I’m Prudence Chikono, a seasoned Virtual and Executive Assistant, and Trainer.

I am one of the
designers of this program and I will be your course guide and facilitator. I’ll be here to greet you on
video each week and share the exciting content in store for that week.
I have been an assistant for 15 years. My first job was by chance and I just took it to get my foot in
the door. I just really needed a job. Little did I know that was the best decision I made for my career
because that choice led to me where I am today. An accountant, a skilled trainer and coach. Every
skill I used to develop my career came from my experiences as an Assistant. I obtained my degree
while I was an assistant, and guess what? Even after graduating, I remained an assistant. I was
already experiencing the benefits of working with managers in the top offices.
I found myself in exciting places because of the job. I sat in meetings to take minutes but I was also
learning how decisions are made at the top, and businesses are run. I planned complex travel and
that equipped me to understand how other countries conducted business differently.
The strong global network I have now is predominantly from the managers I supported and
the connections I made as an assistant.
Over the next 8 weeks, you will hear from other professionals who have benefited from being a VA.
So, I repeat, you are in the right place and have made a great choice to complete this
program. The skills you will build are robust and can unlock opportunities in any industry of choice.
By the time you complete this program, you will be able to:
● Explain to others what a VA does and what makes someone a great VA.
● Better understand yourself, your interests, your strengths, and your most important areas
for growth.
● Have learned and practiced key soft skills and mindsets that the best VAs have, including
outstanding proactive communication, resourcefulness, grit, and growth mindset.
● Have learned and practiced the most important technical skills of a VA, including Managing
a Client’s Inbox, Creating Slides and Presentations, Internet Research, Project Management,
Research Booking Travel, Creating an Itinerary, Data Entry, Expense Tracking, Creating
Meeting Agendas, Taking Meeting Minutes/Notes.
● Have gained practice using Google Workspace, a collection of software applications very
frequently used by VAs.
● Have gained competency in effectively applying emerging tech and AI tools such as
Gemini, Asana, and Canva.
● Have learned about niche areas VAs may specialize in, such as social media management
and event planning.
● Understand the difference between employment versus contract/ freelancing work and
the pros and cons each presents.
● Expand your awareness of what career possibilities exist for you and how to secure them.
In addition:
● We’ll help you prepare a strong resume and LinkedIn profile, find and apply for VA jobs,
and also start looking for contract work if that is the avenue you choose.
● You’ll also gain valuable real-life experience as a volunteer VA for people in your network.
● By the end of the course, you’ll have a ton of valuable knowledge and skills under your belt
and a plan of action for moving forward into employment and/or VA contract work.
Being a VA opens doors to spaces that seem surreal. Commit to it and it will take you places. Of
course, it’s not going to be easy. If it was, everyone would do it. You are here because you know you
have what it takes. I think so, too. Anything worthwhile takes grit and determination. You’ve got
this!
First, understand the big picture of what you will accomplish at the end of this learning experience,
then…
Instead of constantly thinking about the whole eight weeks at once, just focus on the step right in
front of you, and take it one week at a time.

● Week 1: Welcome and Getting Set Up to Succeed in the VA Program.

● Week 2: What Makes a Good VA, Baseline Skills Mapping and Essential Skills - including
Upward Management, Mindset and Prioritization.
● Week 3: Deep Dive on VA Tech Tools - including Google Workspace and Essential AI apps
every leading VA must know.
● Week 4: Travel Planning, Research and Project Management.
● Week 5: Meeting Management, Data and Expense Tracking.
● Week 6: Self-Presentation - including Pitching, Networking, Interviewing & Negotiating.
● Week 7: Practice in the VA Role, Writing Winning Bids and Self-Awareness.
● Week 8: Niche Career Options, VA Toolkit & Tips to Getting Hired.

How to Complete This Program

First and foremost, proactively create adequate time in your schedule to review the learning content
and complete activities. We recommend you commit to 30 - 40 hours per week:
● 20 - 30 hours per week engaging with learning content, practicing applying skills, completing
activities and weekly assessments.
● 5 - 10 hours per week interacting with peers, participating in community events and social
media prompts.
Carving time in your schedule will help you set a rhythm and prioritize completing your course work.
Requirements to Maintain Good Standing
To maintain good standing in the program you must:
1. LEARN the weekly course material and complete all activities, prompts and knowledge
checks.
2. Complete and submit each week’s Recap Quiz and Milestone before the weekly
deadline.
3. You must score a mark of at least 70% to pass each Recap Quiz or Milestone.
4. If you miss a Recap Quiz, complete it as soon as possible.
5. If you score under 70% for a Recap Quiz or Milestone, attempt it again immediately to get
a passing score. You may retake each Recap Quiz as many times as you need to score
the minimum of 70%.
6. Make the most of any grace period that may be offered. Grace periods are a few days set
aside for you to catch up on any missing/failed Recap Quizzes and Milestones.
7. Honor and adhere to our code of conduct and community guidelines, and always
conduct yourself in a way that is respectful to your peers.
8.
Recap Quizzes and Milestones Structure
You have a total of 8 weekly Recap Quizzes and 7 weekly Milestones. Week 1 only has a Recap
Quiz due. There is no Milestone due. Weeks 2 - 8 each have a Recap Quiz and a Milestones due.
Recap Quizzes have multiple-choice questions and will be automatically graded.
Milestones are a culmination of what you have learned during that week. Each Milestone will
require you to submit 1 - 3 pieces of work you will have completed that week. You can see these as
assets you can add to your VA portfolio. They will include a skills map, travel pack, project plan,
revamped resume and elevator pitch. Each Milestone has clear instructions on how to submit your
work.
The Recap Quiz and Milestone for each week are due on Monday of the following week at 11:59
pm GMT. For example, your Recap Quiz for this week, Week 1, is due next week on Monday at
11:59pm GMT.
Here is the list of Recap Quizzes and Milestones for each week.

Week Recap Quiz Milestone

Week 1 Yes. On all topics. (No milestone submission due.)
Week 2 Yes. On all topics. Skills Tracking and Peer Coaching.
Week 3 Yes. On all topics. Managing Calendar and Inbox.
Week 4 Yes. On all topics. Travel and Project Management.
Week 5 Yes. On all topics. Internet Research and Meeting Management.
Week 6 Yes. On all topics. Resume, Cover Letter and LinkedIn Profile.
Week 7 Yes. On all topics. Online Bid and Personal Pitch.
Week 8 Yes. On all topics. Niche Areas and Skills Map.

In our community we have a simple pledge to help us include and embrace everyone.
Our Pledge
We as members, contributors, and leaders pledge to make participation in our community a
harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, visible or invisible disability,
ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-
economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, caste, color, religion, or sexual identity and
orientation.

We also have value, which you learned at the Karibu Ceremony. Here is a quick recap.
CHAIR Values
Courage to speak up, challenge the status quo, be honest, try and learn.
Humility to serve others and my greater purpose, learn, grow, receive feedback, and embrace wins
and losses.
Adventure to dream, boldly venture into new territories and see life as a joyous opportunity.
Initiative to take action, go the extra mile, take ownership and get things done.
Resilience to tackle difficulties with a can-do attitude, give it my best shot, and not give up when it is
time-consuming or hard. It’s okay to say, “I am still figuring it out.”
Lastly is the ALX code of conduct. We want our community to provide a secure and inclusive
environment for all participants, where they can learn and interact freely without experiencing any
form of discrimination, harassment, or intellectual property violations.
To keep your access to the community platforms and city hubs, you must agree to the Code of
Conduct, which applies to all online and in-person community activities and one-on-one
communications with staff and your peers.
In short, the Code of Conduct requires you to:
Practice C.H.A.I.R. Values and Community Values to the best of your ability.
Refrain from: Harassment, Discrimination, Plagiarism, Cheating and Hurtful or Unethical
Behavior.
Abide by Privacy and Data Protection guidelines. You received the detailed version when you
joined ALX. If you have not read it or if you need a refresher, you may read through our official
online and onsite guidelines below:
Online Community Guidelines
Onsite (in-person) Community Guidelines

INTRODUCTION / BIO AS A VA
As a Virtual Assistant Community Ambassador, I am dedicated to fostering a
supportive and thriving community for virtual assistants. I am a Virtual Assistant,
Trained by ALX, and I specialize in appointment setting, email and calendar
management, customer support, data analysis, and project management. With a
knack for uncovering hidden opportunities and driving growth, I’m committed to
helping businesses achieve success.

I am a versatile professional with a background in administrative management, financial

operations, and customer service. I hold a bachelor's degree in Economics and a National
Diploma in Quantity Surveying. I excel in managing documentation, organizing events, and
maintaining high standards of service and efficiency. My roles as a Document Control
Officer, Facility Manager, Sole Proprietor, Pharmacist Assistant/Store Manager, and
Administrative Manager/Cashier have honed my organizational, communication, and
problem-solving skills. Known for my adaptability and commitment to excellence, I am well-
equipped to contribute effectively in any professional setting.

WEEK 2 ?????????????????????????
In case you need it, the video transcript can be found here.
Video Transcript
Hello VA. It’s me, your facilitator, Prudence. A big giant welcome to Week 2! I hope you’re ready
because we have some exciting topics lined up. This week, we’ll focus on YOU and the incredible
skills that make a top-notch Virtual Assistant. Here is a little sneak peek of what is coming up!
This week you will delve deeper into understanding and grasping the fundamental skills of a
successful VA. You will also learn about the benefits that come with the role and hear first-hand
accounts from leading VAs. These are the lessons that we will explore:
A Good VA
● What Makes a Good VA - We will hear from leaders and seasoned VAs on what traits and
skills make a great VA.
● The VA Role Evolution - We’ll explore how the VA role has evolved. It’s not just about
administrative tasks anymore - today’s VAs are powerhouse multitaskers and essential parts
of any business.
● Why Become a VA? - We’ll discuss why becoming a VA could be the best career move for
you. From the flexibility to the variety of work and the chance to be your own boss, there are
so many perks to look forward to.
● Perks of Being a VA - You’ll discover the fantastic benefits of being a VA, like unparalleled
exposure, setting your own hours and working from anywhere.
● Traits & Competencies That Make a Good VA - Think adaptability, excellent communication,
and problem-solving skills. We’ll dive deep into these and more.
● Self-Awareness - You’ll get to understand your strengths, weaknesses, and working style
better. It’s all about setting a strong foundation for your success.
● Mindset and Attitude - A positive mindset and the right attitude are game-changers. We’ll
discuss how to stay proactive and solution-focused, no matter what challenges come your
way.
Essential VA Skills Part 1
Then, we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of essential VA skills and explore:
● Communication Best Practices - Where you’ll learn how to communicate clearly and
effectively.
● Managing Up - Which teaches how to support and build great relationships with your bosses.
● Managing Sensitive Information - So you can handle confidential info like a pro.
● Time Management and Prioritization - To keep your efficiency level high.
Skills Mapping - We will also help you map out your current skills. This will be about recognizing
what you’re already great at and spotting areas where you can grow. It’s going to be super useful for
your VA journey.
Peer Coaching is also on this week’s agenda. You will get feedback and insights from your fellow
course participants, helping you to refine your skills and grow together.
Engaging with your peers on our community platform is crucial. The learning content will prompt you
to complete activities on the community platform. Participate actively. This will enhance your learning
and help you build a strong network of future VAs.
We can’t wait to see your progress. Your success is our success, so let’s make this week
worthwhile as you learn how to become a stellar VA.
How Was Week 1? Let Us Know Here.
Great job navigating Week 1 like the pro you are. Before we jump into Week 2 content, we
would love to hear about your experience in Week 1.

You are our co-pilot and your feedback will help us enhance the onboarding process for
future learners.

Before moving to the next page, please complete this short FORM so we can learn about your
experience so far.

Week 2 is packed. It’s time to soak in all the learnings.

This is your next step in becoming a Virtual Assistant! Remember what we said in Week 1 - Take it
one step at a time. Soon you will be holding your hard-earned ALX-endorsed certificate in your
hand.

A Virtual Assistant is
A VA is an employed or self-employed professional,who works remotely to provide efficient
administrative, creative, and technical assistance to a team or individuals.
They are also
A strategic partner who adds value and makes their client’s (or manager’s) life easier by seamlessly
completing specific tasks for the client, allowing the client to have more time and energy to focus on
their goals.
And they are
A workplace ninja, behind-the-scenes leader with the right tools, a friendly and positive attitude, a
growth mindset, and solid relevant skills.

What do they do?

Great question! VAs manage a plethora of tasks, and you already know some of them. Here is a
mini challenge: before you read, try to list all the VA tasks you can think of from the top of
your head and then take a look to see if you got all the ones we listed in the summary below.

What do VAs do? VAs are masters of many trades! Click to see a quick summary of the
responsibilities they carry.
They juggle tasks like research, calendar and time management, verbal, visual, and textual
communication, trip reservations, email and records management, data entry, stakeholder relations,
expense tracking and project management.
And that is just scratching the surface! The list of what a VA can do is endless. Many VAs have
niche specializations, in areas like social media management, event planning, and legal support.
 Did you know that Virtual Assistant roles started long before the 2020 global shift?

Why It Became Attractive

The role of a ‘Virtual Assistant’ wasn’t always as widespread as it is today, but it has deep roots.
Those in administrative support roles since the 19th century were typically referred to as Secretaries.
Over time, as the workplace evolved and the responsibilities of the role expanded, the title of
Secretary evolved to Assistant.
Individuals were drawn to the job for various reasons:
Firstly, the global economic crisis hit traditional employment hard, eliminating many jobs. As
companies closed offices, small businesses found a staffing solution on the internet. They could hire
by the hour with equal or better efficiency than hiring in-house, and without the added costs of full-
time employees.
Secondly, individuals facing challenging circumstances—such as caring for ill relatives, family
obligations, or location constraints—found opportunities in the online job market as Virtual
Assistants.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the role offered attractive benefits: autonomy, freedom, and
control over one’s time and location.
Because of the strong benefits that VA’s bring to both businesses and professionals, the demand
for them has increased, and the need for their services continues to grow.
Isn’t it so cool to know you are on the right path!?

The Role Over Time

Today, the VA landscape includes both human VAs and AI VAs. But a job of an individual VA is still
irreplacable.
While AI VAs like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri are super impressive with their capabilities and
efficiency, human VAs have a plethora of distinct advantages that really set them apart:
● Human VAs bring that personal touch. They understand accents - yes, some of us have
very heavy mother tongues – the nuanced needs of clients and can build rapport in ways AI
just can’t.
● When it comes to problem-solving and critical thinking, humans excel as they can
handle unexpected issues that AI might not be programmed to deal with.
● Individuals have empathy and emotional intelligence. This is crucial for building strong
client relationships and understanding contexts that AI might miss.
● Individuals are quick to adapt to changing circumstances. They can learn new skills and
approaches faster than it would take to reprogram AI.
● And let’s not forget creativity. To date, human creativity is unmatched by AI, which
operates within the confines of its programming. Individuals can come up with creative
solutions and innovative ideas that AI simply can’t.
These unique strengths make human VAs invaluable, complementing the efficiency and capabilities
of AI VAs. So, while AI can handle many tasks, the human touch remains irreplaceable in many
aspects of the VA role. So the big questions is how do the two work together? Thats what we are
here to teach you.
A VA must know how to leverage AI tools to enhance their efficiency. AI aided tools make
completing many task easier and quicker, freeing up time for the VA to focus on other priorities like
planning, personalized client interactions, and creative problem-solving.

Have you ever asked Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant to do something like play a song, check the
weather, or even a simple question like “What time is it?” and they just don’t get it and answer out of
context? A great example is “Siri, call Tafara!” and Siri responds “Calling Tough Ray”. Some of these
mishaps are hilarious, and we want to hear them. In a few sentences, share with your squad on
the Portal your funny experience. Remember, keep it respectful and appropriate :-)

Why Become a VA?

Reasons to be a VA
There are numerous reasons to become a VA. Determining your own reasons can help you to be
good at your job, gain an understanding of your interests, map your career path and find your
personal niche and purpose.

Laura’s Why
Meet Laura, an experienced virtual assistant who shares how was drawn to the role and her favorite
aspects of the work and why she decided to become a VA. As you watch, pay attention to Laura’s
“Why”.

LINKS
https://www.eahacks.com/post/perks-of-being-an-executive-assistant-ea

https://www.recruitmymom.co.za/blog/hire-virtual-assistant-drive-business-growth#:~:text=At
%20RecruitMyMom%20there%20was%20an,while%20reducing%20your%20hiring%20risk.

Skills and Tools

Essential Skills
A well-rounded VA must have a diverse set of solid soft and technical skills. They should also be
able to use particular tools that are related to specific tasks. Let’s take a moment to differentiate the
three.
Soft Skills: These attributes, traits and habits help a person succeed in the workplace. They are
useful in almost every job and are not restricted to a particular role. That means that you will need a
robust set of soft skills no matter what profession you get in the future. Soft skills are sometimes
referred to as professional skills.
Technical Skills: These refer to specific abilities and knowledge needed to perform a particular
task. They enable you to be productive and efficient in your role. They are easier to measure or
assess and can be enhanced through learning and practice. Technical skills are sometimes referred
to as hard skills.
Tools: Over and above, having realiable wifi and a laptop, tools refer to software and AI-aided
applications (apps) you need to be able to use to perform specific tasks. Each technical skill is
closely linked to a certain set of applications. Most VAs use Google Workspace tools. Most clients or
organisations use Google Workspace or Microsoft Office (MS) tools. Some clients use Apple iWork.
In this course, we focus primarily on Google Workspace and a variety of the most common tools,
which you will practice using in weeks 3 and 4.
Reflect:
As you look at the above list, jot down your responses to the following questions in your notes.
- What skills do you think you are already strong in?
- What skills do you want to learn or improve?
- Which apps/tools do you feel you are already skilled with?
- Are there any tools that you feel intimidated by or excited about? Why?
You will complete a skills assessment later this week and you will reference these responses.

Essential Skills of a VA
A Leading VAs Take on Essential Skills
Being a VA is more than just being organized and knowing how to use particular apps. You also
need a set of ‘soft’ skills to be effective in the role.
In this next video, we asked Laura to share the skills she finds most essential in her work as a VA.
She also answers the question “What skills are essential to be a VA and what kind of mindset do you
need?
Patience,confidence,time management,communication,open-mind,
Reflect:
Did you catch the skills she mentioned? What are they? Which ones do you already have?

Skills, Tools and Common Tasks

We curated a broad list of skills and tools that a VA typically requires. Please read through each one.
Do any stand out for you? Are there skills and tools you are already proficient in?

Clients normally need a VA who can apply a combination of these skills and tools to fulfill tasks. One
client may need a VA to manage their emails and calendar, and take minutes to meetings. Another
client might hire a VA to create presentations, conduct data entry, and attend to customers’ or
stakeholders’ needs.
Common VA Tasks
Are there tasks you already know how to complete? Take a look at the list below and think about
this. Remember, if you can complete a specific task it means you also have the technical skill.

List of Common VA Tasks (Technical Skills)

 ● Managing a client’s inbox
● Managing a client’s calendar
● Scheduling
● Internet research
● Creating slides/presentations
● Project management
● Travel research and booking
● Creating travel Itineraries
● Data entry and expense tracking
● Creating meeting agendas
● Taking meeting minutes/notes
● Transcribing
● Writing email, letters, reports
● Document Management (labeling and safe-keeping of records)
● Customer Service
● Stakeholder management
● Authoring effective surveys
● Minor website information updates
This list only captures the most VA common tasks. There are other niche areas of specialization that
include tasks such as Events Management or Social Media management. Later in the course, we
will briefly talk more about finding and developing your niche area(s) of specialization.

What Makes a Good VA?

A Good VA
Now that you have an initial idea of the necessary skills and tools, let’s talk about what makes a
good VA.
Laura, Hope, and Fred shared many tips. Let’s learn as they list the attributes that make a VA excel
at their job.
Did you notice how Fred’s remarks relate to the soft and technical skills and tools we discussed
earlier?
Do you know what will make you stand out as a top VA? Think about it. (It’s okay if you don’t
know yet. Allow the question to keep ruminating in your head. As we go through each week, your
strong points will shine through.)

Seeing a Clearer Picture of You

As a VA, whether you’re an employee or a contractor, you are ultimately selling “you” as a
solution to an organization’s problems. This makes it incredibly important to know yourself in detail -
what motivates you, what you’re passionate about, what you’re good at, your areas for growth, and
your personality traits.
Your Personality Traits
Understanding these aspects will help you choose jobs that align with your skills and
personality. It will also enable you to present yourself effectively to potential employers or
clients. Demonstrating self-awareness shows maturity and thoughtfulness, two highly desirable traits
in a VA!
We have curated a set of free assessment tools to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself.
First up is this personality test based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This test evaluates your
personality across four areas. There’s no better or worse way to score on the test - it is all about
gaining insight into yourself, which can inspire your career choices.
Reflect:
Knowing yourself will help you make decisions and career choices that fit you. Take the personality
test test to get insights into your strong points.

Additional Self-Assessments [Optional]

Having a deeper understanding of yourself - your personality, preferences, skills, and areas for
growth - is a powerful thing. Here are some more assessments we recommend you take. These are
optional (not a required part of this program) but likely informative and fun. The better you know
yourself, the more meaningfully you can communicate with potential employers or clients.

Learn more about your current skills through these fun and helpful quizzes.

You can explore potential career paths suited to your personality type by clicking on your type here.

Can you take criticism? Take this test to find out just how well you deal with criticism on the job.

Do you have leadership potential? Through this test, you’ll be able to pinpoint some of the things that
might make you a good leader.

Do you have time management skills? Make sure you’re not working late every day by taking this
test all about time management.

When you share with your Squad, feel free to include some of the interesting elements you discover.

https://www.16personalities.com/enfj-personality

Mindset
The Power of Mindset
One of the biggest tools for your success is your mindset. It is essential to know why and how
you can change your thinking to achieve a healthy perspective and set of beliefs that will benefit you
tremendously in your career and life.
There is also power in controlling your mind and emotions in response to situations. This is the key
to making rational decisions that are in your best interests.
A Willingness to Learn and Grow

Take a look at this video where Jeremiah describes his experience in getting better at what
he does. Notice the emphasis he puts on being willing to learn and grow. Jeremiah has a
growth mindset.

Growth Mindset
What is Growth Mindset?
Growth mindset is a HUGE predictor of success in life. We want you to better understand what a
growth mindset is and what it isn’t– and to start to practice using it right away. The first stop is a
TED talk by Stanford University professor, Carol Dweck.
Ted Talk by Carol Dweck
As you are watching the video, be attentive for the answers to the following questions:
1. What is growth mindset?
2. What is fixed mindset?
3. How do brains behave when they are in fixed vs. growth mindset?
4. What evidence is there that growth mindset is important? You should be able to briefly describe 1
study at a high level: What was the group that was studied? What was the “treatment” (or variable
that the different participants received)? What was the result of that study? (Again, high level, no
need for small details).

