In this age of technology, finding a job across the world has never been easier! All of a sudden, working from home has become a norm for many, and the range of job opportunities is virtually limitless! A career that has been rising in popularity, in particular, is that of a virtual assistant.
As the name implies, a virtual assistant provides administrative and clerical assistance remotely. Still, to pursue a career as a virtual assistant, you will need to write a cover
letter as a part of your job application package.
A virtual assistant’s cover
letter has never been more important in a day and age where talent can be sourced (quite literally) from anywhere on Earth. A virtual assistant’s cover
letter, done well, will elevate your job application package by providing a more personal touch in the description of your work experience, education, and other qualifications. Moreover, a virtual assistant's cover
letter should demonstrate your skill set and prove your candidacy for the position you are applying for!
This article will investigate the make-up of a powerful virtual assistant cover
letter and drop some tricks to take your virtual assistant cover
letter to the next level!Table of ContentsVirtual Assistant Cover
Letter ExamplesHow to Write a Cover
Letter for a Virtual Assistant JobTips on How to Write the Best Cover
Letter for Virtual Assistant PositionConclusion
Virtual Assistant Cover
Letter Sample
Virtual Assistant Cover
Letter Examples
Let’s begin! This section demonstrates a couple of examples of cover
letters for virtual assistant positions.
Sample Cover
Letter for a Virtual Assistant
Allen NguyenAdministrative Assistant123 Bradley LaneDallas, TX 75241817-502-8539
[email protected]
21 September 2022
Peter LiuHiring ManagerABS Company981 Skips LaneFlagstaff, AZ 86004
Dear Mr. Liu,
I am
writing this
letter to express my interest in taking on the Virtual Assistant role at ABS Company. I was drawn to apply because the position aligns with my personal and professional goals. As an established professional working as an Administrative Assistant for 4 years, I believe that my skills and qualifications will help to support and drive your company’s continued success.
Throughout my career, I have maintained the highest level of professional integrity and discretion. My adaptability, resourcefulness, and independent motivation are evidenced by my top accomplishments:
Led a team of 24 to revamp the company financial records system, reducing overhead costs by $5000 annuallyLaunched a program to train upcoming Administrative Assistants, reducing onboarding time by 40%Provided essential clerical and administrative duties for 6 top-level executives in the company, with a 100% satisfaction rate over 4 years
Please take a moment to review my attached resume and recommendations. I look forward to sitting down with you to discuss in full how my qualifications and technical expertise can help drive the efficiency of ABS Company to the next level. Thank you for your time and evaluation, and I anticipate your forthcoming response.
Sincerely,
Allen Nguyen
Sample Cover
Letter for a Virtual Assistant With No Experience
Conan EdwardsGraduate Student2865 East AvenuePhoenix, AZ 85040480-228-9218
10 September 2022
Josephine TardonHiring Manager123 Marketing1242 Clark StreetNew York City, NY 10040
Dear Mr. Tardon,
I am
writing to express my interest in undertaking the Virtual Assitant Role at your marketing company, 123 Marketing. I have always been a quick learner and, as I prepare to enter the job market, I wish to apply all that I have learned throughout my graduate and undergraduate studies in a practical environment. I believe that this opportunity perfectly aligns with these goals and that my skills and technical background make me an ideal candidate for this position.
I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Human Resources. Throughout my studies, I have consistently been active in administrative positions, including acting as the Secretary for the International Student Association and working part-time in my university’s accounting department. These experiences have taught me many skills that can be directly applied to the Virtual Assistant position. These include a high degree of computer literacy focused on clerical and administrative software, exceptional time management and organizational skills, and keen attention to detail. I believe that these technical and transferable skills make me a competitive candidate for this position and will aid me in effectively carrying out the duties that the position requires.
Please take a moment to review my attached recommendations and resume. I hope to meet with you soon to discuss how my skills and knowledge can be best applied to the Virtual Assistant position at your company. Thank you for your time and evaluation.
Sincerely,
Conan Edwards
How to Write a Cover
Letter for a Virtual Assistant Job
Now that we have seen some examples of virtual assistant cover
letters, let’s take a closer look at the specific details. This section breaks down a virtual assistant’s cover
letter and identifies key features that all successful virtual assistant cover
letters have!Address the hiring manager directly.
