual assistants have the opportunity to work with small business owners, consultants, service providers, realtors, and corporate executives.

What are the benefits of taking this program with your organization? Certifications, training, incentive programs, scholarships, work experience, etc.

Virtual Gurus has created the Virtual Gurus Academy - a training ground of courses for virtual assistants created by virtual assistants.  When you complete a course it is added to your VA profile. Anyone can access the academy here: https://academy.thevirtualgurus.com/  however, once you are a contracted member of the Virtual Gurus community, you’ll receive 30% off all Academy courses. 

We also currently provide VG Academy scholarships for selected Indigenous candidates who show interest and aptitude in becoming a virtual assistant. 

Describe opportunities for advancement. (Career growth, additional programs, becoming an alumni)

Virtual Assistants can move through the ranks from a newcomer to a Lead VA during their tenure with us.  Advancement is performance based and depended on number of hours worked, client satisfaction ratings, performance reviews and ratings by the Talent Team. 

How would someone find out about opportunities at your organization? How can a candidate apply for the programs?

Candidates can apply on our website at https://thevirtualgurus.com/apply 

Describe your interview process and onboarding process? 

Our application takes place in multiple stages:

1. Attend  “ So you want to be a VA Info Session

2. Basic information and resume upload 

3. Team will review and move forward or decline

4. Skill self evaluation and online testing

5. Interview

6. Contract

7. Onboarding 

8. Post Onboarding Checklist 

What do you look for in a participant?

All candidate resume is vetted against a series of questions including:

1. Are you a member of a group we are looking to serve?

2. Do you have experience in our core service areas?

3. Do you have experience as a virtual assistant?

4. Do you have any education that will support your experience?

5. Do we need the skills that you have? 

Once a candidate makes it to the interview stage, we are looking for people who have excellent time management skills, are extraordinary communicators, and who are professional with outstanding customer service skills.  Someone who  is proactive, resourceful and tech-savvy.

What type of education/training/equipment do you require? 

Virtual assistants must have a laptop or home computer, a stable reliable internet connection, as well as a quiet home office environment to work.  

What is the minimum age required to participate in the program(s)? Are there different age requirements for different programs?

Minimum age 18.

Provide a wage range for entry level positions once they gain employment.

Our virtual assistants start at $18.00 per hour. 

What are the hours of the program(s), length of time for the program(s) and general availability required to be successful? Is there flexibility regarding school schedules?

Currently our clients are looking for people who are available to work during standard business operating hours of Monday - Friday, preferable 9am-5pm, but there are opportunities for evening and weekend work. It depends on the client’s needs. 

For more information about the Virtual Gurus please visit: https://thevirtualgurus.com/