Grit and The Power of Yet

What is Grit?
Grit is the passion and tenacity towards long-term, worthwhile goals. It is the capacity to stick
with something and show perseverance in the face of challenges.
Grit is crucial because it propels performance and success independent of and beyond the
contributions that ability and intelligence make. Being naturally intelligent and skilled is wonderful,
but to succeed and thrive, we need perseverance.
Grit is perseverance in the face of challenges and difficulties. It is fueled by passion, stamina, and
commitment to ones long-term goals over a long period of time.

“Grit is living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.” - Angela Duckworth

Angela Duckworth shares valuable insights on Grit and its link to success in this next video. As you
watch, make sure you can:
1. Answer in your own words the question: What is grit?
2. Name the factor that was the highest predictor of success for the spelling competition
contestants?

The Power of Yet

When we add the word “yet,” to a statement about our abilities - for example, “I am not good at
statistics, yet.” or “I don’t know how to repair a refrigerator, yet.” - it reminds us that our intelligence
and knowledge are fluid and can grow. It reminds us that if we put in time and effort, we can learn
more, develop more skills, and improve at anything. This mindset is critical for our success!
Here is a quick reminder - and fun confidence boost - that “yet” changes the trajectory of any
limitation into a possibility.

Reflect:
1. When in your life have you shown Grit? Think of 2 or 3 times you clearly recall
2. Think of something you’re not particularly good at? Now say it out loud
“I am not good at _ _ _ _ _YET!”
With perseverance and patience, you can be!

Are your intelligence abilities fixed at birth? Or can you improve them and train them the way you
train your muscles in the gym?

A Closer Look at Essential Skills

Employers want and will pay for soft skills, and 89% of recruiters say when a new hire doesn’t
work out, it usually comes down to a lack of these skills.

This is according to LinkedIn and Forbes.

In this module, we will go deeper into some of the most critical interpersonal skills
needed to be a successful VA. Being good at these skills is a huge predictor of career and
economical wellbeing, not only as a VA but in the vast majority of positions. You cannot go
wrong by investing the time to further develop your soft skills!

Many employers and clients prioritize soft skills when they are hiring someone. When
employers are asked for the top skills they want in employees, they most often list ‘soft’ skills
including dependability, communication, flexibility, and problem-solving.

While it certainly would be challenging to find a role without any technical abilities, research
shows that soft skills give people “career durability.” In other words, technical skills might
land you the job, but soft skills will help you keep it and go further, faster.
 Let’s explore essential interpersonal skills starting with communication.

Communication Basics
What is Communication?
Communicating can be thought of as the act of giving, receiving, and exchanging information.
Talking, writing, listening, and reading are all methods of communication. Facial expressions and
body language are also essential parts of communication.
There’s a lot more to communication than words. Nonverbal cues, including voice tone, gestures,
eye contact, facial expressions, and posture, all play a role. Your body language is an unspoken way
of communication that conveys your feelings and can enhance (or detract from) the impact of your
message.

7 C’s of Communication
An effective communicator speaks and writes clearly, conveys approachability in body language,
pays attention to what others say, and respects differing perspectives.
Effective communication is made up of several characteristics, which we can call the 7 C’s.
Watch this short video so you can recognize and briefly explain each of the 7 C’s.
1. Clear- purpose,make your key messages stand out
2. Concise
3. Concrete
4. Correct
5. Coherent
6. Complete
7. Courteous
Let’s do a quick recap to confirm.
Good communication is:
Clear - main ideas are easy to identify and understand.
Concise - to the point without using unneeded words or images.
Concrete - includes specific examples or explanations.
Correct - in information, word choice and grammar.
Coherent - information presented in a logical sequence.
Complete - provides enough information so the audience can understand.
Courteous - polite and professional.
Reflect:
Did you catch the 7 C’s of good communication? Try to jot them down quickly from the top of your
head.

Proactive Communication
How to be a Proactive Communicator
Being proactive means taking charge of a situation or potential problem, rather than reacting to it
after it has occurred. Proactiveness involves thinking ahead, anticipating needs, and addressing
them.
Proactive communication is all about communicating ideas, information, and updates in anticipation
of someone’s needs. When you communicate in a proactive manner, you solve problems before
they happen, respond to questions before they are even asked, and manage complaints before they
become a problem.

Proactive vs Reactive
Communication
Good examples of proactive communicationare:

● Informing your teammates about your current progress on your action items (especially what
you will deliver and when).
● Telling a client what your priorities are, or
● Telling your boss as soon as possible if you know you’ll need more time for a task.
● Anytime you are giving someone an update in advance with details you expect they want,
even if they haven’t asked for them, you are being proactive.
On the opposite side of proactive communication is reactive communication. The name
says it all right! Reactive communication is communicating thoughts or information in only in
response to a direct request. For example, sharing information about a project’s status only
when a team member directly asks for an update, rather than providing regular status
reports.
The best VAs are proactive communicators.

Advise on Being a Proactive

Communicator
Jeremiah also shared that he is intentionally improving his skills to be proactive communicator This
is one of the things that makes him a good VA. A key takeaway from this conversation is the
importance of being open to learning and constantly working to improve communication skills.
Reflect:
How good are you at communicating? Are you a proactive communicator or a reactive
communicator? None of us is completely one or the other. This 5-minute test is a good starting point
to see where you stand.
After taking the quick test, think about the following: What ways can you improve at proactively
communicating?

Effective Communication
With Your Manager or Client
Sometimes we feel like we are communicating too much and might be “bothering others.” How do
you balance the right amount of communication? How do you make decisions about when to check
in on your assumptions?

Jeremiah gave two key pieces of

advice. What are they?
His advice was:
1. Be open to learning, be keen & notice the things around you.
2. Understand the person you are working for. What are their values, what is their vision, and how
can you help them reach it?
These elements will also help you be an effective communicator!

Upward Management
Managing Up
Upward Management, also known as Managing Up, refers to the process of proactively managing
your relationship with your manager or client. This means getting a clear sense of what they expect,
keeping the lines of communication open, and making sure your work aligns with their goals.
Imagine you’re a VA in a big organization, and your manager’s current meeting is about to run over
time. His next meeting is with key external stakeholders and cannot be moved. Instead of waiting
for your manager to realize the potential time conflict, you manage up. You know what’s priority
and so you confidently send a quick text message reminder about the next meeting and ask your
manager to end the current meeting. Next, to manage stakeholder expectations in case your
manager runs late, you inform the participants of the next meeting that there is a slight delay but
your manager is joining. This proactive approach keeps things on track for everyone involved.

What Leaders Have to Say

Managers are pulled in many directions and can easily be a bottleneck to processes. A good VA
knows how to manage up and push processes along. Fred leads multiple organizations in fast-paced
environments and appreciates it when his VA and Deputy Chief of Staff practice upward
management skills and what he terms no ego.

It might sound like overstepping but it actually is an essential skill? Hope has some thoughts on how
to managing up effectively

Share your thoughts and discuss with your squad the following:
1. How does managing up relate to proactive communication?
2. What feels exciting/scary about managing your manager?
3. Feel inspired to use the tag _#LeaderOfLeaders_ because that is what you are.

Active Listening
Listening - a HUGE part of successful communication!
The previous lesson taught us that listening is a vital part of Upward Management. Sometimes, it
can be hard to really listen, especially when we think we already know what a person is going to say,
if we think we know better, if we are frustrated with the person or situation, if we are distracted, or if
we are stressed or tired. Putting in a little extra effort to actively listen goes a long way and helps you
build rapport when conversing.
How to be a Great Listener
Here are a few tips you can practice that will help you become a better listener:
Do not interrupt when someone is speaking. (There are exceptions when someone consistently
rambles and goes on and on, but in general, try to practice patience.)
Pay attention. Do not look distracted - make eye contact and nod when appropriate!
Try to remember what is being said, and then restate it in simple terms. You can add “Did I get that
right?” Restating and asking for confirmation is a practice is called active listening and it can be
especially valuable when the conversation is complex and/or tense.
This short video contains both bad and good examples of active listening:
If you want to go deeper into tips on active listening, you are invited to watch this optional video. It
shares similar tips to the ones shared in the video above. This video is optional and not a required
part of the program.

Active listen involves;

1. Non verbal communication /Listen with your eyes
2. Verbal communication
3. Responding to what someone says
4. Keep the focus on them, let them talk resist the temptation to jump in
Reflect:
1. What is one way you can restate someone’s message without it feeling forced or awkward?
2. Think of a few ways you can ask someone, “Did I get that right?” in a way that sounds authentic to
you?

Confidentiality and Discretion

Keep it Hush
By hiring you as a VA, your client is choosing to TRUST you. That’s a big deal! Important
attributes of a VA are knowing how to manage sensitive information, and being discrete and
confidential.
Discretion is the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offence and
being conservative and careful about what you talk about.
Confidentiality is the act of keeping a secret, being private and not divulging information that is not
yours.

A VAs Commitment to
Confidentiality
You might work for a client who needs support with work that requires you to have access to
sensitive information such as contracts, deal information, your client’s personal financial information,
and other people’s salaries and records. It is your job as a VA to hold this information in high
regard and only use it for the purpose it was intended for. Failing to do this, can put your
reputation and your whole career at risk.
By accepting a job as VA, you are committing to supporting your client and keeping their information
safe. The information is not to be discussed with other clients, colleagues, friends, or family,
regardless of how interesting or frustrating it may be.
Yes, you will see things that excite you, and on some days, you will be privy to information
that affects you, intrigues you, or outright frustrates you.
A good VA will know how to manage all these scenarios and situations with professionalism,
integrity, and composure. It is not easy, but it is a golden key to being a great VA.

Curious Souls
If you work with curious people who ask you side questions about what’s happening with your client,
find a regular response so you don’t stutter or say the wrong thing. A good way of attending to
someone who asks you questions about things they should not be asking is to direct them to the
right person to talk to.
You can say, “(this person) knows better, you should ask them directly.“ or "That’s not for me to
talk about; please ask (this person).” You can be direct, clear and firm and say: “I’m sorry, I’m not
willing to discuss that with you.”
Sometimes, you will get genuine requests for information that is needed for other teams to work and
meet their goals. If you are unsure about what you can share with others, err on the side of
caution! Whenever in doubt, ask your client for guidance on whether you can share specific
information or not. The information you share about your client, as well as the people you share it
with, must be approved by your client.
Even your client’s schedule is confidential unless you have established with your client that it’s okay
to share their whereabouts with specific people/ teams. Your client might only ask you to share open
slots in their calendar for the sake of scheduling, or they might be okay with you sharing a bit more
details. Find out what works for your client and honor their preferences.

Excellence and Quality Work

Delivering in Excellence
Quality speaks to meeting a client’s needs by producing top-notch work that is reliable, accurate
and of a given standard.
Excellence, on the other hand, speaks to your internal desire and willingness, to excel and provide
the best services and experiences to your client. Excellence is not a hard-stop achievement but
more of a continual journey of improving your skills and quality of service.
To make a name and a lasting mark as a VA, you should always put in your best effort when
attending to your tasks. Your goal with everything you do should be to do it well, with accuracy and
care.
You can start by practicing excellence and producing quality work with this course. Put your best foot
forward, hold yourself to a high standard and complete your milestones accurately, with care and
excellence.
Reflect:
What do excellence and quality mean to you? How will you ensure that your work exemplifies both?

A top-notch VA delivers reliable, accurate work with an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Always strive to improve, meeting high standards with every task you tackle!
Doing your VA Program assignments with care and following instructions is also part of your
commitment to excellence and quality work.

Time Management

Having the time “to do it all” and “do it well” is not an elite skill reserved for Burna Boy,
Beyonce and all the superhumans in Wakanda. You too have the unhindered ability to
accomplish great feats.

Like these leaders, we all have the same 24 hours, but without good time management skills, it can
feel like the day passes by with little to show for it. We sometimes spend too much time on things
that don’t really matter to us, and not enough time on the vital things. We may overbook ourselves or
fail to plan ahead of time for projects with tight deadlines.
Time management is simply the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time
between activities. The goal is to optimize your time, so you can get the most important things
done in the most effective way.
Time Management Tips

A good VA has discipline about how they spend their time. They know how to manage their time
systematically. Jeremiah was asked how he manages his time. Watch and note how he talks about:
1. Learning how long certain tasks take so you can set realistic time allocation goals.
2. Setting realistic goals for yourself.
3. Adding meetings and key activities on your own calendar so you have a visual of how much time
you really have.

Did You Know That…

– Less than 1 in 5 people (18%) have a proper time management system. Meaning, 82% of people
don’t have a time management system. They just use a list or their inbox.
– The Eisenhower Matrix (also known as the prioritization matrix) is the most successful time
management technique. 100% of people using this technique feel their work is under control either 4
or 5 days per week. (There are other techniques out there but we will focus on this one in the next
lesson.)
– The least successful time management technique is ‘dealing with whatever comes up’. People
using this technique feel their work is never or very rarely (1 day per week) under control.
– Only 20% (1 in 5) people carry out a monthly time audit to review how they are spending their time.
And, 49% of people have never carried out a time audit (yet it is our most precious resource).
(These facts are courtesy of https://www.acuitytraining.co.uk/news-tips/time-management-statistics-
2022-research)

Reflect:
Think back on your past month and the time you spent doing different tasks. How did you allocate
your time? Do you think that you have solid time management skills? YES/ NO? Write down
your short answers.

Then take the 10-minute time management quiz to find out how well you apply your time
management skills.
Note: You do not need to get the quiz’s comprehensive results. The free summary provided is
adequate to tell you what you need to improve to be on your time management A-game.

Practical Time Management Tools

Practical Tools
There are many ways to manage time e.g. timetables, jotted notes, to-do lists and Google Tasks. Off
all the options we are fans of two effective tools: Your Google Calendarand a prioritization tool
known as The Eisenhower Matrix.
Your calendar will help you block out specific chunks of time for you to focus on specific activities.
The Eisenhower Matrix (also known as the prioritization matrix) will help you plan exactly what you
need to get done during those time blocks.
Time Management Example
Say, you block out 6 - 8 pm on Monday to Friday in your calendar to complete Week 2 content. On
Monday, the next step would be to look at all the Week 2 tasks you need to complete during those
specific time blocks, and decide on what task you need to do when, so that you can accomplish your
end goal.
Using your prioritization matrix, you could prioritize looking at the milestone and test first to get a
sense of what they require, find peer and book a peer coaching meeting with them later and week,
and then go back to module one of Week to start reviewing all the content.
Both tasks are important, but taking a look at the Milestone took priority because it determined how
you would spend the rest of the week.
In summary, managing your time will help you to 1) allocate adequate time and 2) decide on the
order of completion of your most important and urgent tasks.

The Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix (prioritization matrix) is a common tool used to prioritize tasks in order of
importance and urgency. The goal is to identify and focus on valuable tasks, to avoid wasting time
on things that are not beneficial.
You can use it to plan activities during a specific time slot, day or week. Its purpose is to give you
visibility on what you should be allocating time to. Watch this short video to learn more about how it
works

This reduces stress and increases productivity;

1. Do first sector-you can use a timer
2. Schedule-
3. Delegate -less important but urgent
 4. Don’t do
.
Reflect:
Did you get the names of the 4 quadrants and the purpose (use) of each quadrant? Quickly jot it
down, then let’s put this matrix to good use.

Prioritization Matrix Template

Your Prioritization Matrix Template
We have curated a prioritization matrix template that you can personally use. Click on the link and it
should ask you if you would like to create your own copy. Click the “Make a Copy” button to make
your own copy of the template.
Tips on How to Use Prioritization Matrix

● List and Rank Your Priorities - Write down all tasks for the day and categorize them by
urgency and importance to identify those needing immediate action to avoid serious
consequences.
● Define the Value - Evaluate the impact of each task on you or your manager/client,
assigning a priority number based on its significance to ensure the most impactful tasks are
addressed first.
● Take Out the Most Challenging Task - Address the most dreaded task first to alleviate
dread and free up energy for the rest of the day, utilizing the Prioritization Matrix to tackle
“Do” tasks immediately.
● Know What’s Important to You - Identify your core priorities and make decisions that align
with them to avoid choices that conflict with your personal goals and values.
● Establish Regular “No Work” Time - Dedicate specific times for personal interests and
relationships, like not checking emails between set hours, to refuel and prevent burnout.
● Know When to Stop - Accept that not all tasks will be completed daily. Focus on the most
urgent and important tasks, removing the rest from your list to enhance productivity and
balance.Fred roles.
The template we shared is in Google Sheets and should be simple enough to use (you do not have
to be a pro). If you are having trouble with the template, don’t worry; you can be proactive and
reach out to your Squad on The Portal to ask for assistance.You can also Google a different
prioritization matrix. There are many options online and you can look for one that inspires you.
Remember, you learn new skills by doing and practicing them again and again. So give it a try!

A copy of EISENHOWER TEMPLATE FOR TIME MANAGEMENT/ PRIORITIZATION MATRIX

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yUgSDoR5klTd6AQ3Zv0oJUYqxxo4z2XLLXrMmyBzL2Y/
edit?gid=1090297454#gid=1090297454

Activity: Using the Prioritization Matrix

Prioritize
Now that you have a personal copy of the prioritization matrix saved in your Google Drive, here is
what you must do.

Your Turn to Try It Out

1. Look at all the activities that you need to complete tomorrow. If you have them on your calendar
that’s great but if not, make a quick list of every task you need to accomplish tomorrow. Activities
could be anything, for example:
● Take little brother to school
● Pick up my laptop from the repair man
● Submit Milestone 2
● Update Damola about what happened at the basketball match yesterday.
● Make new friends on Facebook #GrowingMyNetwork
● Buy prepaid electricity before it runs out
● Send the report to Lerato before the Ops meeting.
● Rest!
2. Of that list, ask yourself “What are the most important things that you need to get done tomorrow?
Mark each one as Important.
3. What are the tasks that are marked as Important and have to be done now, or else there will be
negative consequences? Mark them as Urgent.
4. What is marked Important but can wait until another day? Mark it as Not Urgent.
5. Of the remaining tasks that are not marked, what seems Urgent but not Important? What can you
ask someone else to do? Mark it as Delegate.
6. Check any of the remaining tasks to make sure you did not miss anything urgent or important.
Once you are sure, then every task that is listed and unmarked will fall under Do Not Do It. You can
also ask yourself, "Do I really need to be doing this task this week? Should I remove it from my to-do
list completely or can I love it to another week?”
7. Now that you know each task’s ranking by of Urgency and Importance, add each task to the
relevant quadrant in your prioritization matrix.
8. The next step is to look at your calendar for tomorrow and schedule a time to complete each task
- starting with the Important and Urgent tasks.
● If you know how to use Google Calendars (or any other calendar you use), schedule these
tasks in your calendar.
● If you don’t know how to use Google Calendars or any other calendar, then don’t worry. We
will cover Google Calendars in full in weeks 3 and 4. For now, you can make notes of when
you will do the task next to each task on your prioritization matrix.

Peer Coaching: VA to VA
Intro to Peer Coaching
Having support from your peers is one of the secret weapons of success. Giving and getting support
are both nourishing and valuable experiences that give us strength and remind us that we’re not
alone. There are many ways that you can be a support to your peers. One of them is a practice
called peer coaching, which we talk about next.

What is peer coaching?

Peer coaching is a type of helping relationship in which two people of equal status help one
another with specific tasks or problems, using a structured format.
Peer coaching can take many forms. But at its simplest, it is simply one person playing the role of
_coach_ while the other is the _coachee_.
The coach asks questions and reflects the answers back to the coachee. The coach does not offer
advice.
A wonderful and simple peer coaching model to start with is the G.R.O.W. model In this model, the
coach asks 4 simple questions of the coachee.
Goal: What is your goal?
Reality: What is the current situation you are dealing with? What is needed to make your goal
become a reality?
Options: What are a few different things you could do at this point
Will / Way Forward: What will need to happen to make it a 10/10 likelihood that you’ll complete your
goal?

GROW Model Explained

The following short video expands on the GROW model of peer coaching. You will be practising this
model of peer coaching for this week’s Milestone, so you may want to take notes!

Here is a one-page Peer Coaching Quick Guide using the GROW model. Feel free to download and
print it. We hope you practice peer coaching throughout this course and beyond! It is SUCH a
valuable tool.
1. GOALS
2. REALITY
3. OPTIONS
4. WILL OR WAY FORWARD
To get an idea of how to complete your peer coaching with the G.R.O.W. model, watch this
demo from ALX facilitators Nicole and Kwasi.

Doing Challenging Things

Grit in Action
Peer coaching will be easy for some but for most, it will not be an easy feat. Some of you will
have to step out of your comfort zone and be open, brave or daring. Additionally, being a VA
can also be a challenging experience and you will need a secret stash of coping
mechanisms. It is important to have ways of energizing and encouraging yourself, so you
embrace new experiences and successfully navigate challenges.

Tips on Navigating Challenging

Situations
Hope was asked how she kept going when things got hard. Watch as she describes some of
the ways that she stays sane, encouraged and optimistic.

Just be Yourself
And as you get ready to complete your peer coaching session, Laura offers some good
advice on connecting with others and how to present yourself.

Your VA Skills Map

Baseline Skills Mapping
Now that you have an understanding of the program and the skills you will gain over the next
weeks, now is a good time for you to step back and conduct a baseline assessment of which
skills you think you already have versus the ones you need to work on over the next few
months of the program.