Before anything, your virtual assistant’s cover
letter should be personalized and tailored to the company/hiring manager you are
writing to. Addressing the hiring manager in your cover
letter not only leaves a good impression but demonstrates your attention to detail (which is a highly desirable trait to have as an assistant).
On the
letterhead of your virtual assistant cover
letter, include the name and specific contact information of the hiring manager and company.
If you do not know where to find the contact information of the hiring manager, a good place to look is the job listing. If it is not there, a quick perusal of the company website or a short phone call ought to do the trick! It may seem like a lot of work, but your virtual assistant cover
letter will be greatly benefitted from it!Start with a professional salutation.
Apply the contact information you’ve just collected about the hiring manager to create a suitable salutation for your virtual assistant’s cover
letter. Your virtual assistant cover
letter should be formal in tone, and its salutation should follow suit. In addition, where possible, the salutation should also be personally addressed to the hiring manager! Here are some examples of professional salutations that you can include in your cover
letter for a virtual assistant position:
Dear [Mr./Ms./Mrs.] [Hiring Manager’s last name]Dear [Mr./Ms./Mrs.] [Hiring Manager’s full name]
If you absolutely cannot find the personal information of the hiring manager, you can also use these formal non-specific salutations:
Dear [Addressee’s job title]GreetingsTo Whom It May Concern (use this as a last resort!)
Introduce yourself why you are
writing.
Down to business. Begin your virtual assistant’s cover
letter on the right foot by briefly introducing yourself and your motivation for
writing. The introductory paragraph of your virtual assistant’s cover
letter can also be used to briefly mention your experience level and how it can be applied to your success in the position!
To illustrate this point, here is an example paragraph from a virtual assistant application
letter:
I am
writing to express my interest in the Virtual Assistant position at AZ Digital Solutions. As a seasoned assistant with 7 years of administrative assistance experience, this position appears perfectly aligned with my current professional developmental objectives. I believe that my skills and qualifications make me an ideal candidate that will bring immediate value to your company.
Summarize your skills, qualifications, and experience.
This section is the meat and bones of your virtual assistant’s cover
letter. The body section of your virtual assistant’s cover
letter aims to sell your skills, qualifications, and experience as hallmarks of your ability to excel in the position you are applying for. Here is a more detailed account of what each part should include:
Skills: The skills you mention in your virtual assistant cover
letter should directly relate to the job you are applying for. You should aim to balance between technical skills, which demonstrate your area-specific knowledge, and soft skills, which highlight your interpersonal and “people” skills and are essential to Assistants in particular!Qualifications: The qualifications in your virtual assistant’s cover
letter should be both relevant to the position and field you are applying to. For example, someone
writing a cover
letter to be a virtual assistant for a finance company may need to include qualifications demonstrating knowledge of financial jargon and standards.Experience: Experience is gold for your virtual assistant cover
letter! However, remember to only include relevant experience that contributes towards proving you are the right person for the job! Otherwise, you are simply wasting valuable space in your cover
letter!
While having experience can never hurt, the lack of experience is still not the end of the world! If you are
writing a virtual assistant’s cover
letter as a beginner with no experience, shift the focus to other qualifications, education, or training to justify your candidacy for the position. There is a plethora of online certifications that you can take to acquire the skills necessary to become a successful virtual assistant!Close with a CTA and mention your attachments.
It’s the home stretch now! Close off your virtual assistant’s cover
letter with an equally strong call to action. In the closing paragraph of your virtual assistant’s cover
letter, thank the hiring manager for reading through your cover
letter and indicate your interest in the position by including a call to action! A call to action is an indication of how you would like to proceed in the interview process.
In addition to the aforementioned, it is generally also a good idea to remind the hiring manager about the attachments you have enclosed alongside your virtual assistant’s cover
letter. While the specific documents vary depending on the job listing, the generally required documents include your resume and a recommendation or two!Sign off politely.
It’s finally time to sign off on your virtual assistant cover
letter! This section should remain as formal as the others. Here are some examples of appropriate complimentary closes for a virtual assistant’s cover
letter:
SincerelyRegardsYours sincerelyBest regardsRespectfully💡 Tip: The sign-off when sending an emailed version of a virtual assistant cover
letter requires a slightly different style. In addition to your complimentary close and signature, it is standard to include your contact information (email and phone number) directly underneath. This is because emailed cover
letters do not have the standard cover
letterhead, thus not providing the space to include your contact information there!
