ESL Teacher & Virtual Assistant- WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES?

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By: Aiza Grace Compa

Virtual Assistant

Online Class

If you are someone like me who had an experience as an ESL teacher, you might have wondered if you will become a great virtual assistant. Well in my case, that was the question that bugged me especially when I decided to leave my 10-year career as an ESL teacher and decided to pursue a different one, which is being a virtual assistant.

I signed up for a freelancing course to learn the ropes of virtual assistance and was astonished to discover that a great number of skills possessed by a virtual assistant are in common with the skills of an ESL teacher.

Related content: What is a Virtual Assistant?

WHAT SKILLS DO ESL TEACHERS AND VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS HAVE IN COMMON?

Virtual Assistant

1. Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Both ESL teachers and virtual assistants need to have exceptional communication skills. That includes speaking, writing, and interpersonal skills. You can’t become an ESL teacher if you do not have a good command of the English language whether spoken or written. We use English as the main language in communicating with our students, proofread and correct essays or articles, and constantly build rapport through active listening and showing empathy.

These skills can be put to good use as a virtual assistant in communicating with clients globally and in various tasks such as proofreading and editing, writing (online writing, content writing, copywriting, technical writing), customer service, and email marketing.

2. Administrative skills

Believe it or not, ESL teachers have administrative skills! We manage our schedules, do data entry, and transcribe (we type the student’s spoken sentences verbatim and correct any grammatical errors).

3. In-depth Knowledge of Business Courses

It depends on the academy an ESL teacher is affiliated with but in my case, I have taught many professionals who enrolled in the business course. The topics vary from English for socializing, meetings, presentations, email management, negotiating, cross-cultural awareness, and business strategies.

Having thorough knowledge about the different topics in business comes in handy when you are a virtual assistant since you will be dealing with CEOs, SME owners, managers, and businessmen.

4. Creativity

In the online classroom, ESL teachers have to be creative. We do a lot of improvisation to make the class more fun and interactive.

Being creative is a must if you are a virtual assistant. A creative virtual assistant can do wonders for small to medium-sized businesses. You could be a content creator, graphic designer, video editor, or social media manager who is working alongside your client to ensure the business stands out from his/her competitors.

5. Time Management and Multitasking Skills

Time Management and Multitasking Skills are skills that almost every job role would need for their daily tasks. Working as an ESL teacher for over ten years means I have exemplary time management and multitasking skills. These skills are of great significance when you are a virtual assistant in increasing productivity and performance especially when you are working on several tasks, having more than one client, and handling other responsibilities in your family (such as a mother of 3 kids like me).

IS BEING A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT WORTH IT?

Change is difficult and scary. However, if you are someone like me who is seeking a new role, especially one that would help you continually improve and learn, then it’s worth it. You might just learn to love it as I did.

Looking back, I do not have any regrets, I am grateful for all the skills and knowledge that I have acquired as an ESL teacher because they have great significance to the new role that I chose. Being a former ESL teacher is why I would make a great virtual assistant.

If you are looking for a virtual assistant with the skills set that I have, feel free to check my resume and portfolio.

You may also contact me through my social media channels, email, and phone number.