Your completed Skills Tracker is part of your Peer Coaching and you must complete it before
your coaching conversation. Your completed Skills Tracker is also part of your Milestone
submission at the end of the week.
Remember that list of skills that you jotted down a few lessons back, it will come in useful as
you complete this activity.
Skills Tracking Steps

We’ve created a simple Google Sheets Skills Tracker you can use to keep track of your
development. Open the link to access the skills map. It should prompt you to make your own
copy. We recommend that you save your own copy in Google Drive as it will be easier to
access and update during the course. You will complete the skills tracker this week and then
again in Weeks 5 and 8 to assess your progress.
Follow the directions in the sheet on how to use it to rate your skills skills so far. It is okay if
some of the skills are not familiar. That means you are in the right place to develop them and
add them to your can-do list.
If you are unfamiliar with Google Sheets or are having trouble with updating your skills map,
don’t worry. Try your best, search for help on Google, and ask your squad for assistance if
you are stuck. We’re all learning together!
🫵 YOU are the master of your own ALX journey!
Cultivate curiosity towards new skills, demonstrate proactivity in acquiring them, and take
ownership of your own learning experience. Before you know it this T-shirt might just be the
right fit for you.
Again, we will learn more about Google Sheets in week 3. So don’t worry if it’s a little blurry
right now

MY SKILLS MAP COPY

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/
1WQL9VZhDJkamtBGqLuOyn5DK70gwhrBDOihZbGzD_bs/edit?
gid=1499130837#gid=1499130837

Welcome to Week 3!
It’s Officially Week 3!
Well done for tackling Week 2 like a champ. Hopefully, you got to know yourself and your squad
mates better and practised grit and a growth mindset. Another eye-opening and resource-packed
week starts today. Please watch the video to understand what Week 3 entails.

https://youtu.be/xHagzZb4hT4

Video Transcript

Hello, VA in the making. It’s Prudence, your facilitator and course designer. Welcome to Week 3. So,
what do we have in store for you?
This week, we focus on sharpening your skills with Google Workspace Tools. These include apps
like Drive, Sheets, Docs, Slides, Forms, Gmail, and Calendar. These tools are widely used by
organizations and as a VA, it’s very important that you are comfortable with using them.
In the Google Workspace lessons, we’ll provide you with a checklist for each tool, to help you
identify your strong points and areas of improvement. The goal is for you to efficiently tackle tasks
using tools! By the end of the week, you need to know every skill listed as “Essential” in the
checklist.
In the second part of this week, you will learn about Calendar and Inbox Management best
practices. We will also introduce you to AI-aided apps that can help streamline work and make you
an efficient Virtual Assistant. These include Grammarly, Calendly, Motion, Time and Date,
Savvytime, and Doodle. These apps have made what used to be challenging and time-consuming
work a few years back to be quick and easy.
Pace yourself. There is a lot of content to learn, and it’s all very important. I recommend looking at all
of the modules in Week 3 right now to start thinking about how you will manage your time.
All the best, and enjoy the week!

Here’s is a suggested schedule for approaching this week.

● Monday: Gmail, Calendar and Drive
● Tuesday: Docs, Sheets
● Wednesday: Slides and Forms
● Thursday: AI Apps
● Friday: Calendar & Inbox management
● Saturday: Final content walk-through, Milestone 2 submission, and Recap Quiz 3.
You are well on your way to affirming your spot as a leading Virtual Assistant!

Key Tech Tools: Google Workspace

VA Approved Tools
The world is evolving and it’s no secret that we need to keep up, stay relevant and future-proof our
contributions. So what are the tools that leading VAs use to excel in their work?
Baseline Google Workspace skills are essential for any tech professional. These apps are widely
used by organizations and are vital 21st-century tools for planning, research, reporting, and creating
and getting organized. Before jumping in, let’s hear what two of our VAs label essential VA tools.
Laura’s Endorsement
Laura was asked what she would recommend to a recent VA grad about how to become a VA. Take
a look at what she says.

https://youtu.be/tLoLzKMxfog

Jeremiah’s Recommendation
Jeremiah shares the tools he deems critical to his success and answers the question, “What tools do
you need to know if you want to become a VA?”

https://youtu.be/sGzn-JhAdZo

Tools to Learn
This week, we will focus on seven Google Workspace apps: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs,
Sheets, and Slides.

You might already use some of these, but have you ever experienced a moment you thought
you knew everything about a tool only to discover gaps in your knowledge? We’ve been there,
and we want to prevent you from making the same mistake. Now is the perfect time to build your
confidence in using each of these apps as a VA.

The tools in the Google ecosystem are power-packed and critical. Once you have Google
Workspace as a base, you can access many other areas as a VA. Knowing how Google Workspace
tools work sets you up to work with different tools.

Google Workspace
Google Workspace Explained
By the end of this lesson, you must have an active personal Google account, and a personal
copy of the Google Workspace Skills Checklist.
First, let’s step back and learn what Google Workspace is.
What is Google Workspace?
This video explains it all. As you watch, write down each app that the presenter talks about.

https://youtu.be/p5dp42Acfk4
By mastering these tools, you’ll be workplace-ready and equipped with skills transferable to other
platforms like Microsoft Office and iWork. Learning now will give you an advantage in the future.
Reflect:
What Google Workspace tools do you already know how to use well? Are there some you use every
day and are already a pro at? Refer to the list you made while watching the above video and
highlight the apps you know how to use. After reviewing each app’s lesson, you will confirm how well
you know the app.
Activity: Create Your Google Account

If you don’t already have a Gmail (Google) account, create one now. For the rest of this course, we
will use Google Workspace tools. Gmail for personal use is free and allows you to access critical
tools such as Drive, Sheets, Docs, Slides, Calendar, Google Meet, and more.
You can find step-by-step instructions here: How to create a Google account. A personal
account is free and should be sufficient for this learning program and beyond. A business account
has more features but costs money each month. You can always upgrade later if needed.
You will likely use your Gmail to connect with clients through emails, share files and host online
meetings, so think carefully about your username, as it forms part of your email address.
We recommend using your name. For example, if your name is “Sarati Jonas”, your username
should be something like “Sarati.Jonas"or "sjonas”. If those usernames are taken, Gmail will suggest
suitable alternatives. Pick the most professional one.
Using nicknames or pet names such as “Sarababy”, “SJ4life” or “BigMuscleS21” will not
demonstrate your professionalism as a VA.
Pick a username that will work well for you in professional settings. It will likely be your first
impression when emailing potential employers (or clients) via email.
Activity: Make a Copy of the Google Workspace Checklist

You will use this checklist for all the Google Workspace lessons this week.
Click on the link and follow the prompt to create your own (personal) copy of the checklist.
When you open the checklist, you’ll see it has numerous tabs - one for each Google Workspace app
covered in this program. Do not worry if it looks like a lot right now. We will walk you through every
step of using the checklist and clearly indicate the skills you must have for each app.
Now that you are set up for success, let’s get started.

Gmail for VAs

We want to make sure all of our grads have basic proficiency using Gmail and its features. This is
one of the most important things you need to know as a VA. Most of the user skills you acquire with
Gmail are transferable to other emailing apps. This means, if you know how to use Gmail, you will
easily adapt to other email applications such as Microsoft Outlook.
Gmail Checklist

Some of you have been using Gmail for years and are old pros, while others have never used it. To
assess where you are, you will now go through the Gmail tab to check your Gmail knowledge. By the
end of this week, you must know how to do every skill listed as “Essential” on the Gmail tab.
Here is what you need to do:
1. Open the personal copy of the checklist you created a few lessons back.
2. Open the Gmail tab.
3. For each skill listed, indicate YES or NO in column B, depending on whether you feel
confident in this skill.
○ If you have 15 or more YES responses, well done! You can skip the next 2 Optional
Gmail lessons and click on the link in column E of the Gmail tab. It has resources you
can use to learn each skill you are still missing.
○ If you scored 15 or more YES responses BUT you don’t know how to create an
email signature, please go to the email signature lesson on the next page and study
it.
○ If you have 5 or more NO responses (less than 15 “yes” responses) you must go
through the Gmail Basics lesson below (even though they are labeled as optional)
and the Creating Email Signatures lesson on the next page.
4. Go through every item until you can confidently select YES for each skill listed as “Essential.”
Gmail Basics (Optional)

If you have 5 or more NO responses (less than 15 “yes” responses) on your Gmail Checklist you
must go through this lesson.
Watch this tutorial and follow along to learn how to navigate the Gmail platform. It is very hard to
learn just by reading or watching something. You will see the information, but it will quickly be
forgotten if you don’t DO IT. So don’t just read the “how to.” Open up Gmail and follow along!

https://youtu.be/CtRgwJaW2N4
What skill do you need to apply this week, and also an essential trait of a
good VA?
An essential part of being A VA is the ability to learn on the job. This is an excellent
opportunity to practice teaching yourself what you need to know. You can even partner with
a peer so you actively learn together.
You know your squad mates are ready to support you, and you’re ready to support them, too!
So if you get stuck, ask for help.

Creating Gmail Signatures

How to Create Signatures
This lesson is for everyone who needs to learn how to create a Gmail signature. If you
marked NO on “Create multiple signatures and insert the signature of my choosing into an
outgoing email”, you must review this lesson.
Here’s how to create one or more signatures for the emails you send in Gmail.
1. From your inbox hit the Compose button to start a new email message. Click on the pen
icon towards the bottom of that window.

Google Calendar for VAs

Next up is Google Calendar! One of the most common VA tasks is calendar management, and
Google Calendar is the most common Calendar tool. Again, you may be asked to use other
calendars like Microsoft Outlook, but knowing Google Calendar will make it easy to pick up
calendar programs.
Calendar Checklist

We want you to be confident you have the essentials down. By the end of this week, you
must know how to apply every skill listed on the G-Calendar tab.
Here is what you need to do!
1. Go back to your personal copy of the Google Workspace Skills Checklist.
2. Click on the tab labelled “G-Calendar.” For each skill listed in column B, indicate
“yes” or “no” depending on whether you feel confident in this skill. This one is pretty
short!
○ If you have 3 or more NO responses, go directly to watch the Quick Tutorial
below.
○ If there are only 1 or 2 “NO” responses you may click on each skill’s learning
resource link in column E of the G-Calendar tab.
3. Go through every item until you can confidently select YES for ALL the skills!
Calendar Quick Tutorial (Optional)

If you have 3 or more NO responses in your checklist, watch this video to amplify your
prowess when using Google Calendar. Open your Google Calendar and follow along so you
learn the platform quickly.

https://youtu.be/6dyCOXNLp8U

Google Drive for VAs

Google Drive is a free cloud-based file storage service. You can think of Drive as a big online
storage vault. It is where you store all the files that you create using your Google account, as
well as files that others share with you. This includes files from Docs, Sheets, Slides, and
Forms. You can upload any other kind of file to Drive including photos. It also syncs all your
devices, including mobile phones, tablets and PCs.
Outstanding organizational skills are required of a good VA. It’s important to know your way
around Google Drive, including how to create folders and sub-folders!

Google Drive Checklist

Here is what you need to do:
1. Once again, go to your personal copy of the Google Workspace Skills Checklist.
2. Open the G-Drive tab.
3. For each skill listed, indicate YES or NO in column B, depending on whether you feel
confident in this skill.
○ If you have 3 or more NO responses, go directly to watch the Quick Tutorial
below.
○ If there are only 1 or 2 NO responses you may click on each skill’s learning
resource link in column E of the G-Calendar tab.
4. Go through every item until you can confidently select YES for ALL the skills.
5. Again, DO it to LEARN it. Open up Google Drive and follow along!

Drive Quick Tutorial (Optional)

If you have more than 2 NO items in your Google Drive Checklist then this video is for you. If
you are a pro and have been using it for a while, it’s still a great idea to watch the video as a
refresher; there is always something new to learn.
The video may use a slightly different layout of Google Drive to your version, but the lesson
remains highly applicable and relevant to the current interface.

https://youtu.be/Ko5R6iGGlAo
Again, we can’t stress enough that learning something well just by reading about it or
watching someone else do it is very hard. Information learned this way will quickly be
forgotten. You must DO it to LEARN it. So open Google Drive and follow along!
Activity: Organize Your Drive

Now that you know how to navigate Google Drive, it’s time to make good use of it to get
organized. It’s only Week 3 and you have already downloaded or created, several documents
for this program. Using your new or strengthened skills, follow this step-by-step guide to
create a VA Program folder for your program documents.
1. Open Google Drive
1. Go to Google Drive.
2. Log in with your Google account if prompted.
2. Create a New Folder
1. Click on the “+ New” button on the left side.
2. Select “Folder.”
3. Name the folder “VA Program Documents.”
4. Click “Create.”
3. Find Each Document in Your Drive
1. Use the search bar at the top to find the documents you need.
2. Type the name or keywords related to each document.
4. Rename Documents (that need to be renamed).
1. Right-click on the document you want to rename.
2. Select “Rename” from the dropdown menu.
3. Enter the new name that clearly identifies the document and makes it easy to
find later. For example, add details like the subject or date.
4. Click “OK” to save the new name.
 5. Move Documents to the New Folder
1. Select the document(s) you want to move.
2. Right-click on the selected document(s).
3. Click “Move to.”
4. Navigate to the “VA Program Documents” folder.
5. Click “Move” to place the document(s) in the folder.

Google Docs for VAs

Next, we will tackle Google Docs! It would be impossible to be a good VA without mastering
all your essential Google Docs skills.
This lesson is longer than the previous one because Google Docs offers many features. The
goal of this lesson is to just show you the basic and essential skills you need to know as a
VA. Take breaks and pace yourself. It may feel like a lot, but it really is not because, chances
are, you already know and use some of these skills every day. And if you don’t know them,
we also have you covered. We have the lessons just for you.

Docs Checklist
You know the drill by now :-) You must know how to do every skill listed as “Essential” on
the G-Docs tab. The skills listed as “Intermediate” and “Advanced” are advantageous but are
not required for this program.
Let’s get started with the checklist.
1. Head over to your personal copy of the Google Workspace Skills Checklist, and go to
the tab labeled (you guessed it!) “G-Docs.”
2. Then, go down the list of skills, one-by-one through each item, and change column B
to YES for each skill that you already have and feel confident with. There are more
skills here because Docs is a powerful program!
○ If you have between 20 - 24 essential skills, start by watching and following
along with the Quick Tutorial below. You can then follow up on specific skills
you’re still rusty on by clicking on the associated resource links provided in
the G-Docs tab.
○ If you have 25 or more YES responses for the essential skills, you could watch
the entire Quick Tutorial below OR click on resource link provided in column E
of the G-Docs tab, and watch the specific chapter for each skill you want to
build.
○ If you’re missing many or all essential skills, that’s totally ok; we got you! You
will need to commit to spending time learning and practising. We recommend
you start by watching and following along with the Long Tutorial on the next
page.
3. Go through every item until you can confidently select YES for each skill listed as
“Essential.”
4. If you have all the “Essential” skills already, hooray! You’re good to go on the Google
Docs requirement for this week. But we invite you to grow even further and to
consider boosting yourself by learning the “Intermediate” skills.
5. Do you already know all the “Intermediate” skills? Wow? We’re very impressed! Then
we challenge you. Aim to reach your personal best and learn the “Advanced” skills.
 Every new skill you acquire will serve you in the future and help you be an even more
capable and effective VA.

Docs Quick Tutorial (Optional)

If you have between 20 - 24 essential skills, start by watching this 9-minute tutorial. If you’re
missing many or all essential skills, start here too. We also have more tutorials for you in the
next lesson. If you have 25 or more essential skills you may watch this tutorial or move on to
the longer tutorial to watch the specific sections for skills you need to build.
We recommend watching it on full screen to easily see the different functions. You can also
use the chapters below to skip to a specific section.
Open up Google Docs and follow along!

https://youtu.be/I0OqnItA-zA
A Google Docs (and Gmail) Must Have App
Grammarly! It is a game changer when writing. It improves your writing, checks for and
corrects grammar and spelling, and even suggests how to best word your sentences. It
works with Google Docs, Gmail and other apps. It saves you so much time when revising
what you wrote. Here is a quick tutorial on what Grammarly can do.

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For improved writing, download the grammarly desktop app and the browser extension. It
works with all main browser so if you do not use Chrome, you can Google the extension for
your browser and download it.
Grammarly Desktop is a standalone app for your computer. It works with various programs
like Microsoft Office and other desktop applications.
Grammarly Browser Extension is an add-on for your web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.). It
works directly within your browser to check grammar and spelling on websites, email, social
media, and online documents.
All that stress of looking for and correcting typos and grammar, gone. Go ahead and
download it. You will thank us later :-). Of course, it is an application, and it is up to you to
determine whether to incorporate all of its suggestions. It is designed to assist you in
creating polished documents, but ultimately, the final say on your documents content, rests
with you.

Google Docs Tutorials

If you’re missing many or all essential skills this lesson is for you. Start by watching the
quick tutorial. After, if you still have a lot of “NO” responses on your checklist and need to
learn more skills, continue to watch the long tutorial, focusing on the areas that you need to
learn.
If you have between 20 - 24 YES responses for the essential skills OR 25 or more YES
responses on the Docs essential skills checklist, this lesson is optional. If there are specific
sections you still need to learn, watch that section in the tutorials below and move on to the
next lesson.

Docs 20-Minute Tutorial (Optional)

Start by watching this 20-minute tutorial. We recommend watching it on full screen to easily
see the different functions. You can also use the chapters below to skip to a specific section.
Open up Google Docs and follow along!
https://youtu.be/84oqNE_MZN0

Video Chapters for quick review:

● 0:00 - Intro
● 0:28 - Create a new File
● 0:40 - Create a file within Google Drive
● 1:05 - Create a new file in the Omnibox with the .new shortcuts
● 1:16 - Name, Star and move your files from within the Editor
● 1:55 - Overview of the interface
● 2:06 - An overview of all the View menu options
● 3:12 - Different modes of working within Google Docs (Editing, Suggesting and View
mode)
● 4:12 - Everything about formatting text
● 4:25 - Adding more fonts to Google Docs
● 5:07 - Text Styles with titles, headers and paragraph styles
● 5:35 - Add your own formatting to the text styles
● 6:40 - Insert a table of contents (With page numbers for print, or as digital hyperlinked
table of contents)
● 8:00 - An overview of the insert menu
● 8:17 - Insert images in different ways (Upload, Drive, Photos, built-in search and
Webcam or camera)
● 9:24 - Insert a table
● 9:27 - Insert a Google Drawing (Two ways, Embedded or contained drawing,
Interactive linked drawing)
● 10:35 - Insert a graph or chart (Two ways Embedded or linked to a sheets)
● 11:00 - All about headers and footers including some advanced formatting
● 11:50 - Insert Breaks and Page breaks and see how this affects options for headers
and footers
● 12:10 - Hyperlinking or linking words/sentences
● 12:40 - Align and indentation options
● 13:12 - Paint format to quickly copy the formatting to other text
● 14:00 - All about share settings and collaboration with others
● 14:30 - Email collaborators of the document from within Google Docs
● 15:07 - Email the document as an attachment (different file types)
● 15:45 - Download the file as different file types
● 16:15 - Version history and revision history
● 16:40 - Page settings for Background color, Margins and orientation
● 17:36 - Complete overview of the Tools menu in Google Docs
● 17:43 - Spelling and Grammar check
● 17:54 - Word Count and live word count!
 ● 18:20 - NEW!! Compare documents
● 19:00 - The Explore button! Do research, Cite your sources, insert links and images +
more
● 19:50 - Cite your source using MLA, APA, or Chicago
● 21:16 - Linked objects, where are they and how many am I using?
● 21:59 - Voice typing works great for dictating text, but also works with punctuation!
● 22:23 - Preferences Use preferences to auto change codes or text into something else!

Docs Long Tutorial (Optional)

Here is a comprehensive tutorial on Google Docs. Its key sections and chapters are also
linked and listed.
It is vital that you open up Google Docs and follow along! You will learn MUCH more by
DOING, than by passively watching.
If you are familiar with Google Docs and only need help with specific parts, you can use the
links below to jump to those specific points in the video. It’s best to watch the video in full
screen.

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Video Chapters for quick review:
Start 0:00
Introduction 0:03
Creating and Saving New Documents 1:04
Help Tools and Other Ways to Create New Documents 4:25
Page Navigation, Text Entry, and Text Editing 6:30
Voice to Type 8:38
Line Spacing and Paragraph Alignment 11:00
Paragraph Indenting 13:09
Bullets, Numbers, and Check Lists 15:56
Copying and Pasting Text 19:12 Moving Text 21:29
Keyboard Shortcuts 23:30
Copying and Pasting Text Without Formatting 26:22
Selecting Text with Keyboard Shortcuts 29:09
Language Translation 32:07
Saving Files 34:13
Opening Files 37:15
Creating Folders and Saving Files Inside 40:04
Closing Documents 42:28
Introduction to Google Drive 43:33
Zooming and Adjusting Views 47:16
Inserting Headers and Footers 50:13
Editing Headers and Footers 53:02
Editing Margins 56:02
Adding Columns 58:48
Inserting Column Breaks 1:02:20
Inserting and Deleting Page Breaks 1:04:51
Increasing and Decreasing Indents 1:06:53
Adding Tab Stops 1:08:59
Removing Tab Stops 1:12:36
Spelling and Grammar Checks 1:14:30
Personal Dictionary 1:17:56
AutoCorrect 1:21:04
Find and Replace 1:23:22
Creating New Documents Based on a Template 1:26:10
Printing 1:29:38
Sharing 1:31:58
Publishing 1:33:51
Conclusion 1:36:33

Google Sheets for VAs

Expense tracking, data entry, graph creation, and financial calculations all require the use of
spreadsheets. As a VA, you don’t have to be a pro at spreadsheets, but you do need to know
the essential skills of how to enter data, sort data, color code, create formulas, and use
spreadsheet data to make a basic graph or chart.
Sheets Checklist

By the end of this week, you are required to know how to do every skill that is listed as
“Essential.” You are not required to master the intermediate or advanced skills.
In your personal Google Workspace Skills Checklist, go to the tab labelled “G-Sheets.” Then,
go down the list of skills, one by one, and change column B to “yes” for each skill that you
already have and feel confident with.
● If you have between 13 - 17 essential skills, start by watching and following along with
the Quick Tutorial below. You can then follow up on specific skills you’re still rusty on
by clicking on the associated resource links provided in the G-Sheets tab.
● If you have 18 or more YES responses, you could watch the entire Quick Tutorial
below OR click on the resource link provided in column E of the G-Sheets tab, and
watch the specific chapter for each skill you want to build.
● If you’re lacking many or all essential skills, don’t worry; we’re here to help! You’ll
need to dedicate time to learning and practicing. We suggest starting with the Long
Tutorial on the next page and following along.
● Go through each item until you can confidently mark YES for every skill labeled as
“Essential.”
● If you already have all the “Essential” skills, fantastic! You’re set for the Google
Sheets requirement this week. But why stop there? Challenge yourself by learning the
“Intermediate” skills to further enhance your abilities.
● Do you already know all the “Intermediate” skills? Amazing! We’re truly impressed.
Now, push yourself even further by mastering the “Advanced” skills. Every new skill
you learn will be invaluable and help you become an even more proficient and
effective VA.
Sheets Quick Tutorial (Optional)

If you have between 13 - 17 or 18 or more essential skills, and just need a quick refresher,
start by watching this quick 13-minute tutorial. If you’re missing many or all essential skills,
start here as well. We have more tutorials for you on the next lesson.
We recommend watching it on full screen to easily see the different functions. You can also
use the chapters below to skip to a specific section.
Open up Google Sheets and follow along!
https://youtu.be/FIkZ1sPmKNw
Video Chapter to specific sections:
● 0:11 - How to create a new spreadsheet using drive.google.com and sheets.new
● 1:25 - How to convert .csv and .xlsx files to Google Sheets files
● 2:19 - How to create sheets inside of a spreadsheet - how to color, organize, and
navigate through them
● 3:10 - How to add columns in Google Sheets, how to freeze columns and rows
● 3:59 - Using Google Sheets as a database
● 4:34 - Format data and cells
● 5:53 - Most useful shortcuts
● 6:15 - Smart spreadsheet features: pasting values, format, transposed, sequences,
using Math operators (* / + -)
● 10:56 Formulas in Google Sheets: SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT
● 12:09 Using comments and notes to collaborate right in the spreadsheet

Google Sheets Tutorials

If you’re missing many or all essential skills this lesson is for you. If you watched the quick
tutorial and still feel you need to learn more, this next tutorial is for you.
This lesson is optional if you have between 13 - 17 YES responses for the essential skills OR
18 or more YES responses on the Sheets essential skills checklist. If there are specific
sections you still need to learn, watch that section in the tutorials below and move on to the
next lesson.