Tips on How to Write the Best Virtual Assistant Cover
Letter
Let’s kick it up a notch. Here are some neat tips and tricks that you can use when
writing your virtual assistant cover
letter.
💡 Highlight virtual assistant skills.
The skill set you bring to the table is one of the most important and defining parts of your virtual assistant cover
letter. Remember to be honest and only include skills that you actually have. Here is a list of hard and soft skills that you can use to ramp up the effectiveness of your virtual assistant cover
letter!
Hard skills to include in a virtual assistant cover
letter:
Field-specific knowledgeExcellent clerical skillsAccounting knowledgePersonable telephone mannerismBudgeting/Financial skillsComputer literacyKnowledge of administrative, financial, and clerical computer softwareHigh typing speedLinguistic fluency (bilingualism is a plus!)Exceptional
writing skills
Soft skills to include in a virtual assistant cover
letter:
High attention to detailCritical thinkingTime managementHighly organizedIndependent and resourcefulStrong interpersonal communicationAbility to multitaskAbility to work under pressure/time constraintsIntegrity and enthusiasmA high degree of professionalism and discreteness
💡 Touch on any relevant training you’ve completed.
Earlier, we touched on the fact that qualifications matter when
writing a virtual assistant’s cover
letter. That said, getting the opportunity to gain experience is sometimes challenging. Here are some training courses that you can undergo as an aspiring virtual assistant that you can include in your cover
letter:
SavvySystemVA FastrakThe In Demand VA Course$10k VA90 Day VA
💡 Describe past achievements with quantifiable metrics.
A great way to add credibility to your virtual assistant’s cover
letter is to quantify your accomplishments with measurable metrics. Physical data and statistics that testify to your competency paint a clear mental picture in the mind of the hiring manager that you are a suitable candidate for the job! Here are some examples of how you can include measurable metrics in your virtual assistant’s cover
letter:
Synthesized over 500 formal
letters to be sent to company clients, maintaining the highest standard of professionalism and integrity.Compiled quarterly financial statements over 4 years and drafted and presented PowerPoint presentations on budget-related mattersSpearheaded a company-wide documentation filing system overhaul, reducing data retrieval time by 60%.
💡 Express your ability to learn quickly on the job.
Everyone starts somewhere, and the same holds for virtual assistants. If you are
writing a virtual assistant’s cover
letter with no experience, you need to find a way to replace the trust built from experience. A good way to do this in a virtual assistant’s cover
letter is to demonstrate your ability to adapt and learn in a new environment. For example, in your cover
letter, you could detail a scenario where you had to learn on the job in a situation similar to the position you are applying for.
💡 Redirect focus to your education and skills.
If you are
writing a virtual assistant’s cover
letter with no experience, you need to gain credibility and trust from another source. A good substitute for experience is your education! School and university teach us a great deal, and you pick up on many skills along the way. In your virtual assistant cover
letter with no experience, mention how your time in university aided you in learning not only technical knowledge but provided opportunities to pick up on and refine skills that will assist you in carrying out the duties of the position you are applying for!
Conclusion
In conclusion, virtual assistant cover
letters are an essential part of your job application package for a virtual assistant position. Whether you are a seasoned professional or an entry-level graduate, a strong and convincing virtual assistant cover
letter will boost your application and give you a competitive edge over other applicants! To close off, let's review some of the key takeaways of this article:
Stick to the truth when
writing your virtual assistant cover
letter. Avoid embellishing your cover
letter with skills that you do not possess as the truth will come out sooner or later!Stick to the virtual assistant cover
letter format! Maintain a professional tone and personalize your
letter for the hiring manager that will read it.Experience is your best friend, but is not the only way to impress the hiring manager! In the place of experience, use your virtual assistant cover
letter to demonstrate how you have developed the skills and attitude to take on the position and succeed!Cake is thebest resume builderthat helps anyone easily create a resume online for free. You can download your resume in PDF file type and utilize our ATS-compliant templates to build an impressive resume. Start your Cake journey today!Create Resume
— Originally written by Alexander Coye —