Sheets 20-Minute Tutorial (Optional)

If you’re missing many or all essential skills, watch this 20-minute tutorial. We recommend
watching it on full screen to easily see the different functions. You can also use the chapters
below to skip to a specific section.
This video does not have chapters, but it is short enough to watch in its entirety. Open up
Google Sheets and follow along!

https://youtu.be/Rus4buFP_a4
Sheets Long Tutorial (Optional)
If you still need to gain a skill, use the chapters below to go to the specific section that
teaches the skill in this video. Open up Google Sheets and follow along as you watch.
If you now feel confident in using Google Sheets and all your “Essential” skills in your G-
Sheets checklist are now marked with a “YES”, you may move on to the next lesson.

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Video Chapters for quick review:
● 00:00 - Introduction
● 00:46 - Official Google Sheets training
● 01:43 - What is Google Sheets
● 02:24 - How to get Google Sheets
● 03:30 - Start page
● 04:30 - Top bar
● 06:26 - Cells, columns, & rows
● 07:30 - Zoom level
● 07:46 - Enter data & smart fill
● 10:04 - Format numbers
● 11:01 - Adjust column widths & row heights
● 12:24 - Move columns & rows
● 12:57 - Alternating colors
● 13:42 - Conditional formatting
● 15:07 - Hide columns & rows
● 15:57 - Insert columns & rows
● 16:57 - Freeze columns & rows
● 17:42 - Column stats
● 19:01 - Explore
● 19:54 - Addition
 ● 21:52 - Subtraction
● 22:13 - Multiplication
● 22:35 - Division
● 22:54 - Functions
● 23:40 - SUM function
● 25:53 - Relative & absolute references
● 28:20 - Named ranges
● 29:32 - VLOOKUP function
● 31:57 - Multiple worksheets
● 33:57 - Sort & filter
● 35:30 - Filter views
● 36:39 - Charts
● 39:09 - Pivot tables
● 42:49 - Create a new form
● 44:23 - Share & collaborate with others
● 47:24 - Version history
● 48:02 - Publish, email, & print
● 48:31 - Wrap up

You are doing an amazing job! Well done for finishing this section!

Google Slides for VAs

As a VA, you will inevitably be asked to create presentations using Google Slides. Sometimes
Slides are shared in the same ways Docs are - simply as a way of communicating
information, but often with more images and less text. And sometimes, Slides are created to
accompany an actual presentation; where you or your client/boss will be speaking to others,
and the slides serve as support.
Slides Checklist

You must know how to do every skill listed as “Essential” on the G-Slides tab. The skills
listed as “Intermediate” and “Advanced” are advantageous but are not required for this
program.
Let’s go!
1. Open your personal copy of the Google Workspace Skills Checklist and click on the
tab labelled “G-Slides.”
2. Then, review the list of skills one-by-one, and change column B to YES for each skill
you already have and feel confident with.
○ If you have between 5 - 7 essential skills, start by watching and following along
with the Quick Tutorial below. You can then follow up on specific skills you’re
still rusty on by clicking on the associated resource links provided in the G-
Slides tab.
○ If you have 8 or more YES responses for the essential skills, you may watch
the entire Quick Tutorial below OR click on the resource link provided in
column E of the G-Slides tab, and watch the specific chapter for each skill you
want to build.
○ If you’re missing most or all essential skills, that’s totally ok; we got you! You
will need to commit to spending time learning and practicing. We recommend
you start by watching and following along with the Long Tutorial on the next
page.
 3. Go through every item until you can confidently select YES for each skill listed as
“Essential.”
4. If you have all the “Essential” skills already, hooray! You’re good to go on the Google
Slides requirement for this week. But we invite you to grow even further and to
consider boosting yourself by learning the “Intermediate” skills.
5. Do you already know all the “Intermediate” skills? Wow! We’re very impressed! Then
we challenge you. Aim to reach your personal best and learn the “Advanced” skills.
Every new skill you acquire will serve you in the future and help you be an even more
capable and effective VA.
Slides Quick Tutorial (Optional)

If you have between 5 - 7 essential skills, start by watching this 5-minute tutorial. If you’re
missing many or all essential skills, start here too. We also have more tutorials for you below.
If you have 8 or more essential skills you may watch this tutorial or move on to the longer
tutorial to watch the specific sections that you need to build.
Remember to watch it on full screen to easily see the different functions.
Open up Google Slides and follow along!
https://youtu.be/7vSnesQDLBE
Slides Long Tutorial (Optional)

Here is a 20 minute tutorial on Google Slides. If you’re missing many or all essential skills
this lesson is for you. Watch the next tutorial. If you have 5 or more YES responses for the
essential skills this lesson is optional. If there are specific sections you still need to learn,
watch that section in the tutorial and move on to the next lesson.
Open up Google Slides and follow along!
https://youtu.be/cmIqUci38Jg
The time stamps for the specific sections in the video are below.
● 00:00 - What we’ll cover
● 00:35 - What is Google Slides
● 00:53 - How to access Google Slides
● 02:21 - How to use Google Slides - create, title, layout, aspect ratio
● 05:09 - Editing and formatting Google Slides
● 06:37 - Creating new Slides
● 07:34 - Adding text, links and media to Slides
● 12:17 - Animations and transitions in Google Slides
● 14:06 - Collaborating in Google Slides
● 14:34 - Presenting, exporting and downloading Google Slides

Google Forms for VAs

Wow! You’re a superstar! The end of your journey through Google Workspace is in sight!
Take a moment to pat yourself on the back for moving through all of this material! And while
you’re at it, hop on your squad channel and tell one of your squad mates that they are doing
a great job too! If you have the energy to spare, offer assistance to those in need.
Google Forms is a super useful tool to have in your arsenal as a VA. It’s a great way to collect
information from a large number of people at once and to have all the data conveniently show
up in one place (a Google Sheet!). There is a lot you can do with Google Forms, and there are
entire courses dedicated exclusively to designing good surveys. But for this course, we just
want you to have the essentials: creating a basic survey, sending it out, and viewing the
results.
Ok, you know the drill by now.
Forms Checklist

You must know how to do every skill listed as “Essential” on the G-Forms tab. The skills
listed as “Intermediate” and “Advanced” are advantageous but are not required for this
program.
Let’s go!
1. Once again, open your personal copy of the Google Workspace Skills Checklist
and click on the tab labelled “G-Forms.”
2. Then, review the list of skills one-by-one, and change column B to YES for each
skill you already have and feel confident with.
○ If you have between 17 - 22 essential skills, start by watching and following
along with the Quick Tutorial below. You can then follow up on specific
skills you’re still rusty on by clicking on the associated resource links
provided in the G-Forms tab.
○ If you have 23 or more YES responses for the essential skills, you may
watch the entire Quick Tutorial below OR click on the resource link
provided in column E of the G-Forms tab, and watch the specific chapter
for each skill you want to build.
○ If you’re missing most or all essential skills, that’s totally ok; we got you!
You will need to commit to spending time learning and practicing. We
recommend you start by watching and following along with the Long
Tutorial on the next page.
3. Go through every item until you can confidently select YES for each skill listed as
“Essential.”
4. If you have all the “Essential” skills already, hooray! You’re good to go on the
Google Forms requirement for this week. But we invite you to grow even further
and to consider boosting yourself by learning the “Intermediate” skills.
5. Do you already know all the “Intermediate” skills? Wow! We’re very impressed!
Then we challenge you. Aim to reach your personal best and learn the
“Advanced” skills. Every new skill you acquire will serve you in the future and
help you be an even more capable and effective VA.
Forms Quick Tutorial (Optional)

If you have between 17 - 22 essential skills, start by watching this 9-minute tutorial. If you’re
missing many or all essential skills, start here too. If you have 23 or more essential skills you
may watch this tutorial or move on to the longer tutorial to watch the specific sections for
skills that you need to develop.
Watch the video on full screen to easily see the different functions.
Open up Google Forms and follow along!
https://youtu.be/tLjbn_KAec0
Video Chapters for quick review:
● 00:00 - How to create a new form
● 00:49 - Adding a Title and Description
● 01:43 - Adding different question types
● 04:08 - Editing multiple choice questions
● 05:53 - How to preview your form
● 06:49 - Changing fonts and color themes
● 08:15 - How to send your form to others
● 08:58 - Reviewing your form responses
● 09:43 - Receive email updates for new response
Forms Long Tutorial (Optional)

Here is a 30 minute tutorial on Google Forms. If you’re missing many or all essential skills
this lesson is for you. Watch the next tutorial. If you have 17 or more YES responses for the
essential skills this lesson is optional. If there are specific sections you still need to learn,
watch that section in the tutorial and move on to the next lesson.
Open up Google Forms and follow along!
https://youtu.be/I4T-FGZo7zo
The time stamps for the specific sections in the video are below.
● 00:00 - Introduction
● 01:03 - Get Google Forms
● 02:13 - Start page
● 03:18 - Title form
● 04:28 - Add multiple choice question
● 08:25 - Add paragraph question
● 08:58 - Add sections & go to section based on answer
● 13:04 - Preview form to test logic
● 14:11 - Duplicate, delete, required, description & shuffle option order
● 15:49 - Add short answer question
● 16:25 - Response validation
● 17:29 - Add linear scale question
● 18:35 - Add magic wand question
● 19:14 - Import question from previous form
● 19:58 - Add title and description
● 20:24 - Rename form, choose location & star
● 20:53 - Customize theme
● 21:43 - Settings
● 22:05 - Create Quiz
● 23:32 - Add collaborators
● 23:53 - Email, copy link & embed form
● 24:55 - Test form
● 25:48 - Review responses
● 28:00 - Save & close Form
● 28:32 - Wrap up
Google Workspace: You Did It!
Yes, VA. You did it!
Before we move on to the second half of Week 3, we need to celebrate your hard work with
Google Workspace.
We knew you had it in you and you proved us right!
Take a moment to do a mini celebratory dance as you listen to this jam.

Managing a Client's Calendar

Calendar Management
A significant task VAs perform for their clients is calendar management. If you are supporting
your client with their calendar, your biggest role as a VA is to:
Manage and protect your client’s time. This is your number one priority. Keep their schedule
efficient and free from unnecessary disruptions.
Organize and create order in your client’s calendar. Ensure there are no double bookings or
overlapping meetings. A well-organized calendar is vital to a productive day.
Ensure priority tasks have adequate time in your client’s calendar. Stay updated on what is
most important to your client, as this can change frequently. Dedicate a set time each week
or every other day to spend 10 minutes reviewing the calendar. This will help you catch any
shifts in priorities and adjust the schedule accordingly.
Ensure your client knows exactly where they need to be and when.
Clear and accurate scheduling is crucial for your client to stay on track. So where do you
start with all this? Well, remember the lesson last week on knowing your client? That’s
exactly where you begin. You’ll need to do a few things to get a better understanding of your
client’s preferences.
You’ll need to communicate, be proactive and ask key questions. We covered communication
and taking action last week, so let’s focus on asking key questions.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Below is a list of key questions to ask yourself and actions to take to learn about your
manager/client. The better you know, the better you can support them as a VA.
To get a preliminary sense of your client’s calendar, consider the following:
1. What does your client’s calendar currently look like?
 2. Is there a pattern you are seeing, e.g. blocks of time that are left empty or recurring
meetings?
3. Are there names that show up more often than others in your client’s calendar? These
might be priorities.
4. Does your client use the same calendar for personal things, e.g. dinner, tennis games,
etc?
5. How do they currently differentiate online meetings from those that are in person?
6. How do they label meetings e.g. Call: Prudence & Fred or Call: Fred (ALX) and
Prudence (Equity Bank)
7. What can you do with the permissions you have been given? Can you send and
accept meetings using their calendar, or can you only add meetings?

Questions to Ask Your Manager/Client

With the preliminary understanding from your questions and considerations above, set up an
initial meeting with your client or employer to understand their needs and ask these
questions:
1. What do you need me to help you with the calendar? E.g. Setting up meetings, moving
meetings and/or accepting meetings.
2. How many calendars do you use and do they auto-sync? For example, do you use
Google Calendar on the computer and iCalendar on the phone?
3. What does your typical day look like?
4. Which times work for you to have meetings?
5. What is the earliest and latest you can take meetings?
6. Which hours do you spend focusing (no meetings), having meetings, or attending to
personal things?
7. Do you need gaps or breaks in between meetings? If so, how long? E.g. 5 minutes, 10
minutes, etc
8. For online meetings, do you prefer Google Meet, Skype, Zoom, Teams, or Facetime?
9. Is Google Meet, Skype, Zoom, Teams, or Facetime already auto-connected to your
calendar, if not may I connect them?
10. Which online meetings are recorded?
11. For direct calls, do you prefer to call people, or should they call you?
12. Do you have any specific time zones you frequently work with?
13. Do you prefer using your cellphone or office line?
14. Which meetings/ stakeholders are a priority to you?
15. Do you have any recurring meetings and appointments?
16. What information do you need from me before each meeting, and how well in advance
do you need it? How detailed do you need it to be?
17. For in-person meetings, do you want travel time added to your calendar so you know
when to start going to the meeting?
18. Do you want me to send out meeting invites using your calendar or do you prefer I
use my calendar to set up meetings?
19. What are your preferred tools or apps for scheduling, for example Calendly, Motion or
Google Scheduler?
20. How do you prefer to receive updates or changes to your schedule?
21. How flexible are you with last-minute changes or cancellations?
22. Are there any specific days or times reserved for personal commitments?
23. Will you or someone else add meetings to the calendar or will I be the only one adding
meetings?
All the above questions are considerations you have to make. can be found in the Calendar
Management Questionnaire. Open the questionnaire and it should prompt you to make your
own personal copy in your Google Drive. We strongly recommend that you save this
questionnaire in the same folder you are saving all your VA Program resources and tools (the
same folder with your Skills Map and Prioritization Matrix).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/
1GkzmNIWbdaxq9FsXTbrqKg6zH-V3Ohi7yEsetqejusw/edit
Calendar Management Tutorial
Now that we understand the key questions and preferences let’s watch the following
walkthrough on calendar management.

https://youtu.be/5Et7W1o7oWA
Reflect:
The video suggested “scheduling” your client’s regular life activities, such as dinners, on the
calendar to avoid conflicting with business meetings. What life activities did the presenter
recommend to plot out? Can you think of additional standard life activities you would add to
this list and plot out in your managers/ clients calendar? What scheduler apps did the
presenter mention?

Time Zones Explained

Let’s talk time zones! But first, let’s answer a few basic questions:
Why do we have time zones and who decided on them? Well, this short 3-minute video
answers both of these questions with just the right amount of information.

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UTC vs GMT
Time zones are mostly referred to in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and sometimes in
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). GMT is the official term for time zones but UTC is also
widely used. There is no time difference between the two as they mean the same time. 2 pm
GMT is 2 pm UTC. As a VA you will see that both are used and remember that they mean the
same thing.
Time zones also have regional names, For example, East African Time (EAT) is GMT+3, and
South African Standard Time (SAST) is GMT+2.
When you propose a meeting time always add the time zone, for example 6pm EAT/ GMT+3. If
someone sends you a meeting request with a time but not a time zone, always clarify the time
zone first before scheduling.

Time Zones and Daylight Savings

You don’t need to cram all the time zones to be a good VA. You will learn them naturally the
more you schedule meetings. And, with ever-evolving technologies and apps, it’s really not
that complicated.
All you need to do from the get-go is to make sure you know what time zone your client’s
calendar is set to. It should be at the same timezone they are in. Chances are, if you are
supporting them virtually, the time zone will be different to yours. So when a client emails
you asking for a meeting at 5 pm, you should know which time zone they mean so you can
schedule appropriately.
You also need to know if their time zone changes with daylight savings. The US, Australia,
Europe and other places follow daylight savings. This means the times in these parts of the
world move forward and backwards by one hour on a set date in March and October each
year.
For example, if your client is in London and you are in Accra Ghana the hours between you
will be different depending on the date or time of the year. Daylight saving is implemented in
certain parts of the world to make better use of natural daylight during the changing seasons.
On 30 July 2024, 1 pm in Accra will be 2 pm in London. But on 22 December 2024, 1 pm in
Ghana will be 1 pm in London. Don’t stress about trying to calculate this on your own, there
are many apps that can help you do this and you’ll learn about them next.
We just want you to always be cognizant of daylight savings because it does affect meetings.
Someone’s work time might be someone’s sleeping time and you need to know so you can
suggest appropriate meeting times.

Calculating Time Zones

There are many simple ways to calculate time zones and our personal favourite is Time Zone
Converter. All you need to do is enter the date and time for one city, and it will calculate the
corresponding time in other cities. Take a look at the two screenshots below.
Screenshot 1

Screenshot 2

Did you notice how the time in London changed because we changed the date? On 30 July
2024, 1 pm in Ghana (or 7am in Mexico City) is 2 pm in London. But on 22 December 2024, 1
pm in Ghana (7am in Mexico City) will now be 1 pm in London. The change in time change in
London is due to Daylight Saving.

Calendar Events and Tools

How to Label Calendar Events
Clearly labeling calendar events/appointments that you create for your client will pre-empt
any questions and save you and your client a ton of time. It’s important to have an organized
and consistent way of labeling meetings. Watch the video, make note of the points raised and
let’s discuss.

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What information must your meeting label have?
Why? Try to answer the question before looking at the
answers.
Your invite must show:
● The meeting type - e.g. in-person coffee, Skype Call, Team Conference.
● Attendees’ Details - names of attendees and the companies they represent.
● Meeting Location - address or online meeting link.
● Correct Meeting Time - Always make sure the meeting time is correct in the applicable
timezone.
All of the above information is important for your client to know precisely what they will be
doing, when, with whom, and how. This is sharing complete and clear information about a
meeting. It also minimizes confusion, questions or the need for clarification.

Scheduling Apps
Let’s explore exciting scheduling apps and learn how to integrate them with Google
Calendar. This will help you choose the best tool for managing your - and your client’s - time
efficiently.
Click the link to each app and explore. Once again, you learn by doing not by just reading or
watching. So open each link and try out the app. We promise you won’t break anything that
cannot be fixed… so EXPLORE!
● Motion is an AI-powered scheduling tool that automates and optimizes your calendar.
It can schedule meetings, manage tasks, and optimize your daily schedule. Motion
integrates seamlessly with Google Calendar, allowing you to synchronize your
schedule and avoid double bookings.
● Calendly (our favorite) simplifies meeting scheduling by providing a link where others
can book time with you. It eliminates the back and forth of scheduling - you set your
availability, and Calendly handles the rest.
 ● Doodle is a simple scheduling tool that helps you find the best time for group events
like board meetings, webinars, or stakeholder meetings. You create a poll with
possible dates and times, and participants vote on what works best for them.
● Savvytime is another time zone converter and meeting scheduler. It’s perfect for
scheduling meetings across different time zones, ensuring everyone is on the same
page.
All these apps integrate well with Google Calendar to ensure what you do on the app
instantly reflects on your calendar, so your availability is always up to date.

Google Calendar Appointment Scheduler

The last scheduling app we will explore is the Google Calendar built-in scheduler that helps
you allocate time so others can book meetings with you. This is very useful if you support a
manager or client who needs to meet with their team. It makes it easier for team members to
just pick a time that works without the back and forth of booking meetings. This scheduler
does what Calendly does, and using it is a matter of your client’s/ manager’s preference.
Watch the next video and follow along to learn how to use the Google Calendar scheduler
function. This function is a game changer - it will make you more efficient when booking
meetings. The video is detailed and 18 minutes. Feel free to change the video playback speed
to x1.5 or x2 so can watch the entire video.

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In conclusion, when sending a meeting invite, ensure you include the meeting type,
attendees’ details, meeting location, and the correct meeting time in the applicable timezone.
This comprehensive information helps your client know precisely what is taking place, when ,
with whom , and how. Explore the scheduling apps provided, integrate them with Google
Calendar, and choose the best tool to manage time efficiently for you and your client.

Apply Your Calendar Management

Skills

Reflect:
As a VA, you will need to organize your personal calendar so you are at the right place and
time to support your clients. Take a look at your calendar.
Are your meeting labels clear, leaving no room for unanswered questions?
What scheduling tools can you integrate with or add to your Google Calendar to build
efficiency and save time?
How can you be more organized with your Calendar to manage your time and know where
you need to be, what you should be doing, who you are meeting with, and why?
Activity: Manage Your Calendar (Part of Milestone 2 Submission)

For this activity, you will practice your calendar and time management skills using your
Google Calendar. You could get away with doing the bare minimum here, but you will not
learn much or grasp the necessary skills. We strongly encourage you to do the work, take
control of your time allocation, and spend it on things that matter to you.
1. Open your Google Calendar to an external site or your preferred time management
app.
2. Schedule the non-negotiable activities you need to do this week and next week. For
example, you can block out your Monday to Friday work hours, school runs, or dinner
time with family. You can use your prioritization matrix to determine what is non-
negotiable and when it needs to be tackled.
3. Add an hour or two to do that one thing that gives you joy. It could be anything
personal; a show on Netflix, watching the sunset, or catching up with a friend. Yes,
add the fun stuff first. They, too, are important and give you the motivation to do the
more difficult bits.
4. Next, add the times you plan to spend on your ALX work. This includes reviewing
content, completing activities, Recap Quizzes, and Milestones.
5. Make sure key online community events are added to your Calendar. (In week 1 you
received an invitation to add the VA Program events calendar to your Calendar. Make
sure you have accepted it so the events show in your Calendar.)
6. Add all your appointments that require travelling from point A to point B. Remember
to include transit times.
7. Add a few contingency hours in case of an emergency. Life happens, and when it
does, we want to be sure you have a few set aside to catch up on anything thrown off
track.
8. Hopefully, after all this scheduling, you still have gaps in your schedule to do nothing!
You can leave the gaps open or add more activities you feel inclined to. Don’t fill up
every spot on your Calendar, so you have some downtime and breathing room.
9. Change your calendar view to “Week” so you can see your 7-day schedule at a time.
See the example below.
10. Take a clear screenshot of your populated Calendar. The screenshot must show:
○ 7 days (one week) of your Calendar.
○ At least 5 hours of your daily schedule for each of the 7 days.
○ The days shown can be in the past, for the week you just had, or for upcoming
days.
11.
12. Save your screenshot in your Google Drive.
13. Next – as a fun step – we encourage you to go a step further and use the Google
Calendar scheduler function or Calendly to set up a few slots you are available for
meetings. Generate a booking link to share with peers, colleagues, family, and friends.
This step is NOT required and is not part of your Milestone, but it is a good practice
exercise and confidence booster. Determining your availability is a strong
organizational and leadership quality.
Are you done? If so, well done! You will share the screenshot of your populated Calendar as
part of your Milestone for this week.
The important part now is for you to follow your schedule, just like an upcoming young
leader is known to do :).
Which places have the longest time difference in the world?

The greatest year-round time difference is 26 hours between Baker and Howland Islands
(UTC-12) and the Line Islands of Kiribati (UTC+14). That means that 11:00 PM on a Monday in
Baker Island is 1:00 AM on a Wednesday in Line Islands. Travelling from Baker Island to Line
Island means you lose a whole day and 2 hours. Fascinating!

Managing a Client's Inbox

A common task for VA is managing a client’s mailbox. Some will ask their VA to only manage
the inbox while others will need the VA to manage the inbox, sent items and archiving. The
video below, which shares the basic how-tos of handling a client’s mailbox in Gmail, will help
you get on your ‘A’ game with this task.

Take note of the key actions and considerations that are mentioned in the video. Yes,
there is a quiz coming up in a few pages, and you’ll get to practice too!

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Questions to Ask Yourself

It is important to understand your client’s expectations and how you can support them. This
means you will need to ask yourself and your client a set of questions to get started.
 1. What does your client’s inbox look like?
2. Do they subscribe to newsletters and sales?
3. Do they treat their work inbox like their personal inbox?
4. Do they read all of their emails or are there numerous unread messages?
5. Do they save all of their emails or do they archive old messages?
6. Do they already have a filing system in place?
Now let’s look at the questions to ask your client.

Questions to Ask Your Client

Here are the considerations to make.

1. What’s your typical email workflow?
2. What time do you start and stop checking your inbox?
3. How often do you check your inbox?
4. Do you also read and send messages on your phone?
5. What’s working well for you?
6. What’s not working well?
7. What are your struggles?
8. What problems do you hope I can solve for you?
9. What does your perfect inbox look like?
10. Do you want me to respond to emails on your behalf?
11. Are you comfortable with me creating a system of files and filters for you?
12. How do you feel about deleting all emails older than 6 months, one year, or two years?
All these questions to ask yourself and your client, are listed in this Inbox management
questionnaire. Open the questionnaire and it should prompt you to make your own personal
copy in your Google Drive. We strongly recommend that you save this questionnaire in the
same folder you saved all your VA Program resources and tools (the same folder with your
Skills Map and Prioritization Matrix).

Inbox Management Checklist

In summary, here is a quick checklist of the things you need to do to get started:
1. Understand your client by gathering information. Then, with their consent:
2. Delete junk mail, unsubscribe from unread newsletters, etc.
3. Archive old or irrelevant emails.
4. Check (and empty) the SPAM folder.
 5. Create folders and/or move emails into appropriate folders.
6. For emails that require attention and must remain in the main inbox, create or use
Labels.
7. Decide with your client what each star colour will represent e.g. red star means
‘urgent’, blue star means ‘FYI’, green means ‘done’ and yellow star means ‘needs a
response.“
8. Add stars to emails and mark important using the "important” arrow.

And there you have it. You are well on your way to effective inbox management.

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f4/edit

Practicing Your Inbox Management

Skills

Reflect:

Is your personal Inbox in order? Which emails do you need to delete, archive, save in
folders or label? To keep practicing and to increase familiarity with mailbox management
we recommend that you organize your personal Gmail using the above tips. Continual
practice will make this skill become second nature to you.

If you know how to manage emails in Gmail, it will be easier for you to adapt your skill
and manage emails on other platforms such as MS Outlook.

Okay, let’s get practicing!

 Activity: Manage Your Inbox (Part of Milestone 2 Submission)

Here is an opportunity to check if you have learnt the basics about managing a client’s
mailbox.
This question will help you to practise sorting and organizing an inbox.
1. Open your Gmail inbox.
2.
Look at the last 10 emails that you received.
3.
Delete any unnecessary emails, e.g., marketing campaigns or adverts, you don’t need.
4.
Are there any that are important and need to be kept?
5.
Select each important email and create a label for it. Examples of labels you can make
are Invoices, ALX VA courses, Job Applications, etc. Remember, labels are not
Folders. If you label an email, you should still be able to see it in your inbox. In the
example below, we labelled ours the ALX VA Course.

6.
Star the important emails and tag them as Important. We starred ours purple and the
yellow arrow shows that it has been marked as important.

7.
Change the label colours for the labels you created so you can differentiate them. We
 changed ours to deep orange.

8.
Mark emails you still need to reply to as unread.

9.
Now, take a screenshot showing your 10 organized emails. You can take the entire
screen or part of it but we must see your 10 organized emails. You will submit the
screenshot as part of your Milestone.
10.
Save your screenshot in your Google Drive.

If you struggle with steps 1 through 8, please refer to the Gmail and Inbox Management
Tutorials and review them again.
Look at you getting organized and honing the essential VA skills. You are doing a great job.
Keep it up!

Week #3 Milestone: Managing

Calendar and Inbox
Owning Your Calendar and Inbox
We’d love to see your progress this week by implementing the Calendar and Inbox
Management lessons. Remember, charity begins at home, and the best place to start getting
organized is with your personal Calendar and Gmail inbox.
By regularly cleaning, sorting, tagging, and archiving your inbox, planning your
commitments, color-coding, and populating your Calendar, you’ll build habits that empower
you to confidently manage these tasks. This way, when you’re faced with these tasks for your
manager or a client, you’ll be ready to deliver effectively and efficiently.
Here is what you need to do to complete this week’s milestone.

STEP 1: MANAGE YOUR CALENDAR

You should have already completed steps 1 - 10 as part

of your Apply Your Calendar Management Skills
Activity. Here are the instructions again:

For this activity, you will practice your calendar and

time management skills using your Google Calendar.
You could get away with doing the bare minimum here,
but you will not learn much or grasp the necessary
skills. We strongly encourage you to do the work, take
control of your time allocation and spend it on things
that matter to you.

1. Open your Google Calendar or your preferred time

management app.
2. Schedule the non-negotiable activities you need to
do this week and next week. For example, you can
block out your Monday to Friday work hours,
school runs, or dinner time with family. You can
use your prioritization matrix to determine what is
non-negotiable and when it needs to be tackled.
3. Add an hour or two to do that one thing that gives
you joy. It could be anything personal; a show on
Netflix, watching the sunset, or catching up with a
friend. Yes, add the fun stuff first. They, too, are
important and give you the motivation to do the
more difficult bits.
4. Next, add the times you plan to spend on your ALX
work. This includes reviewing content, completing
activities, Recap Quizzes, and Milestones.
5. Make sure key online community events are added
to your Calendar. (In week 1 you received an
invitation to add the VA Program events calendar
to your Calendar. Ensure you accept it so the
events appear in your Calendar.)
6. Add all your appointments that require traveling
from point A to point B. Remember to include
transit times.
7. Add a few contingency hours in case of an
emergency. Life happens, and when it does, we
want to be sure you have a few set aside to catch
up on anything thrown off track.
8. Hopefully, after all this scheduling, you still have
gaps in your schedule to do nothing! You can
leave the gaps open or add more activities you
want. Don’t fill up every spot on your Calendar so
you have some downtime and breathing room.
9. Change your Calendar view to “Week” so you can
see your 7-day schedule at a time.
10. Take a clear screenshot of your populated
Calendar. The screenshot must show:
○ 7 days (one week) of your calendar.
○ At least 5 hours of your daily schedule for
each of the 7 days.
○ The days shown can be from the past, from
the week you just had, or from upcoming
days.
11. Save your screenshot on your computer.
12. Follow the SUBMIT instructions below.
STEP 2: ORGANIZE YOUR INBOX

You should have already completed steps 1 - 9 as part

of your Practicing Your New Inbox Management Skills
Activity. Here are the instructions again:

1. Open your Gmail inbox.

2. Look at the last 10 emails that you last received.
3. Delete any unnecessary emails, e.g., marketing
campaigns or adverts, you don’t need.
4. Looking at your inbox, are there any emails that
are important and need to be kept?
5. Select each important email and create a Label for
it. Examples of Labels you can make are Invoices,
ALX VA courses, Job Applications, etc.
Remember, Labels are not Folders. If you label an
email, you should still be able to see it in your
inbox.
6. Star the important emails and tag them as
Important.
7. Change the label colors for the labels you created
so you can differentiate them.
8. Mark emails you still need to reply to as Unread.
9. Now take a screenshot showing your 10 organized
emails. You can take the entire screen or part of it
but we must see your 10 organized emails.
10. Save your screenshot on your computer.
11. Follow the SUBMIT instructions below.

STEP 3: SUBMIT
 You must submit your Calendar Screenshot and your
Inbox Screenshot in the tasks below. Here is what you
need to do:

1. Make sure both your Calendar and Inbox

screenshots are saved on your computer.
2. Find your Calendar Screenshot file
3. Click Choose files in the “Submit your Calendar
Screenshot Task”
4. Select on your computer the Calendar screenshot.
5. And click on Submit.
6. Do the same for your Inbox Screenshot: in the
“Submit your Inbox Screenshot Task”.
7. Make sure you submit both files in the right task.

And that’s it! You have successfully submitted your

Calendar Screenshot and Inbox Screenshot.

WEEK 4
The Beginning of the Halfway Mark!
Karibu to Week 4! Please watch this video to understand your week. Week 4 is packed with
content, so watch, plan, and pace yourself accordingly.

https://youtu.be/Vvg_4Tq4sn8
Hi! It’s Prudence again. Can you believe it’s already Week 4. You are making great progress.
When you complete this week you will officially be at the halfway point of your learning
journey.
Last week you had a crash course in Google Workspace and this week you’ll have an
opportunity to put those skills to further use.
Week 4 shifts gears and will test your Grit and Growth Mindset. It is not a hard week but it will
require you to be a multi-dimensional thinker, applying several skills at once.
You will learn some of the most common tasks that VAs do, namely how to:
● Create Presentations using Google Slides or tools like Beautiful Ai, Simplified and
Canva.
● Create unique images for your presentations using AI tools like Adobe Firefly and
Microsoft Designer.
● Research and secure the various components of travel, including entry requirements,
flights and accommodation.
● Consolidate travel information into an itinerary using Google Workspace apps or tools
like TripIt and Wanderlog.
● Manage projects - big or small - using work plans in Google Sheets or tools like
Asana, Monday and Trello
You’ll get to watch interviews with experienced VAs, who share their tips for success when
performing these common tasks.
For most of these tasks, you’ll have a mini projectthat allows you to jump in and practice.
Each mini-project forms part of your Milestone submission this week. So, as usual, it’s
imperative to plan your time so you don’t wind up trying to cram in everything at the end of
the week.
Research shows that you benefit most from practice when you space it out and do it
consistently and often, rather than doing one big session of work once in a while. Manage
your time. If you start early, you will ace this week but if you start late, chances are it will feel
overwhelming. This is when you prove to yourself that you can do hard things. Plan ahead so
you set yourself up for success.
Have a great week 4.

Managing Your Time This Week

Start learning the content early and make sure you set aside at least 30 hours this week.
In addition to the content, you will have 2 mini-projects to complete this week.
These mini-projects will form part of your Week 4 Milestone. Each one will take a few hours to
complete. If you haven’t planned how to allocate your time this week, now is the time.

Reflect:
As we approach the halfway mark of the course, it’s a really good moment to pause and check in on
yourself. How have you been doing in the program?
What has been going well? Can you list 3 things that you have been doing really well as you are going
through this course?
What is not going so well? Can you list 1-3 things that you would like to change about how you are
approaching this course going forward? What can you do differently? Can you ask for help from your
squad?
Looking Ahead: Week 4 Milestone and
Recap Quiz 4
This week, you will learn how to apply critical VA hard skills in 2 mini-projects.
Week 4 Milestone

Week 4 Milestone is due at the end of the week. You will find complete, detailed instructions on the
Milestone submissions page. Week 4 Milestone will consist of two submissions. A working URL
(link) to your:
● Mini-Project #1: Travel Pack
● Mini-Project #2: Project Plan
Complete each mini-project right after you have completed the related section of content.
This way, it is not all too much to do at the end of the Week.
Recap Quiz 4

Recap Quiz 4 will test your knowledge of all the topics this week. You should have studied each
topic, and completed all activities before attempting to take the Recap Quiz. Recap Quiz 4 is also
due at the end of this week. You must score 70% or higher on the test to pass.
If you take the quiz and score under 70%, you may retake the quiz until you get a passing score.
The character trait and value that we encourage you to unleash this week is COURAGE.
Courage will carry you and enable you to DO HARD THINGS and claim your spot as a leading VA.

Creating Presentations for VAs

A Presentation on Presentations
Let’s talk about presentations and how to create ones that are impactful and engaging. Below is the
imagery of our presentation on presentations. Have a look at it, make note of the key points, and
then let’s have some creative fun making our own slides.
Powerful Presentations Tools
The way slides are created has changed. In additions to Google Slide and its powerful
templates, there is a plethora of resources that you can use to create your compelling
presentation. Slide creation can be quicker and easier when you combine VA expertise with a
great tool that helps spell out what you envision in a presentation.

Beautiful Ai, Simplified and Canva, stand out for us.

Slide Images

And when it comes to finding the right images for your slides, great places to get
free stock images are: Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay and Flaticon.

And if you cannot find what you are looking for, you can always create your own
image, thanks to AI. Great places to create images are: Adobe Firefly and Microsoft
Designer.

We asked Adobe Firefly to create an image showing two young leaders giving a
travel presentation and this is what it created.
Pretty accurate, right?

Activity: Creating Images with AI

Now, its your turn to create an image of your favorite destination city.
 1. Think of your favorite destination city. It could be a place you’ve visited
or dream of visiting.
2. Create an image that represents your chosen city using either Adobe
FireFly or Microsoft Designer.
3. Using either Adobe FireFly or Microsoft Designer, in the prompt box,
describe your favorite destination city in as much detail as possible. For
example: “Create an image of Paris with the Eiffel Tower at sunset, with
people walking by, street cafes, and vibrant flowers.” or “Generate an image
of Tokyo at night, with neon lights, bustling streets, and cherry blossoms in
the background.”
4. Compare with Reality. Once your image is created, search for real photos
of your chosen city on Google. Compare the AI-generated image with the
real images to see how well the AI captured the essence of the city.

Besides your favorite destination city, try creating images with the following
prompts:

● “A woman traveling on a plane, looking out the window at the clouds.”

● “A man with suitcases, walking through an airport terminal.”
● “A taxi picking up passengers at the airport entrance.”
● “A busy street market in Marrakech with colorful stalls and people shopping.”
● “A serene beach at sunrise with palm trees and gentle waves.”
● “A snowy mountain village with cozy cabins and skiers on the slopes.”

Save 1 or two of your favorite images that you create, you will add them to your
slides in the next module.

More Inspiration (Optional)

The above resources are more than enough but if you need a bit more inspiration on
what great slides should look like, other places to get designs and inspiration are:
Slides Carnival, SlidesGo, Dribbble and 22 Tools for Creating and Delivering
Amazing Presentations.

LINKS TO THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH

https://www.slidescarnival.com/
https://slidesgo.com/
https://dribbble.com/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/presentation-tools

Planning Travel
4 Key Areas of Travel
Ships, planes, buses, automobiles - and perhaps in the not-too-distant future, spaceships - are all
technological marvels that transport us from point A to point B and even C. And, like everything
worthwhile, using them necessitates forethought and planning.
The general rule of travel is that the earlier you plan and book, the more affordable it will be. 1-3
months in advance is a good time to start planning, buy tickets, book accommodation and get those
visa appointments and requirements out of the way.
Let’s break it down into 4 key areas of consideration.
 What happened the last time you traveled?

Think about it, it could have been anywhere, within your city or beyond.
How much did it cost you and did you know what time your transport was leaving the station or
airport? Did you know where it would drop you off at your destination, and whether it was close
enough to the place you were headed? Did you need someone to pick you up? What would the
weather be like?
What time did you have to leave home so you didn’t miss the transport in the first place? Was a
health test required, and if so, how many hours in advance did you need to take the test? Where
would you take the test? Did the transport have Wi-Fi and charging ports so your cell phone and
laptop could stay connected?
All these questions you had to ask yourself when you traveled are the same questions you
might need to answer for your manager or client. Some clients ask the VA to plan their trips,
while others hire travel agents. In either case, having travel research and booking knowledge is
essential for you to do the task well or appropriately review what the agency sends your client. Let’s
break it down into bite-sized chunks that are systematic and easy to follow.

Preliminary Information
A Tested Approach
Just like we each prefer our tea or coffee a certain way, the same is true for
travel. Some business people work during travel and need a steady place to
put their laptops. Others prefer to get quality rest so that when they land, they
hit the ground running. It is vital to understand what makes your
client/manager feel at ease while traveling.
Hope shares how she managed travel for Fred Swaniker. This is a longer
video but it is jam-packed with great information.

VIDEO EXPLAINING TRAVEL MGT

https://youtu.be/kRN0sCmqw8A
Bonus: We also have Hope’s Google Slides travel pack template to share with you! You
may create your own copy of it here. You will have the opportunity to customize it as part of
your Milestone for this week.
Preliminary Information to Have
Some of this information you will only need to ask for once, the first time you book travel.
Once you have the information, be sure to carefully save it in a safe place (e.g., in a folder
on Google Drive) for future use. This will be your go-to handbook every time you want to
book travel. You don’t want to keep asking your client the same questions every time they
want to travel.
The client/manager information you should have before you start researching and
booking travel is:
● Passport details for each traveler - Copies of passport bio-data page(s).
● Copy of visa if already at hand - needed to book flights to certain destinations.
● Default departure airport.
● Preferred airlines, class, and seating row and side (Window, middle, or aisle seat.
Right side, left side, or middle of the plane).
● Frequent flyer details (Which airlines do they have frequent flyer miles on/status on,
and their frequent flyer number, and password if they are willing to share).
● General accommodation preferences (may vary by trip): Class of hotel, bed type,
room type, preferences for a high or low floor, required hotel amenities, and special
requests.
● Health or dietary information that will affect their travel.
Now that you have the list of essential pre-planning information let’s do a quick recap. What
are some of the tips that Hope shared on how to approach travel planning? Try to
think of and jot down your answers before looking.
Before Booking Travel
Policies and Considerations
Now that you know your manager’s or client’s personal details and preferences, and are creating a
handbook or folder to keep all this information, let’s take a look at the next details to consider.
What to Find Out for Each Trip + Travel Planning Template

For each trip, to start, you must find out:

● Purpose of travel - business, leisure, medical, etc.
● Departure address, city, and country
● Destination city and country
● Destination/meeting address(es) - if known at this stage
● Trip type - one-way, return, or multi-city (which includes going from one city to the next)
● Departure dates
● Return dates
As with most VA tasks, communication is key. Get the information you need, and confirm with your
client what they expect of you. Do they want you to provide them with options? Are they ready for
you to book something using their credit card? When in doubt, always double-check.
To ensure you have all this information when you start supporting clients, we’ve consolidated it into
this Travel Planning Resources and Information Sheet. What you have learned so far is on the
“Before Researching and Booking” tab.
Save the planner to your Google Drive folder with all the other course resources so you can
reference it later.
Travel Policy
Ask your client if they have a company travel policy. If they have one, the policy will guide you
on
● What class you can book for flights.
● Acceptable hotel ratings, for example, 3-star or 5-star.
● Maximum cost for accommodation per night according to destination.
● Per-diem rates.
Per-diem refers to the amount of money someone is allowed to spend per day in a particular
destination. This is for local transport, meals, entertainment, and other incidentals that may come up.
The per-diem for Johannesburg is different from that of Tokyo or Lagos. This is because the living
cost in each city is different.
The per-diem for each location is normally detailed in a company’s travel policy, which is put in place
to encourage responsible spending.
If they don’t have a company travel policy, you can work with the preferences they provide you.
Understanding Preferences and Policies

Speaking of client preferences, let’s listen to Hope and Prudence share more considerations and
insights. Let’s watch.

https://youtu.be/fJeU333kZVE

Reflect:
Consider all the tips that you have learned and the list of must-know items on the “Before
Researching and Booking” tab of the Sheet.
● What do you think is the most important consideration for ensuring a smooth travel
experience?
● Could you successfully book travel without addressing some of these considerations?
● Is there any must-know item you would add to this list?

Country Specific Entry and Exit

Requirements
Passports and Visas
Once you have your client’s information and preferences, and if your client is traveling
internationally, they will need three important pieces:
1. Valid passport (which normally should be valid for at least 6 months to a year).
2. Valid visa to enter the destination or to pass through a transit country if required. If they are
traveling through a specific country like the UK to get to their destination, they might need a
transit visa.
 3. Travel health declarations or compliance forms.

Passports
The most important thing to remember about your client/manager’s passports is, it needs to be
valid for the time frame specified by the destination country. This is normally 6 months after the last
day of the trip. This video explains further.

https://youtu.be/Xk21ZOwz55Y
Visa Information

You must research the visa requirements and application

process for the destination country. These change with time so you
must always know the most current requirements.
There are several ways to get this information and the most reliable
resource is the official website of the destination country. For example,
visa requirements for Tanzania can be found on the Tanzanian
Immigration website and visa requirements for France can be found
on the French Visa website.
Using the official country website is your best bet for reliable and
up-to-date information.
Travelers often need to either:
● Submit their application online to obtain an e-visa.
● Schedule an appointment with the consulate of the country they
wish to visit.
Visa applications should be submitted between 4-16 weeks in
advance of travel to ensure adequate processing time. A list of
required documents, how to submit them, and the visa processing
times can also be found on the official website of the respective
country.
If your manager/client needs to apply for a visa (or even a
passport) to travel, ask them how they normally go about it and
whether there is a set process in place. In larger organizations, HR
typically facilitates these applications or works with designated travel
agents. If there is no established process, consult the company’s
travel policy and the official country website for instructions to follow.
Health Requirements

Travel now is different from what it was during COVID-19. However, some countries have
specific health requirements for entry, including proof of vaccination for various diseases
such as yellow fever, malaria prophylaxis, and other region-specific health concerns.

For example, certain countries may require travelers to provide:

● Proof of a negative tuberculosis test taken within a specific time frame before
departure.
● Vaccinations for diseases prevalent in the destination region, such as meningitis or
typhoid fever.
● Health declaration forms and undergo health screenings upon arrival.

Always ensure to check the health requirements well in advance and close to your client’s
departure date to stay updated on any changes.

In addition to each country’s travel information website, you can find travel health requirements
by country on these official websites: https://www.kayak.com/travel-restrictions and IATA Travel
Centre.

Remember to check the entry requirements for the country that they are returning to!

All the resources we shared here are also listed on the “Resources” tab of your Travel
Planning Resources and Information Sheet.

Where to Start Researching and

Planning
Booking Travel
Now you have all the details you need to start your research. You have:
● Client details - including a valid passport, visa, and health compliance information.✔
● Client travel preference.✔
● Company travel policy.✔
● Specific trip information, including travel dates and destination.✔
It’s time to start researching and planning flights, routes, accommodation and destination
activities/meetings.

Tried and Tested Places to Start Researching

We will start by sharing the two apps that do all the planning in one place: TripIt and Wanderlog.
THANK YOU!! Technology. The apps help you plan, book, and manage a trip in one place. The
great thing is you can book your flights and accommodation elsewhere, add them to TripIt or
Wanderlog, and still manage everything in one place.
Watch this video to learn about TripIt.

https://youtu.be/zYEtWlwwrQs
TripIt and Wanderlog do it all, but it does NOT mean they are “always” the best when it comes to
pricing. And, as part of research, and being a diligent VA, it is best practice to look at other
suppliers to see who has the most favorable offer. That’s where all these next recommended apps
come in. They are listed by function.
● Flight bookings:
○ Cheapflights.com
○ Kayak.com
● Car rentals:
○ Rentalcars.com
● Accommodation bookings:
○ Expedia.com
○ Booking.com
● City attractions:
○ Tripadvisor
○ Viator
● Weather updates:
○ Time and Date
○ Accuweather
● Bus and train bookings:
○ Travelstart for buses in South Africa
○ Omio for buses/trains in Europe
○ Trainline for buses/trains in Europe
○ You can start by Googling what you need. For example, “Denmark train official.”
What we share here is not an exhaustive list but only a guideline of the legitimate websites you
can use to get going. There are plenty more out there, so explore to find the best for you and
your client. Just make sure the website is legitimate.
Start the research process early to ensure that you have enough time to communicate findings
with your clients, incorporate their feedback, and complete the essential processes.
The above information is also shared in the “Resource” tab of your Travel Planning Resources and
Information Sheet.

Research and Booking Process

We asked Hope about her process to research and book travel and this is what she said.

https://youtu.be/VgC-PLYC9u4
What is the benefit of working with a travel agent when planning travel?

They can easily rebook flights or find solutions when flights are canceled, or things do not go as
planned. Sometimes, clients/managers will not use travel agents. As a VA, adding a few travel
agents to your network of connections can come in handy.
For accommodation, places to meet or eat, and travel distances in remote destinations, ask people
there for recommendations on what to do. They know the place better, sometimes even better than
Google Search and Google Maps.

Google Search and Google Maps work great for major cities but not for smaller, remote, or rural
areas. Use them to plan but also, when possible, confirm with someone in the destination city. If
your manager has been there before, you can ask them too.

Booking Accommodation

We’ve heard the best practices and recommendations when booking flights. Let’s hear some best
practices when booking accommodations. The next three videos are short and power-packed with
practical insights.

https://youtu.be/U5gckUe1-0k

We encourage you to avoid unknown travel sites and take caution with unknown travel agents. For
an official airline, hotel, or car rental website, Google the airline or hotel name; it will usually be the
first or second (non-ad) result. Suppose you are booking in a country you are unfamiliar with. In that
case, you may need to poke around a little more to gain the assurance you are at a legitimate
website.
You can also enter the name of any company or website to check their reviews on these 2 sites:
Trustpilot.com and Resellerratings.com
Confirming Accommodation
Additionally, if you book accommodation online, you must confirm with the host before the travel
date. Take a look.
https://youtu.be/AMwvKfZ09dY
Late Check Out

Late hotel checkout is an essential aspect of travel management that can greatly impact your client’s
itinerary. It allows guests to extend their stay beyond the standard checkout time. This benefits
travelers who need more time to pack, relax, or accommodate late travel plans. Let’s hear a few tips.

https://youtu.be/8y6vy0cUFBE
what are the best practices to consider when booking accommodation
and ground travel? Jot down your answers first, and then take a look.
Use legitimate websites, and when possible, ask someone on the ground to confirm the
accommodation’s legitimacy, location, and quality.
When you book accommodation online, call or email the actual hotel to confirm that your booking is
there and the check-in time. (If they are remote, send someone on the ground to confirm.)
Build relationships so it’s easier to ask for extras like late checkout when needed.

Travel Itinerary and Checklist

Creating Itineraries
After all the research, bookings, and application processes have been completed, you need to share
a travel itinerary with your client so they have the details in one place before they leave. An itinerary
is a schedule of activities your client will be undertaking during their travel. It summarizes all the
important information into one document, simplifying things for the traveler.
Some clients will need it and others won’t, so be sure to check in advance so you know if you need
to prepare one. There are many ways to create an itinerary but, regardless of format, the goal is all
the same: to make sure your client knows the 4 Ws of travel:
● What they are doing.
● Where they need to be.
● When they need to be there.
● Whom they will be with.
Itinerary Templates

Some itineraries are more detailed than others. Below are great examples that show the different
levels of detail an itinerary can have:
This first template is grouped by category and not in the chronological order of events. It only shows
key events, such as meetings, flights, and accommodation.
This chronological template shows more details including transit times (the time it takes to get from
point A to B). If the traveler prefers an itinerary that answers the 4Ws in the order they are taking
place, this template would be suitable.
A chronological agenda can also just list the important key events of the day, e.g., meetings, flights,
rental car pick-up times.
Then we have a third option. Remember the Google Slides itinerary template we shared a few
lessons back when Hope shared her approach to travel? That’s another template you could use.
Lastly, thanks to technology, you can build your itinerary on TripIt and Wanderlog and share it with
your client/manager from there.
The key is to always ensure that the agenda is easy to read and follow, and meets your
client/manager’s needs.
Reflect:
Before continuing, visit TripIt and Wanderlog to explore and see what they can do. Then decide
which one you like best for business travel planning.

Your Travel Planning Checklist

Everything you have learned on travel up to this point calls for a lot of consideration. You will be
moving many parts at the same time.
Now that you have learned what is needed to plan travel we are sharing a checklist you can use to
track everything you need to get done. You can find it under the Trip Checklist tab of your Travel
Planning Resources and Information Sheet.
You can use the checklist to track your progress with all the processes leading up to your
client/manager’s travel.
Your Travel Experience

Have you ever had a travel done right or travel gone wrong moment? What went wrong - or right?
What made, or broke the trip? In one or two sentences maximum, share with your squad your
experience. Here are a few examples of how to do it:
● Accommodation done right - It had the perfect view.
● Flight gone wrong - I missed the flight by 1 minute and it left me.
● Food done right - Spent 1 week exploring tasty cultural dishes recommended by locals.
What was your Travel done right - or wrong - moment? In just one or two sentences share with
your Squad on the Portal.

Mini-Project 1: Travel Pack -

Steps 1 - 3
Planning Your Travel

Well done for finishing all the content on planning travel. Now it’s time to have some
fun practicing.

Reflect:

Before diving into this travel planning activity, take a moment to allow yourself to
dream and envision a trip you have always wanted to take.

Where do you want to visit? It can be within or outside your country.

Why does this destination call to you? Is it the rich culture, stunning scenery,
delicious cuisine, or a personal connection?

Think about what’s most important for planning your trip. Is it the visa
requirements, finding the best mode of transport, or understanding the local
customs?

When would you like to take this trip? If all things were constant and favorable,
when is the perfect time to take this trip?

Now that you are feeling inspired, let’s get started on planning an incredible
trip.

This exercise has 12 parts in total and you don’t have to tackle them all at once.
You can start by completing Steps 1 to 3 in one sitting. Take a breather, recharge,
and come back with a fresh mind to continue with the remaining parts.
Take it step-by-step to ensure clarity and keep your focus. Enjoy the journey of
planning what could be your next adventure! 💪✨

To get started, open this travel pack template that we shared earlier this week. You
can use it as a point of reference and draw inspiration from it as you create your
own travel pack.

Step 1: Google Slides

Open a new Google Slides template.

Rename your document using your name, desired destination, and travel dates,
e.g., Nora Katana - Kigali, Rwanda - 14-17 December 2024.

Keep your personal copy of the travel pack open while you research information and
complete all the steps below.

Step 2: Introduction Slide

Imagine you travel to your chosen destination for 3 days and 3 nights and stay at a
hotel.

On page 1 of the travel pack, create your introduction page and add your name,
destination, and travel dates.

Step 3: Entry/Exit Requirements

 Research the visa requirements for your destination from two separate sources.

Create an Entry/Exit Requirements slide and add the list of requirements to it.

Include links to the websites you used under Entry/Exit Requirements.

Mini-Project 1: Travel Pack -

Steps 4 - 8

Culture, Events and Money

You are doing an amazing job. Let’s continue planning the rest of your trip.

Step 4: Etiquette and Cultural Expectations

Create an Etiquette and Cultural Expectations slide.

Research etiquette and cultural expectations in the destination city (dos and don’ts).
Add the details of at least 2 expectations to your travel pack under your Etiquette
and Cultural Expectations slide.

Step 5: Event Information

Research at least 3 activities you will do after you arrive at your destination city.

Create Event Information slides, and add these activities there. Use as many pages
as you need to provide the information.

Step 6: Budget

Open a new Google Sheet and create a clearly labeled budget table. The budget
table must show the cost in USD for:

● Visa application process

● Flights
● Accommodation
● Activities
● Meals
● Total cost

Now, go back to your Google Slides and create a slide called “Budget”.

Copy and paste your budget from Google Sheets and paste it to your Budget slide.

Step 7: Travel Itinerary

On the next slide, create an itinerary slide, and add details of your first 2 days of
travel in the destination city.
 List your outgoing flight information, hotel information, and details of at least 1 event
that takes place on the first or second day after you have arrived at your destination.

Create your itinerary using one of the Google Sheets itinerary templates we shared
earlier this week. When done, copy and paste your itinerary to your slide.

Step 8: Review

Edit your Google Slides travel pack to ensure it is easy to read and only carries key
and important details.

Back

Mini-Project 1: Travel Pack - Steps 9 -

12

Finalize and Compare

You have done most of the work. Now it is time to tie the loose ends, make a comparison and
pat yourself on your shoulder for having a moonshot travel vision.

Do these final steps to complete this mini-project.

Step 9: Table of Contents (Optional Step)

If you would like to, add a new slide after page 1. This will be your “Table of Contents” (page 2)
slide. Your table of contents must show the heading and page number for these slides:

● Entry/Exit Requirements
● Etiquette and Cultural Expectations
● Event Information
● Budget
● Travel Itinerary

Your Table of Contents must be labeled correctly and linked to the correct page in the travel
pack. (Google for help on how to do this if you need it. You can also look at page 2 of the travel
pack template to see how it was done.)

Step 10: Clean Up

Delete all unnecessary/unused pages from your travel pack. If it is not part of this assignment,
delete it. Only keep the pages required for this assignment.

Step 11: Save

Save your Google Slides travel pack in your Google Drive. Keep it safe as you will be
submitting it as part of Milestone 4.

Step 12: TripIt

Now that you know how to work in Google Slides, it is time to experience the alternative.

You must plan the same trip using TripIt.

Open the above link, create an account, and have fun planning the same trip.

TripIt might offer a more integrated and automated experience, while Google Slides allows for a
more customized and detailed presentation. Reflecting on your needs and preferences as a
Virtual Assistant: Which tool was simpler to use? Which tool would best help you fulfill your
work as a VA and meet your client/manager’s needs?

Project Management for VAs

Project management is the process of working toward a certain objective while

keeping in mind many factors that can affect it, such as money, time, quality,
and people. It involves planning action points, and the fulfillment of those actions, all
to accomplish a specific outcome.

Any activity that requires several steps can be called a project.

A project can be anything, big or small. It can be completed by 1 person or many,

many people working in coordination. As with most VA tasks, it’s very important to
define the goal of a project and what it includes.

Examples of projects include:

● Successfully completing the VA Program

● Sending your CVs to a set number of potential employers
● Signing contracts with 3 new clients
● Creating a new app
● Writing and publishing a book
● Putting on a conference
● Throwing a party
What is Project Management

Some projects, like building a 70-story building in the middle of Addis, require a lot
of resources, time, and skilled people. Others, like building a motherboard for a
personal computer, may only call for a few specific resources and 1 - 2 pairs of
hands. In each case, specified actions must be carried out, sometimes by different
people and in a particular order, to accomplish the primary objective/goal.

This video explains what project management is. Pay attention to the elements of
“Planning” a project.

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Why Project Plans

Embarking on any project necessitates a well-crafted plan that outlines the tasks
and activities essential for achieving your project’s goal. This is where a work plan/
project plan comes in handy.

A project plan is a schedule of the tasks, responsibilities and deadlines that

must be followed to accomplish a particular objective.

A project plan is also referred to as a work plan or a Gantt chart.

Project plans provide clarity on the WHY of a project and the specifics of the desired
objective/goal. Project plans paint a picture of what success looks like, breaks
down the steps needed to achieve it and helps you track your progress. Hope and
Nicole share more insights in this video.

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 A project needs a clearly defined goal/objective. How do you know if your goal is
clear?

Knowing your goals for the next few months or years, understanding what needs to
be done to achieve them, and having a game plan in place helps you manage your
time and prioritize the right tasks.

A goal is a distinct outcome expected from an assignment or project.

S.M.A.R.T. is a helpful acronym for setting goals to yield better results:

● Specific: Your goal should be ultra-specific with no room for

misinterpretation.
● Measurable: Your goal should be quantifiable and progress easy to track.
● Achievable: Your goal must be realistic and attainable.
● Relevant: Your goal should contribute to your bigger overarching goals.
● Time-based: Your goal should have defined start and end times, with
incremental dates if needed.

Other variations of the acronym that still serve as useful guidelines include:

● A: Achievable
● R: Realistic, Reliable
● T: Timely

The most successful projects are clear on WHAT you want to achieve (the goal),
WHY you want to achieve it, WHO is responsible for each step of the process, and
WHEN it must be done. A well-defined goal is SMART.
 [Optional] If you’re curious and want to expand your project management
knowledge beyond the essentials, you can read more about R.A.C.I. responsibility
matrices here.

Back

Project Management Tools

Tools to Use

Earlier, you learned that a project plan is a schedule of the tasks, responsibilities, and
deadlines that must be followed to accomplish a particular objective. It serves as a
compass for project managers, enabling them to track progress, manage resources
efficiently, and navigate potential obstacles.

There are various options on how to manage (keep track of) a project. Let’s explore.

Project Plan Template in Google Sheets

A spreadsheet project plan is the baseline core of project plans. You can use the other
emerging tools/apps if you know how to use it.

Many businesses use spreadsheets as these are versatile and customizable. They do,
however, require a bit more time.

If you and your client prefer managing a project in collaborative spreadsheets, then
Google Sheets is your best friend. It’s free and can be updated in real-time by all the
parties involved. We have a simple template that we will explore in the next lesson.

A good way to use Google Sheets to manage a project is to create a project plan.
But, what does a simple project plan look like? Well, we have this simplified Google
Sheets template just for you. Follow the link, create your personal copy then come back
to the Project Plan Scenario below to learn how to use it.

Project Planning Scenario

Let’s look at a past scenario that benefited from the use of a project plan.

Ayo, one of the VAs who graduated from the first cohort of the VA program in 2022, had
a vision. He wanted to support managers and executives so he could learn more about
leadership and running a business. His friend, Kaleb, told him about the ALX VA
Program that started in July of that year. It was a clear pathway to working closely with
executives, managers, and visionaries, so Ayo decided to enroll.

His end goal was clearly defined: Ayo wanted to work closely with executives for at least
2 years so he could be exposed to the ins and outs of running a business.

His process was also fairly clear but needed to be tracked so he didn’t drop the ball and
forget to do something important. To get there, he took the ALX VA Program, graduated,
created quality resumes and a profile on LinkedIn, applied for opportunities, landed 3
good contracts, and kept them for 2 years.

His aim was to have completed all this by 7 October that same year. The VA Program
enrollment deadline was 14 July that year. There was a lot to consider. One action
affected the next, so to keep track of everything, Ayo took time to plan what he needed
to do using a simple Google Sheet Project Plan. Watch the next video to see how he did
it.

Ayo’s Project Plan Explained

Watch to see how Ayo did it.

Start the video at the 1:10 timestamp, as the beginning references a different learning
system that does not apply to you. Watch from 1:10 until the end. Remember, you learn
by doing, so follow along using your project plan.

Project Management Tools

The world of project management is evolving as fast as the world of tech. You won’t
always need to create your own work plan or only use Google Sheets. There are so many
apps and tools that can help you do that online.

It will be up to you to decide on the best platform to use to manage and track your
progress in attaining your (or your team’s) goals. There are tools and software that are
specific to the type of project that needs to be accomplished. Here is our favorite list of
project plan apps:

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ClickUp for customized task views.

Monday for developers.

Trello for visually managing projects.

Asana for teams.

Watch this video to learn about these 4 apps. It also mentions two other apps - Jira and
Wrike. As you watch, learn the pros and cons of each tool to decide which one you
would like to try later this week.
 We know you are curious and eager to try the project plan for yourself. Let’s go.

Mini-Project 2: Project Plan

Perfecting the Art of Planning

You have seen how a project plan can be used to plan towards a specific goal.

Now, we want you to use the template we shared earlier to create a project plan for YOU.

Your end goal (objective) is to secure employment or contract (freelance) work as a VA

by 31 October 2024. (Feel free to change the dates and goal to fit your needs).

Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Google Sheets Template

Open your personal Google Sheets Project Plan template.

Rename it to: your name - VA Employment Project Plan - Date, for example: Ngoni
Katana - VA Employment Project Plan - 21.07.2024.

Step 2: Deliverables
Think of the main steps (deliverables) you need to fulfill in order to be employable as a
VA by 31 October (or your desired date). You must include at least 10 deliverables/action
items.

Step 3: Populate Your Project Plan

List these deliverables on the work plan, alongside their owner, start and finish dates,
and status. Try to list them in the order you expect them to happen.

For example, you must complete all milestones before you graduate so a deliverable to
“Complete Milestone 8” must be listed before the deliverable for “Graduation”.

Step 4: Save

Save your Google Sheet Project Plan in your Google Drive. You will submit it as part of
your Milestone 4.

Step 5: Explore

Now that you understand the core of project plans, explore at least two of the following
project management apps: ClickUp, Jira, Trello, and Asana.

Reflect:

Take a look at the overall project plan.

Do you think you will achieve your end objective by the set date?

How will you hold yourself accountable and stick to the project plan?
Looking at the apps you explored, how do their effectiveness and ease of use rate when
compared with Google Sheets?

Will you use Google Sheets or an app going forward?

Whoop Whoop! You have just completed a personal project plan. Well done for doing the
work!!

We encourage you to check and update it once a week to track your progress :)

Tackling Week 4 Projects: What

To Do When You Don't Know
Growth Mindset Applied

This week will stretch you but now is the time to keep moving forward. There
are many tools that you will be asked to use as a VA. Some will be easy to use
while others will need you to put your learning hat on.

The most important thing is that you are willing to learn new things as you go.
Remember growth mindset?

It’s expected that you’re not going to know how to do everything we (or a
client) asks of you.
 Learn on the Fly

What should you do when asked to do something that you don’t know how to
do? You learn on the fly. Listen to what Laura has to say.

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Failure is an Opportunity

Have an open mind to try. And if you fail, you can learn from that too. If you
don’t get it right the first time, then learn how to do it better the second time
and do it. Hope experienced failure, but chose to embrace it and learn.

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Giving up is not part of your vocabulary. If we fail, we try another approach

until we get it right. And I say ‘we’ because if you are experiencing any
challenges with the mini-projects, you have a whole community on the Portal
that can help you.

Keep going. You are closer to the finish line.

Back
Welcome to Week 5!
You Can, You Will, You Must
We kick off this week with some mid-program motivation.
You are halfway through this career-empowering course. Keep moving until you cross the
finish line!

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Week 5 Overview
With that motivation, let’s talk about all things Week 5 in this video overview.

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Transcript
Hello, it’s me, Prudence, your Learning Experience Designer!
Welcome to Week 5. You have officially passed the halfway point. Well done for owning your
progress.
This week, we’re diving into more VA tasks and crucial topics that will enhance your
workplace efficiency and professionalism. We will explore!
Video Conferencing Set Up and Etiquette. In today’s digital age, effective communication
through platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams is crucial. We’ll cover
setting up your environment for optimal video and audio quality, and mastering the do’s and
don'ts of video conferencing etiquette.
Next, you will learn how to manage meetings with a focus on agendas, team notes & minutes.
You will explore three note-taking apps designed for meeting transcription; these are
Fireflies, Otter, and Read AI.
You learned about booking meetings in Week 3. This week you will learn how to manage
different forms of meetings efficiently and how to assess what each meeting needs to run
smoothly.
Topic 3 will be about internet research and data entry.
You will have a mini project to practice your skills in conducting online research and
accurately entering data into relevant systems.
Lastly, you will learn how to track expenses. Managing expenses is vital for financial
transparency and accountability. A leading VA can record expenses accurately, track
budgets, and prepare reports to support financial decision-making.
Once again, there is a lot of content this week. Take a look right now at all of the modules and
the lessons, so that you get a sense of what’s there. Then make a plan for what you will
tackle when, put it on your calendar, and hold yourself to that plan.
All the best with Week 5. You are nearing the finish line. And, I will see you in Week 6.
Hold on to your WHY and keep pushing. The finish line is close. You CAN do this.

Looking Ahead: Week 5 Milestone

and Recap Quiz 5
You are officially past the program’s halfway mark! Take a look at where you are now and
what’s left to do, then move on to tackle Week 5.
Similar to last week, you will complete two mini-projects leading to Week 5 Milestone. You
will also complete your second skills tracking exercise to assess your growth so far. Try to
pace yourself. It is all very achievable if you go through each lesson step-by-step.
Your Journey at a Glimpse

Take time to engage with the map to visualize how far you have come. To see each Week’s
lineup, click on the Week. Click the down-facing arrow at the bottom to return to the main
road map.

Week 5 Milestone
Week 5 Milestone is due at the end of the week. You will find complete, detailed instructions
on the Milestone submissions page. Week 5 Milestone will consist of two submissions. A
working URL (link) to your:
● Meeting Management Mini Project
● Internet Research Data Entry Mini Project
● Updated Skills Tracker.
Complete each component right after you have completed the related section of content. This
way, it is not all too much to do at the end of the week.

Video Conferencing Etiquette and

Tools
Online Etiquette
As part of this course – and in the rest of your career journey – you will be asked to
participate in video calls via Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, Teams, and other video
conferencing platforms. You will need to be on your professional “A” Game.
Zoom Call Gone Wrong
We decided to create this fun lesson to highlight video conferencing etiquette and ensure
you grasp the dos and don'ts. It’s a must-watch.
Ask yourself as you watch:
1. What went wrong in this video? Do your best to catch all the don'ts as they happen.
2. What could have been done differently to make this more professional?
Enjoy. And, oh yes, you’re welcome! 😊

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Wow! The drama in this video is epic! Sadly, all the examples come from real-life situations
that your course designers have experienced! So don’t be like Nicole’s character in this video
– avoid all of her mistakes and shine as the young professional that you are.
Zoom

Now that we know what not to do and understand recommended video conferencing
etiquette let’s discuss how to use Zoom effectively.
The next 6-minute video is a great beginner’s tutorial. The video focuses on the technical
basics of using the app to schedule, invite folks to, and lead a meeting.
If you are already a pro and know how to use Zoom, watch it anyway - it will reinforce your
knowledge, and we bet you’ll still learn a few more hacks.
As you watch, ask yourself:
1. Can I successfully set up and schedule a call in Zoom?
2. What can I do in Zoom to adjust my settings to host a seamless video
call/conference?
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Eniola is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: BUSINESS DIALOGUE

Time: Aug 10, 2024 05:00 PM West Central Africa

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 841 7892 2528

Passcode: Q0C6zV

Google Meet

Another commonly used app is Google Meet. This 5-minute video takes us through each step
of hosting a meeting in Google Meet.
Yes, we see you, self-acclaimed Google Meet guru. You, too, should watch the video. You will
learn something new, and worst case scenario, it will reaffirm your skills and self-proclaimed
crown.
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As you watch, ask yourself:

1. Do I understand the process of setting up a meeting on Google Meet?
2. Have I understood the different call settings when using Google Meet?
What are the key video conferencing dos and don'ts from the videos you have just watched?

● Test your audio and video before the meeting starts.

● Join the call on time.
● Be prepared (know why you are on the call).
● Be in a quiet and well-lit location.
● Have no distractions around you.
● Focus on the call and do not conduct side conversations or activities in the
background.
● Mute your mic when not speaking or when typing.
● Unmute your mic when talking so everyone hears you.
● Be professionally dressed if your video will be turned on.
● Have a professional background.
● And, the obvious, have stable internet connectivity.
Eniola is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Why Agendas Matter

Why Are We Meeting?
Starting a meeting with small talk may be a great way to get to know each other better or
catch up on what everyone did over the weekend, but it isn’t really productive or goal-
oriented. If your client has hired you to support them with meeting arrangements, some of
those meetings will need agendas to help maximize the meeting time.
Research by a project management and productivity platform, Asana, shows that
unnecessary meetings accounted for 157 hours of “work”. Considering a 40-hour work week,
that’s almost four weeks of wasted time. This is where your meeting agenda comes in to help
your client maximize their time spent in meetings.
Effective Agendas

Having a meeting agenda is the first and best indicator of whether a meeting is necessary.
It’s a clear visual and perhaps a final check for your client on whether they need to have a
meeting or just hold the discussions asynchronously (without a meeting, for example, via
email). An agenda will also help your client’s meeting attendees know what they will discuss
and why the meeting matters.
An agenda gives an abridged outline of what to expect during a meeting and how attendees
can prepare for it. It should help others connect with the meeting’s purpose, assign tasks or
items, and designate a realistic time for each point. A great meeting agenda maximizes
effectiveness and keeps proceedings on track.

Creating Effective Agendas

Here are some tips on creating effective meeting agendas for your clients:
Create and share the meeting agenda as early as possible. This allows everyone to prepare
for what’s going to happen. At the very latest - and only for informal and team meetings -
your client must have the final agenda 2 days before the meeting so they can share it with
those attending 24 hours before. Formal meetings, like a board of directors or management
meetings, require the agenda to be shared 1-3 weeks in advance so that the attendees can
prepare adequately. This differs by company, so ask your client for their agenda distribution
policy.
Share relevant pre-reading materials (also known as meeting packs) when you share the
agenda. This might be a slide deck, background information, or a past decision. Instead of
asking a lot of questions that take up valuable time, everyone attending the meeting will be
on the same page and ready to move the topic forward.
Assign facilitators for each agenda item. This way, you allow them to prepare in advance. Ask
your boss/client for direction on who to designate and what your responsibilities are in this
area.
Creating Effective Agendas 2

Define and prioritize your agenda items. Differentiate between the three categories of agenda
items: informational, discussion topics, and action items.
Clarifying the goal of each agenda item assists attendees in determining what is most
important and where they should concentrate their attention. You’ll also want to prioritize
which items are most critical and must be covered during the meeting, and which may be
dealt with asynchronously if the time runs out.
Use your meeting agenda during the meeting to take minutes/notes and action items. That
way, all of the meeting information is in one place. If anyone has questions about decisions
or action items from the meeting, they have an easy place to find them.
Create flow by categorizing your agenda items. To maximize productivity, batch similar items
together and ensure they can build off of one another. For example, list any informational
items before the discussion items so everyone has all of the information going into the
discussion.
Allocate enough time for each item on your agenda. Plan sufficient time for each agenda item
by calculating an estimated time and adding a couple of minutes as a buffer. This will help
keep the meeting on track and move on from a topic when the time runs out.
All in all, an agenda creates a meeting structure, shows consideration of others’ time, and
serves as a roadmap that will keep conversations on track without wasting time. Your client
will appreciate anything that saves them time.
So, what does a good agenda look like?

It depends on the meeting type. For official meetings such as investors, board or
stakeholders, take a look at this meeting agenda template. Copy and keep it for future use. It
provides the core details and can be easily adapted into a minutes/notes template.
For internal team meetings, project management tools like Asana or Trello have great
meeting agenda templates that you can use, and they are even categorized by meeting type.
If your team uses a project management tool, it’s more efficient to create your team meeting
agenda’s there where everyone can see it.
If you need to create an agenda from scratch, another great resource for customizable
agendas is Smartsheet.
Before moving on, take a look at each of these linked resources. You will choose one
template to complete part of your Milestone this week.
Reference: Part of this write-up is inspired by: Asana

Mini-Project: Create a Meeting Agenda

Time to practice everything you just learned.

Read the next paragraph and follow the steps to complete this mini-project.
As part of your role as a Virtual Assistant for XYZ Company, you are tasked with creating the
agenda for the first weekly fundraising event planning meeting. This meeting will take place
every Monday at 2 PM GMT and is 1 hour long. Follow the steps below to complete this
assignment:

Step 1
Download and Set Up Zoom:

● If you haven’t already, download Zoom from the Zoom Download

Center and set up a free account.
● Schedule a Zoom meeting for next Monday at 2 PM GMT. The meeting
is 40 minutes.
● Your Zoom meeting “Topic” is Weekly Fundraising Planning Sync.
● Add the time and date.
● Click “Recurring Meeting” since this meeting is weekly.
● Do not add any participants. (However, in the real world, you can add
participants’ email addresses here). There is no need for this
assignment.
● Under “Meeting ID” click on “Personal Meeting ID.”
● Turn the Video off for both the host and participants.
● Leave “Computer Audio” selected.
● Under calendar, select “Google Calendar.”
● Click on “Advanced Options” and select “Mute participants on entry.”
● Save your Zoom meeting.
● Copy the meeting link. You will add the link to this meeting to your
agenda.

Step 2

Create the Agenda:

● Find a suitable Google Docs template for creating the meeting agenda.
You can search for a Google Docs template on link (for example this
one) or use tools like Smartsheet to find and customize a template.
● Rename the template to: Your Name - VA Meeting Agenda - Date. For
example: Ngoni Katana - VA Meeting Agenda - 7/31/2024
● Ensure the template includes the following sections: we will walk you
through completing each section step-by-step.
○ Meeting Details Section: Date, Time, Venue/Meeting Link, and
Attendees.
○ Opening Remarks
○ Agenda Items: Detailed list of topics to be discussed, for
example:
■ Topic 1: Specify the topic - Presenter: Name of the
presenter - Time allocated: e.g., 5 minutes
 ■ Topic 2: Specify the topic - Presenter: Name of the
presenter - Time allocated: e.g., 5 minutes
○ Task Assignments: List tasks to be discussed and assigned,
along with responsible individuals and deadlines.
○ Notes: Section for any important notes or observations during
the meeting.
○ Timelines: Section for deadlines and important dates related to
the tasks and projects discussed.
○ Any Other Business (AOB): Time allocated to discuss any
additional items not covered in the main agenda.
○ Closing Remarks: Summary of key points discussed, action
items, and next steps.

Step 3

Include Meeting Details in the agenda:

● Date: Add the date for next Monday.

● Meeting time: Monday at 2 PM GMT.
● Zoom link: Add the Zoom link you created to the agenda.
● Attendees:
○ Head of Catering
○ Head of Tech and Audio-Visual
○ CEO (Team Leader)
○ Finance Manager
○ Head of Operations
○ Virtual Assistant (to take notes)

Step 4

Agenda Items: Include the following items in the agenda:

 ● Opening Remarks by the Team Leader (2 minutes). This is a brief
introduction by the team leader to welcome participants and set the
tone for the meeting.
● Previous Meeting Action Items Update. To discuss any updates on
tasks assigned in the previous meeting (10 minutes total).
● Update by Each Attendee except the CEO (5 minutes per participant).
Each participant (Head of Catering, Head of Tech and Audio-Visual,
Finance Manager, and Head of Operations) presents their action plan
for the area they are heading. Make sure you list each presenter and
their time allocation on the agenda.
● AOB: Allocate time for any other business (5 minutes).
● Closing Remarks. Summary of key points and next steps by the CEO (3
minutes).

Step 5

Check Your Agenda for Effectiveness: Review your agenda to ensure it meets
the criteria of an effective agenda:

● Does it include all relevant meeting details, including the Zoom

meeting link?
● Are facilitators assigned for each agenda item?
● Is there time to check in on action items from the last meeting?
● Are agenda items clearly defined and prioritized?
● Is there an estimated time allocated for each item?
● Does the agenda create a logical flow by grouping similar items
together?
● Is there a section/time to recap and ensure everyone knows the action
items from this meeting and the person responsible?

Step 6
 Save your Google Docs Agenda in your Google Drive. You will submit it as
part of your Milestone this week.

Back

Taking Meeting Minutes/Notes

Minutes or Notes

Now that your client’s meeting efficiently took place because of the
agenda you so skillfully put together, it’s time to make a record of the
meeting.

Meeting minutes, which are also informally called meeting notes, are a
written record of a meeting. They assist your client keep track of what was
discussed, decisions that were taken, critical information that was
presented, and action items. Remember that meetings must be efficient,
so if anything was addressed at a previous meeting and a decision or
action was taken, the status of those items must be reported at the
following meeting using the meeting minutes/notes.

Formal vs. Internal

Formal meetings, which are required by law to take place, such as annual
general meetings, board of directors meetings, finance committee
meetings, or development committee meetings, will normally refer to the
summary of the meeting as minutes. Minutes are an official record of a
meeting. They are often used for legal purposes and can be shared with
relevant stakeholders or governing bodies, e.g., company auditors and
company registration authorities.

Internal meetings between colleagues or teams within a company will

normally refer to the summary of the meeting as notes. Meeting notes
record key decision points and actions for you and your team to complete
before the next meeting. If a company wants an internal meeting record to
be more formal, the summary for that internal meeting can also be referred
to as minutes.

Guidelines for Capturing Meeting Minutes/Notes

Unless your boss/client explicitly asks you to capture verbatim (word-for-

word minutes of who said what), you should do your best to capture:

1. Discussion points
2. Key information
3. Decisions
4. Action items
5. Deadlines and responsible people

Minutes/notes don’t need to be long, complicated, or in fancy language.

They just need to be simple, clear, and accurate about the discussion and
key takeaways. Anyone not in the meeting should be able to read your
minutes/notes and understand what transpired.

Typically, there is a due date that meeting minutes and notes need to be
distributed to attendees. It is usually shortly after the meeting, but the
deadline for distribution varies by client, organization, and meeting. Check
in with your boss/client about how soon they expect you to complete and
share the minutes/notes. That way, attendees can read the minutes/notes,
send feedback, and work on any action items that fall on their plate.
 As a VA, you must ensure that you draft the minutes in time for your client
to review and provide feedback and that you incorporate that feedback
before sending the final version to your client for timely distribution. Ask
your client about these timelines so you know how to plan and pace
yourself.

Sssh!

What happens in a meeting stays in the meeting and can only be

discussed with those who were part of the meeting. The same is for
meeting minutes and notes. They are both confidential records of a
meeting and should only be shared with people who were in the meeting
and people invited to the meeting but could not attend.

If someone else needs the minutes, that person should be pre-approved to

receive a copy. When unsure whether someone is approved to receive a
set of minutes or notes, ask your client/manager if you can share with the
specific person.

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Your Minute Taking Strategy

Tips for Taking Reliable Meeting Minutes/Notes
What will be your strategy for taking reliable meeting minutes or notes and staying efficient?
Will you use AI tools? If so, which one is the best?
Some VAs prefer to sit in the meeting and type or handwrite notes during discussions. If the
meeting is not being recorded, this is the best way to take meeting notes.
If the meeting is being recorded, you will have the option to type the meeting notes after the
meeting using the recording. Watch this short video for a few good tips on handwriting
minutes/notes while the meeting is taking place.

https://youtu.be/JJIiHeEd4ww
Taking Notes or Minutes with Apps
(Thank you AI!)
AI-powered applications are increasingly popular among VAs because of their ability to
transcribe spoken words into text swiftly and accurately. These apps enhance efficiency and
ensure that meeting summaries are clear and comprehensive. Whether capturing
discussions in real-time or transcribing recorded meetings, AI apps are invaluable. The best
part is adding them to your Google Meet or Zoom call. Watch to learn more about these tools
here.

https://youtu.be/XpXJAOFsIAM

Examples of Notes taken in meetings

Key decisions made
Action Taken-useof verbs used
Additional tips

Minutes and Note-Taking Best Practices

● Always ask if the meeting is being recorded or if a note-taking app will be

linked to it. If not, ask if it is okay for you to record/link an app like Fireflies
for minuting purposes.
● Don’t record without your client’s permission. If you are not in the meeting,
ask the client to record it for you. Using a recording to write meeting
notes/minutes is called transcribing.
 ● If you are a pro at listening and typing simultaneously (#multitasker), then
taking minutes may take less time for you. If you need to stop the
recording to replay and listen to a conversation twice or so, then you will
need an AI app or more time to write.
● The average person will take 4 hours to transcribe 1 hour of recording and
that’s if the audio is clear and slow. As a rule of thumb - if you have to
manually type - set aside 2-3 hours of time to write minutes/notes for a 30-
minute meeting.

Explore AI Note-Taking Apps

1. Research Note-Taking Apps: Explore and choose two note-taking apps

designed for meeting transcription, such as Fireflies, Otter, or Read AI.
Research their features, Zoom or Google Meet compatibility, and user
reviews.
2. Select and Download an App: Choose one app that you like, and download
it from the respective app store or official website. Install the app on your
device.
3. Integrate with Zoom or Google Meet: Integrate the chosen app with Zoom
or Google Meet. Follow the app’s instructions to complete the integration.
4. Test the App: Use the app in one of your upcoming meetings on Zoom or
Google Meet to test if the app accurately captures the meeting discussion.
If you do not have a meeting where you can test the app, create a meeting
in Zoom or Google Meet (where the note-taking app is integrated) and start
a meeting by yourself. Record yourself talking for a minute or two and then
see if the app accurately captured what you said.
5. Share Your Experience: Share your experience with how well it took notes
with your squad on the Portal.

MY NOTE TAKING APPS

https://app.fireflies.ai/
https://otter.ai/home
Research for VAs
What is Internet Research?

As a VA, you might be asked to research a topic or subject in the

future. The phrase Internet research is broad and could mean:

1) Informational Search: Doing a Google search to see what

results come up, and then possibly following several links to see
what else is learned.

2) In-Depth Research: For a provided topic or research question,

searching through reputable or scholarly articles found online,
reading them, extracting out key learnings and/or data, and
synthesizing the information in a report or presentation.

3) Data Compilation: Using the internet to find specific sought-after

data (often spread out in different locations) and then compiling it
into one document or spreadsheet. Because this type of research
often involves data entry, we’ll share some more examples in the
next module on data entry.

It’s very important that you make sure you have a very clear
understanding of the requirements of what your manager/client is
expecting before you embark on a task or job.

How to Conduct Internet Research

Similar to defining a problem, planning your research as a Virtual

Assistant (VA) involves a set of key steps to maximize efficiency
and effectiveness. Below are high-level steps to guide your
research process:
 1. Define your goals, questions, and guesses. What do you
want to achieve with this research? What specific information
will help you in your tasks?
2. Determine what you need to find. What kind of data or
information do you need? How should you present this
information to others?
3. Identify your main sources of information. Find reliable
sources with trustworthy data. Are there specific experts or
organizations known for their insights?
4. Start gathering information. Use the right keywords to find
reports, articles, or studies. How many sources should you
check to get enough information?
5. Check if your sources are reliable. Make sure the
information you find is trustworthy. Which sources give you
consistent data? Which ones are reliable, for example, official
organizational or government website, and which ones are
not.
6. Summarize your findings. Write down the most important
insights from your research. Present them clearly and
effectively.
7. Review your goals and questions. Make sure your
research answers your initial questions and guides your next
steps.

Research Walk Through

https://yVirtual Assistant Training: Gathering Research for Clients (Informational Research

Template)outu .be/DVe2ls8kMHs

Take a look at this video, which shares tips on conducting

informational research as a VA.You can use AI tools to gather
preliminary information and verify it on other reputable websites
when conducting research. AI tools like ChatGPT can also help
 clean up your report, correct grammar and typos, and improve
overall structure.

The research template referenced in the video can be found here.

Research Approach Example

https://youtu.be/wiv0Y3uQk78

Hope was asked to share a concrete example of something she

was asked to research and how she did it. In this video, she
describes her approach to in-depth research.

Back

Research with AI Tools

The Power of AI

Now that you understand the ethics of AI-based research and know what to look out for, let’s
explore how to effectively leverage these technologies as a VA.

As a principle, you should know that AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot
are very powerful, but they cannot do the research for you. They are tools that assist you in
the research process, but the decisions about what is important and relevant must be made by
you.
 Leveraging AI Tools

Let’s say you’re beginning your research and need to identify relevant articles
and research papers. Google’s Bard can assist you in this process. Be aware
that while some AI models can access online content, others may not have real-
time capabilities.

Once you’ve identified an article or paper to analyze, you can use AI tools to
scan and extract specific information, or provide summaries that aid in your
research.

We encourage you to explore. Remember to use AI ethically and responsibly.

There are no shortcuts to thorough research, and AI is designed to support
your efforts, not replace them 🙂.

What factors contribute to the skepticism and challenges surrounding the ethical
application of AI tools in web research?

There are certainly many aspects to consider, but the primary challenges in
ethically using AI tools for web research stem from concerns regarding privacy,
data bias, transparency, accountability, misinformation, and regulatory
challenges. Addressing these issues requires a collective effort to establish
ethical guidelines, promote transparency, safeguard data, and uphold user
rights.

Best Practices When Researching With AI

Some standards and considerations you should bear in mind when using AI tools in your work
include:
● Full disclosure: Always disclose when your work is AI-assisted by citing your sources
correctly. Passing off AI-generated work as solely your own is discouraged.
● Transparency: Users should know that their data may pass through AI tools, a fact that not
all users may be comfortable with.
 ● Responsibility: Always use AI tools in a moral, ethical, and responsible manner.
There are also guiding principles to consider when using AI tools for web research:
● Use AI tools to supplement, not replace, human judgment: While AI tools can enhance
research, they should not substitute human decision-making. Evaluate AI results carefully
and apply critical thinking.
● Awareness of AI biases: AI tools are trained on real-world data that may contain biases. Be
mindful of these biases and take steps to mitigate them.
● Respect privacy: Use data collected by AI tools in ways that respect user privacy. Obtain
informed consent before collecting data and use it only for disclosed purposes.
What are the implications of not disclosing the use of AI tools in your work? Discuss this
question with your squad on The Portal. Alternatively, engage with ChatGPT or another AI tool of
your choice to explore their perspectives! Exciting times ahead!

Our creativity towards research work should not be replaced

by any AI assistants

Expense Tracking
Money
As the famous saying goes… Money makes the world go round! Accordingly, it must be carefully
managed and tracked in business.
A business’s ability to manage its resources and finances speaks volumes about its leadership
and going concern (its ability to stay in business).

Expense Tracking for VAs

Normally, in a company, each department is allocated a budget and the department’s manager
oversees how that budget is appropriately allocated and used. At the end of each month, a
department or office will have receipts that need to be summarized and shared with finance. Finance
will then use this information to update their records and, ultimately, the company’s overall financial
records.
VAs supporting executives or managers are normally tasked with the job of capturing
monthly expenses in a spreadsheet or some form of expense tracking application. Either way,
capturing expenses requires basic math and data entry.
Let’s watch this video to understand the initial setting-up and consideration when capturing
expenses for a client. Make sure you learn:
● The key steps that she shares:
● The information you need in addition to the amount.

https://youtu.be/gTKyJ_gtMfE

Did you catch the steps that were mentioned in the video?

Create a schedule of when you need all your client’s receipts so you can add them to the expense
tracker in time to submit them to the finance department. This means knowing the due dates of when
receipts need to be submitted to the finance/accounting department.
Create a folder where you and your client can share receipts. If there is no set system, Drive or
Dropbox are easy options for sharing documents with your client or manager.
Get approval from your client/manager before submitting the expenses to the finance department.
Confirm the total amount or number of receipts that you are submitting. It’s common for clients to
forget some receipts, and they can tell you if the figure sounds “off.”
Learn the company’s expense platform, for example, Expensify.

Expense Tracking Tool

Now we know that in addition to the amount, we also need information on the date, item
purchased, category, and merchant to correctly capture an expense. This information is important
as it will help the company’s finance team to capture expenses according to the time they took place,
their nature, and their purpose.
By now you are comfortable with Google Sheets and if not, we are certain you are working to
improve your skills. As expense tracking tools are robust and often customized to meet a companies
needs, the simplest yet effective platform you can learn to use to track expenses is Google Sheets.
We have a Google Sheets expense tracking tool that’s easy to use, and yes, we are happy to share
it with you for keeping. You know the drill by now, so let’s get to it - make a copy for yourself and
play around with the cells to understand how the sheet works. Here you go: Monthly Expense
Tracking Tool.
Before you start using your own tracking tool for a client, first ask if they have a template or an app
that they use to track expenses. Chances are they already do, as this is something that is normally
set up by their finance team.
If they don’t have a system in place and you need a tool that captures more details than the tool we
shared, there are many Google Sheets templates online that you can download. A good place to find
free downloadable templates is smartsheet.com.
Activity: Track Your Expenses

Another famous saying says Charity begins at home. It will be easier to track someone else’s
expenses if you are accustomed to tracking your own. When was the last time you prepared a
monthly budget for yourself? Did you follow it or did you overspend? Do you know how much you
spend each month and on what? The expense tracking tool is an opportunity to find out.
Expense tracking does not require a minimum or maximum amount. All monies, no matter how
big or small, can be tracked.
While you work on impressing your client with your Google Sheets skills, get familiar with the tool
we’ve shared and use it to organize and track your personal finances.
For now, add the budget for the next 14 days (2 weeks). You can leave the expense part blank
and update it as you spend. Here are some example entries you can add to your expense tracker
to get started:

Date Description Budge Expense Category Merchant

t

10.08 Grocery $150 (add amount as you Food & Shoprite

. shopping spend) Groceries

11.08 Monthly rent $120 Housing ABC Realty

. 0

12.08 Gas $60 Transportation Shell

.

13.08 Gym $40 Fitness Planet

. membership Fitness
 14.08 Coffee with $10 Entertainment Java
. friend

At the end of two weeks, you must check if you managed to stick to your budget. Reflect on why or
why not. And whether having a budget in place makes spending more structured and traceable.
We will ask you to reflect on your experience with this activity in a couple of weeks. Happy
tracking!

Data Entry
Entry Tasks for VAs
Data entry is the process of typing information into a computer or database. This information
can come from paper documents, online forms, or other sources.
Virtual assistants often do data entry to help their clients keep track of important information.
Examples of data entry tasks include:
● Typing customer details into a system.
● Entering financial transactions into a spreadsheet.
● Updating inventory records.
● Recording survey answers.
Data entry needs accuracy and attention to detail to ensure the information is correct and useful.
The next videos capture the data entry experiences of VAs and the tools, hacks, and skills they
apply.

What is Data Entry

This video explains data entry for VAs and the skills needed to be effective at it. Please only watch
the first 5 minutes.
The last two minutes speak on how to find Data Entry jobs and we will cover this in Week 7. For
now, learn what the task requires so you have an understanding of whats needed when we learn
how to secure freelance online jobs in Week 7.
https://youtu.be/i-VPXbGek9E
The top skills for a data entry VA are the ability to use Google Sheets, the ability to use the internet,
typing speed, and attention to details.
Hope’s Experience

Hope shares her tips for data entry and tools to use.
https://youtu.be/0py_nL_wSKI
Online Research Apps for VAs

As a Virtual Assistant (VA), mastering online research is key to delivering valuable insights to your
clients. Here are some powerful tools and apps that can aid you in conducting efficient internet
research:
1. Google Search
Google remains the go-to tool for quick and comprehensive web searches. Utilize advanced search
operators to refine results and find specific information efficiently. Learn more about using Google
effectively in this video:
https://youtu.be/NYz7m88stJA
2. ChatGPT by OpenAI
ChatGPT is an AI-powered assistant that can help generate ideas, summarize information, and
answer complex questions. It’s particularly useful for preliminary research and generating insights.
Explore more about ChatGPT and its capabilities using this link.
3. Gemini by Google
Gemini is a tool designed to explore trends and find insights across various topics.. It integrates data
from different sources to provide a comprehensive view. Learn how to leverage Gemini here.
4. Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot assists in generating code snippets, answering queries, and providing data
insights. It’s ideal for technical research and data analysis tasks. Explore more about Microsoft
Copilot here.
These tools are powerful aids in your research arsenal. Remember to use them responsibly and
always verify information from multiple credible sources before drawing conclusions.
Happy researching!
Keyboard Shortcuts

The previous video mentioned that when performing a data entry task one needs to be fast and
attentive to details. The beauty of laptops and desktops is that they come with keyboard shortcuts
you can use to make common functions like typing, copying, and pasting faster. These shortcuts
become handy when working with large amounts of data.
Here are a few keyboard shortcuts that can give you twice the speed.
Ctrl+ F (on PC) or Command (⌘) + F (on Mac) allows you to find the text very quickly. So, it’s
a great way to go to a certain spot on a page. Try it right now!
Hit the Control (Ctrl) or Command (⌘) key at the same time you hit the “F” key. In the
pop-up window, type “Shortcut.” You should see the word Shortcut highlighted on your
screen.
Other keyboard shortcuts you can use to make computer data entry (and research) tasks easier are:

Action PC Mac

Copy text Ctrl + C Command (⌘) + C

Cut text Ctrl + X Command (⌘) + X

Paste text Ctrl + V Command (⌘) + V

Think About It:

You already completed data entry this week. Which activity(s) did you do this week that are forms of
data entry?
What other keyboard shortcuts can you use on your computer to make data entry easier and faster?
For example, Ctrl + B to bold text that you want to stand out.
To memorize these shortcuts so you work faster on your keyboard, make a list of these shortcuts
and stick it somewhere you can see it every day, for example, your workstation or desk.

Mini-Project: Research and Data Entry

Project Details
Read the next paragraph and then follow the provided steps to complete this mini-project.
Your new client, Mr Agiye, has been invited to speak at the annual Mayors’ Conference in California,
USA. This year the conference is focused on the importance of communal parks in big cities. He
asks you to research and compile a report on the 10 largest cities in California (by population). He
wants the information for each city presented in one Google Sheet document. The details he needs
to appear for each city are:
● City name
● Geographical size in square miles (mi2)
● The number of public parks in the city
● The city population as of last year
● A bar chart that shows the number of parks in each city and the city’s area in square miles

Mr Agiye shares with you an example of a table and a graph that was previously done in Google
Sheets for a similar assignment. Here it is.

He likes the format very well and encourages you to create something similar and even better. Here
is what you need to do.

Step 1

Open a blank Google Sheets document and rename it to: Your name - Research on Parks and
Cities in California - Date. For example: Shama Fadzai - Research on Parks and Cities in California -
8/4/2024.
Step 2

Conduct internet research (data consolidation research) to find:

● The 10 largest cities in California
● The required information for each city as follows - you may have to search multiple sources
to find all of the information you are looking for:
○ City name
 ○ Geographical size in square miles (mi2)
○ The number of parks in the city
○ The population as of last year
You can use AI tools like Gemini or ChatGPT to assist in your research. Be sure to check the details
on a reputable website, like an official government or statistics website.
Step 3

Enter this information in your Google Sheets document. Clearly label the rows and columns. (Each
city should have its own row.)
Step 4

Use the table to create a clearly labeled column chart (aka bar graph). Be creative with it, change
colours, make it 3D, etc.
Step 5

Below your table, add your sources of information. There is no specific format required, all you need
to add are all the links to the website you used to find the information. Each source should appear on
its own row.
Step 6

Save your Google Sheets in your Google Drive. Make sure all of your work fits and is clearly visible.
Keep it safe; you will be submitting it as part of your Milestone this week.
Step 7

Write a short reflection on your experience with:

● The research process - was it challenging or straightforward? Why?
● Entering data in Google Sheets
● Creating a column chart in Google Sheets
● What you learned
● What you’d like to improve on
You are also encouraged to share this information with your squad!
Hurray! You’ve done it again and completed another key section on Internet Research and Data
entry. Well Done!
Emotional Intelligence

A Must-Have Skill for VAs

“Truly effective leaders are also distinguished by a high degree of emotional

intelligence.” - Daniel Goleman

Remember what Fred Swaniker said in Week 1? A VA is “the most influential person in a room,
in secret”. You lead from behind. That means, as a leading VA, Emotional Intelligence is a
must-have skill.

So far, we’ve covered essential hard skills like travel management, project planning, and
meeting management. These skills are crucial for performing your role efficiently.

However, to truly excel as a Virtual Assistant, it’s equally important to develop soft skills such as
communication, resourcefulness, managing up and emotional intelligence. While hard skills
help you complete tasks, soft skills enable you to navigate interpersonal dynamics and build
strong relationships.

You learned most soft skills in Week 2. We will wrap up this week with lessons on Emotional
Intelligence, Empathy and Problem Solving.
 Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence bridges the gap between technical proficiency and human connection.
It involves understanding and managing your own emotions, as well as recognizing and influencing
the emotions of others, including your manager and clients. As a VA, enhancing your emotional
intelligence skills will improve your work interactions, client satisfaction, and problem-solving
abilities.
This 3-minute video defines and shares 4 aspects of emotional intelligence. Watch and answer
the questions that follow:
● What is emotional intelligence?
● What are the 2 things that determine our decisions?
● What are the 4 simple aspects of emotional intelligence?
https://youtu.be/weuLejJdUu0

Let’s Recap. What are the 4 simple aspects of emotional intelligence?

The 4 aspects of emotional intelligence as mentioned in the previous video are:

● Using emotions to facilitate your thoughts: for example, knowing when you’re feeling
anxious or nervous so that you don’t let it affect your judgment going into an interview.
● Managing your own emotions: for example, the ability to manage disappointment, so that
you can continue to make progress and not be discouraged by one failure.
● Ability to perceive others’ emotions: for example, knowing if the other person is feeling
overwhelmed so that you can adapt your communication accordingly.
● Understanding others’ emotions and their associated patterns: for example, knowing
when a potential client might be most likely to accept an offer you make.

Emotional Intelligence Expanded

Society uses different words and approaches to explain the same concept. This makes it easier for
everyone to understand.
Harvard Business Review uses simpler words to explain these 4 categories of Emotional
Intelligence:
● Awareness of self
● Managing self
● Awareness of others
● Managing relationships with others
This is very helpful in categorizing our daily actions and making better decisions. These 4 elements
are then further subdivided.
OPTIONAL: If your curiosity is ignited and you want to learn more about each of these elements,
you can read this optional HBR article on Emotional Intelligence.
 Reflect:
Take a look at the above chart again. Write each word down. Reflect on each word and ask yourself
what you think it means. Rate how well you practice each of the 12 aspects on a scale of 1 to 5, with
5 being “very well” and 1 being “need to significantly improve”.

A VA with Empathy
What is Empathy?
One aspect that defines an effective leader is the ability to be aware of the people you interact with.
To do this, one must be able to relate to the feelings, needs, and experiences of others.
Empathy is a specific aspect of Emotional Intelligence. Empathy involves the ability to sense and
understand the emotions of others, imagining how they might feel in a given situation.. These
people include your colleagues, manager, clients or company stakeholders that you interact with as
a VA.
To understand empathy, start by watching Dr. Brene Brown’s three-minute video, ‘What is Empathy?

https://youtu.be/1Evwgu369Jw
The Importance of Empathy

Empathy is crucial for effectively applying the principles from Week 2’s lessons, Learn Your Person
and Upward Management. It also play a crucial role when you are solving problems or attending to
specific tasks for your manager or client.
The Importance of Empathy video below, by Lifehacker, shares more context on why empathy
matters.

https://youtu.be/UzPMMSKfKZQ

VA Skills Tracking Take 2

You’ve made it through a LOT of content and sharpened so many skills. The fact that you are here
means you’ve made progress in leaps and bounds.
Now that you understand the most important hard skills and tools needed to be a VA, please update
your skills tracker to see which skills and tools you think you are on point with and which ones you
need to work on most.
1. Open your saved Skills Tracker.
2. Before you update it, take a screenshot or print a .pdf copy of your current Skills Tracker so
you have a record of what your skills tracker looked like in Week 2.
3. If you no longer have your Week 2 skills tracker, you can create a new copy.
4. Follow the directions in the sheet to update and rate your skills in all the skill and tools you
have learned and practices so far.
 5. Save your updated skills tracker in your Google Drive. You will submit it as part of your
Milestone this week.
Reflect:
1. Reflecting on your highest-rated skills (rated 5 - Exceptional), what recent achievements
highlight your exceptional skills in these areas? How can you use these strengths to take
on more challenging tasks or support new projects as a Virtual Assistant?
2. Looking at the areas for improvement (rated 2 or below - Need to Grow), in which specific
skills do you see the most room for improvement? What steps will you take to enhance
these skills to better support your team and clients?
3. Based on your updated Skills Tracker, what are your top three priorities for skill
improvement? How will mastering these skills enhance your effectiveness and contribute to
your career growth as a Virtual Assistant?

Empathy In Action
Empathetic Problem Solving
Empathetic problem-solving is the ability to really understand and feel another person’s
perspective on a situation, conflict, or issue.
Take a look at these examples of tasks done with empathy and without.
Think about these next two questions and share your thoughts with your Squad in one or two
sentences.
What does empathy mean to you?
As a VA, why is it important to be empathetic in your work?
BONUS CONTENT: Empathy in Your Job Search

Next week we shift gear and start learning about the varous avenues of work for Virtual Assistant.
Empathy is just as crucial when searching for a job. It means understanding the employer’s
needs and priorities to tailor your application, resume, and interview responses effectively.
It allows you to connect personally with interviewers through attentive listening and thoughtful
responses, showcasing your interpersonal skills and ability to contribute positively.
Finally, empathy towards yourself involves recognizing strengths and weaknesses, learning from
setbacks, and adapting your approach to navigate challenges in your job search.
With that in mind, next week, you will learn about the job market and the holistic set of career
readiness skills that will help you land VA work.

Transcript

Hi everyone, it’s me, Prudence. Can you believe it’s already Week 6
You’ve spent the past 5 weeks mastering your VA skills. This week, we shift focus, and teach you
how to present and demonstrate your capabilities to hiring decision-makers.
You will sharpen your skills to find work as a VA, whether as a contractor freelancer, or as an
employee at an organization. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of each option, and share a career
planning toolkit with resources where you can look for jobs and contract work.
You will start gathering and improving the items you need in your career toolkit. You will work on
three main assets: your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. These assets, especially your
resume, are the first impression that a prospective employer or client has of you.
In most cases, hiring managers have a huge pile of resumes to review in a limited time. So you
must make sure you stand out.
We provide you with templates and guide you through exercises to create a strong cover letter and
resume, that are tailored to specific jobs you apply for. You will also create a strong LinkedIn profile.
The second part of the week is focused on building your skills in networking.
Many people find the idea of networking intimidating and off-putting, but it is really about being an
active member of a community of people who mutually support one another. We’ll share practical
guidelines on how to build and strengthen your connections while being authentically you. For most
people, connections play a critical part in advancing their careers.
After the networking lesson, you will start preparing for Week 7. In Week 7 you will volunteer your
VA services to people in your network to gain practical, hands-on VA experience. Week 6 is an
important week to decide who you will contact and offer your VA services.
The finish line is in sight, so keep pushing. All the best with Week 6.

This week, you will:

Build your job search toolkit: resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile.

Map out the people who are in your network to see who you can connect with.

Prepare to volunteer your VA services to people in your network. This will help you gain practical,
hands-on VA experience

The Game of Employment

Strategies to Find Employment
You might be thinking, “But I have tried those sources, and it has been so hard to find a job still.”
Don’t worry; we are here to help.
A lot of people just plunge into looking for jobs without proper preparation, and that’s why they are
not getting the results that they want. But your case will be different because, in the coming weeks,
you will be learning about skills that will help you stand out and get the kind of job you want.
Not all jobs are created equal, nor do all people get jobs in the same way. There are many
different companies and organizations that employ people, and each has its own unique needs,
processes, and work culture.
A government office, for example, may have very rigid, bureaucratic hiring procedures, fixed pay
scales, consistent work hours, and a dress code. Whereas a tech start-up may be able to hire
someone based on one person’s recommendation, be open to negotiating compensation, allow for
working from home night or day, and welcome casual dress.
The process of getting a job in a government office versus a start-up is going to look very different.
Understanding the context is part of the game. You must understand as much as you can about
the company or organization doing the hiring to be able to present yourself as a fit for what they are
looking for.

The Three Strategies of Finding Employment

In the next two weeks, we will share three main “games” or strategies that you can use to get a job:
1) The Numbers Game: Searching through job boards and applying to a large number of jobs using
a resume and cover letter quick-tailoring process. [Featured Week 5]
2) The Networking Game: Reviewing all of the people connected to you and skillfully
communicating to them your skills and availability for work.
3) The Making Opportunities Game: Making connections with people in organizations that you are
interested in that don’t have a specific job opening posted, and offering your help in creative ways
that show your unique value and may lead to employment in the future.
These strategies are aimed at finding employment, but many elements of them work equally well for
finding contract work.

The Numbers Game

This traditional strategy involves scouring job boards, finding a large number of jobs, and quick-
tailoring your resume and cover letter to apply for many of these positions. This is probably the
most typical job search approach that people take. As a general rule, the more applications you
submit, the higher the probability that you will land an interview.
The first tip to doing well at the numbers game is to develop a mindset that allows you to Cast a
Wide Net.
The second is to know where to find open roles. And the three main places are:
● Job Boards
● Company Websites
● Networking
We’ve also compiled lists of specific sources in this Personal Career Workbook. It has a “Country
Specific Job Boards” tab and a “Remote Working Sites” tab. Make a personal copy, explore each tab
and save it for future reference.
Before you start using the workbook, let’s break down each of these sources.
Although we typically reference this strategy as one for finding employment, many of the exact
same principles apply to finding clients if you are seeking contract work.

The Job Market

You have learned almost every skill listed on the Skills Tracker. We have
covered the core tech skills, soft skills, and essential AI applications
necessary to kickstart your career as a Virtual Assistant (VA).

The skills map includes a few more skills that you can learn on your own
using the core skills you learned in the past few weeks. The key to
success is continuous learning.

As you progress, aim to turn all items on your skills map green. This
ongoing development will ensure you remain competitive and effective in
your role.

Now, let’s shift gears and jump into a topic many of you have been
eagerly anticipating: the VA job landscape and how to best present
yourself as a Virtual Assistant.

Employment or Contracting (Freelancing)

What is the Difference

When you are employed by an organization, you have certain rights

and benefits. Your employer also has more authority over what they tell
you to do. Typically, when you are employed, the employer guarantees a
set number of hours each week, and gives you specific direction on what
they need you to do and what the outcomes are. Employment is also
expected to continue indefinitely, and there are usually agreements made
upfront about how the end of employment (“termination”) would come
about.

Some employers are “at will,” meaning either party can end employment
anytime. However, some employers have agreements/contracts that
either party must provide some amount of notification (typically 14-30
days) prior to terminating employment. In some locations, an employer
must have a valid reason for terminating employment. So please read
any contract carefully to understand these elements before signing it.

When you are a contractor (or freelancer), your relationship with a

person or organization is a little different. You are technically your own
boss, and you have more control over what kind of projects you accept,
where you work, and how much you work. When you are an employee,
you typically get paid automatically at certain time intervals (for example,
every 2 weeks).

When you are a contractor, you typically must send a bill (or invoice) to
your client to be paid. The work you take on for any client varies by
project size. It could last a few hours of work, several days, or weeks.
Usually, there is no obligation to continue working with the client once
that project is complete.

Pros and Cons of Employment vs Contracting

There are pros and cons to each work route and there is no one right
answer. Employment generally provides more stability and predictability,
and you typically work with the same person or a few people over a
longer period of time. Contracting provides more freedom but less
predictability, and you typically work with multiple clients at once for
varying durations of time.

You can choose to pursue both options simultaneously, and see which
one pans out first. Or you may decide that one route or the other is best
for you and only pursue that option. Regardless of the path you choose,
having a strong cover letter, resume, and LinkedIn profile is essential.
These tools will help you find the employment or contract work situation
that you most want.

Trying to find employment and/or clients is hard work and can feel
frustrating. This process is one where it really helps to apply a growth
mindset and grit. Every step along the way can be an opportunity to
learn and grow.

Key Differences: Contractor (Freelancer) vs Employee

This helpful infographic summarizes the key difference between operating

as a contractor (freelancer) and as an employee.

Employment or Contracting. What is Right for You? Take a moment to

consider these next questions.

As you weigh the decision between employment and contracting

(freelancing) as a Virtual Assistant, consider:
 ● What level of job stability am I seeking, and how important is
predictability in my work schedule?
● Do I prefer the freedom and autonomy of managing my own
projects and clients, or the structure and guidance provided by an
employer?
● How does each option align with my long-term career goals and
desired work-life balance?
● What are the financial implications of each choice, including
income stability, benefits, and tax considerations?
● Am I prepared for the responsibility of managing multiple
clients and projects simultaneously as a freelancer?

Places to Look for Job Postings

Job Boards

A job board is a website that deals specifically with employment or

careers. Many job boards are designed to allow employers to post job
requirements for a position to be filled. Other job boards offer employer
reviews, career and job-search advice, and describe different job
descriptions or employers. Through a job website, a prospective
employee can locate and fill out a job application or submit resumes over
the Internet for the advertised position. Job boards vary from country to
country.

Examples of popular job boards include: Jobberman, Indeed, and

CareerJet. We added an extensive list to the Personal Career Workbook.

We encourage you to add job boards that you also use that may not
already be on the list. As mentioned in the previous lessons, it is
important to explore as many job opportunities as possible, so take
advantage of this list.
Company Websites

Most businesses have a designated “careers” or “jobs” page. Some

companies have thousands of jobs listed, while others only have a few. If
available, try typing your desired job title into the search bar to see if any
results appear.

If you are open to a variety of job positions, you may try typing in the
broad career term or searching by the department. If you can’t find a
careers page, try contacting the company directly. Ask to speak with the
human resources department to inquire about potential job positions.

For example, you might have companies that you are already interested
in, that already have career pages.

Below are some examples of company career pages:

● Google: https://careers.google.com/
● Coca Cola: https://careers.coca-colacompany.com/

Networking

Networking is a main job search strategy on its own, but it also forms part
of the Numbers Game. People in your network and circle can be very
helpful resources when looking for jobs and can help you make targeted
job applications, making it easier to find opportunities and connect with
potential employers.

There is a full module on the Networking Game later this week.

 Job Search Tracker

When you’re playing the Numbers Game and applying to a large number
of jobs (and/or when having conversations with several potential clients),
it’s easy to forget what you’ve applied for, when you applied, what
information you’ve shared, and what version of your resume/cover letter
you submitted. You need a tool to help you organize and remember your
application activities. This is where a job search tracker comes in.

A job search tracker is a spreadsheet that you can use to record and
keep track of all your job applications (whether in progress or submitted).
We’ve provided one for you in the “Job Tracker” tab of your Personal
Career Workbook. We STRONGLY recommend you use it, or create
something similar that works even better for you.

Benefits of using a Job Search Tracker:

● Helps you organize your job application process.

● Reduces the amount of information you have to remember.
● Gives you quick access to what you applied for when, and what
materials you submitted - all in one place.
● Helps you prioritize what to do next.

Action: Spend time looking at each category on the tracker to make sure
you understand it. Next we will look at apps you can use, but to be able to
look at the apps with a critical view point you need the baseline
understanding of how a spreadsheet job application tracker works.

Job Search Tracker Apps

Apps like Huntr and Teal help you track your job search process. If spreadsheets are not
your thing, a free version of a job search tracker app could be a great alternative. Watch this
video to learn how Teal works.
https://youtu.be/YgSGtDlSTjY