hello there my name is richard mcmahon from the interview training website passmyinterview.com and in this tutorial i will teach you how to pass a virtual assistant interview so if you are applying to become a virtual assistant and you have a job interview coming up soon make sure you watch this tutorial from start to finish because i promise to help you be the standout candidate and to achieve that goal this is what i will cover during this tutorial so i am going to give you a list of virtual assistant interview questions that i strongly recommend you prepare for i will then give you some really important tips some essential tips for answering each of the interview questions correctly i will then give you brilliant unique top scoring answers to all of the interview questions and you can't find these answers anywhere else they really are unique and then finally i will tell you where you can download all of the answers and further resources to help you succeed at your virtual assistant job interview and just very quickly if you are new to the channel please do make sure you hit that subscribe button it's really important because then i can help you not just pass every va interview you ever attend i can also help you to progress throughout your career and help you get the pay you deserve and please also give the video a like thank you very much because by liking the video it tells me you find these example answers useful thank you very much indeed so the first question i recommend you prepare for is tell me about yourself so this is going to be the first virtual assistant interview question that you must answer my advice is to make sure you create a positive first impression by giving an answer that demonstrates you have the skills and qualities to match the virtual assistant job description so here's a brilliant example answer to help you tell me about yourself here we go over the years i have gained lots of diverse skills qualities and experience that have helped me to become a proficient and highly effective virtual assistant i would describe myself as resourceful customer focused flexible and someone who will go out of their way to deliver exceptional service as a virtual assistant now before applying for this position i studied the job description carefully to make sure i had the necessary attributes to perform to a high standard in the role now i consider myself to be a high achiever and for example in my last role i helped the company win an important sales contract by working additional hours as a va over the weekend to collate all the relevant documentation they needed to submit a very strong proposal now if you hire me as a virtual assistant i will be reliable trustworthy adaptable and someone who always demonstrates exceptional time keeping administrative skills and attention to detail in the role that's a really good answer that's going to help you be the standout candidate at your upcoming virtual assistant job interview now you can either pause the video if you want to and take a note of the questions and answers as we work through them together or if you want to wait i will soon tell you where you can download my full set of 22 virtual assistant interview questions and top scoring answers including the ones we are working through together today here's the next question why do you want to be a virtual assistant now in your answer to this next va interview question talk about how your natural skills qualities and abilities are aligned with those needed to be a competent and effective virtual assistant now you can also reference the fact that you get lots of job satisfaction by serving other people that's a great thing to mention in your answer to this question so here's my example answer to assist you why do you want to be a virtual assistant here we go i want to be a virtual assistant because i feel i work the best when i am given set tasks and responsibilities i need to work on each day and when i am working towards a defined objective now being someone that is highly organized proficient industrious and self-sufficient the position of a virtual assistant is very much suited to my natural abilities i also want to be a virtual assistant because i genuinely get the most satisfaction from a job where i am responsible for serving other people i feel a great sense of pride in the knowledge that the work i have done has had a positive impact on someone's goals and objectives that's a really smart answer to that common va interview question why do you want to be a virtual assistant now don't go anywhere because i still have more questions and answers to work through with you but when you're ready click that link in the top right hand corner of the video and head through to my website pass my interview dot com and you can download instantly my 22 virtual assistant interview questions and top scoring answers including those we are working through together today but here's the next question for you what are the most important skills and qualities needed to be a virtual assistant now please make sure you prepare an answer to this next virtual assistant interview question it is very important because your knowledge and your understanding of the virtual assistant job description will be assessed during your interview now i've done the hard work for you and here's a great example response what are the most important skills and qualities needed to be a virtual assistant here we go you need exceptional communication and listening skills the ability to quickly assess the needs of your clients outstanding time management skills a fast pace of work and project management capabilities to be an excellent virtual assistant you must possess a love for continuous learning and development the ability to stay up to date with technology advancements within your area of specialism excellent decision making skills and attention to detail because mistakes cannot be made as a virtual assistant you must be able to handle multiple tasks concurrently deliver high quality work without supervision and be relied upon to always meet strict deadlines finally you need experience within your field of specialism be familiar with desktop sharing cloud services software applications and tools have in-depth knowledge of scheduling and online calendars and possess exceptional phone email and instant messaging skills that's a really good in-depth answer that's going to help you pass your virtual assistant interview here is the next question that i recommend you prepare for how does your past work experience help you to become a virtual assistant now this question comes up all the time during va job interviews i recommend answering it by talking about any previous experience you have of dealing with customers or clients communicating effectively working to strict deadlines and also collaborating remotely with other people so here's my example answer how does your past work experience help you to become a virtual assistant i have plenty of experience in previous roles communicating with customers resolving customer issues and complaints and collaborating with others as part of projects and team tasks to deliver on company objectives in a previous role i would often have set tasks to complete within strict time scales that would then go towards helping the department meet its targets and goals i have experience in using software tools and apps such as monday.com that track team progress i also have experience taking ownership of my continuous professional development my previous manager made it clear that everyone in the team had the responsibility to stay updated with industry developments and i was always flexible in the role and on hand to help out the company at short notice whenever needed finally i have experience in managing my own schedule and prioritizing tasks which will ensure everything i am responsible for as a virtual assistant is completed as required and to exacting standards that's another great answer here's the next question that i recommend you prepare for how would you deal with a difficult client as a virtual assistant now again this question features often during virtual assistant job interviews give an answer that demonstrates you always go out of your way to provide exceptional service but that you also have the confidence to set clear and mutually beneficial boundaries when you work with clients as a va so here's my example answer how would you deal with a difficult client as a virtual assistant i would deal with a difficult client by always maintaining professionalism by listening to their needs and by making sure the working relationship had specific boundaries i would always go out of my way to help a client and i would never take anything they said or communicated to me personally i am a confident va and i feel i have strong communication and listening skills to be able to build positive relationships that are mutually beneficial so for example in a previous virtual assistant role i had a new client who was constantly pushing me to work longer than the agreed hours he had paid for i explained that i was here to help him and i would always do a great job but that we needed to make sure we both worked to the agreed parameters if he wanted additional work carried out i would be more than happy to discuss this and from that moment on the working relationship improved significantly so that's a great answer it shows that you are prepared to always deliver exceptional service but that you will set defined parameters and boundaries with the clients that you work with the next question what is the most challenging part of being a virtual assistant now be very careful how you answer this next virtual assistant interview question do not say the most challenging part of being a va is working with difficult clients because if you do i don't think you will get hired instead talk about something that hinders your ability to do a great job for your clients here's an example answer what is the most challenging part of being a virtual assistant i would say the most challenging part of being a va is waiting on external contractors to complete their work which yours is dependent on so i have had some experience of deadlines getting very close because of the lack of urgency demonstrated by some online contractors however before hiring an external online contractor i now make sure i thoroughly check their previous work history their reviews and credentials and i make sure they agree to a contract that states all work must be completed and delivered within pre-agreed deadlines that's a great answer a smart answer to that common virtual assistant interview question now the next thing to do is please make sure you click that link right now in the top right hand corner of the video head through to my website pass my interview dot com and you can download my full set of 22 virtual assistant interview questions and top scoring answers including the ones i've just worked through today during this presentation it's a great resource you can literally have it within two minutes from now it's an instant download you get it as a pdf document and you can start preparing fully for your forthcoming virtual assistant interview make sure you check that guide out on my website please don't forget to subscribe to the channel i can then help you progress throughout your career negotiate a pay rise and also help you to you know pass every job interview you ever attend please give the video a like because that always motivates me to create more content for you thank you very much and don't forget to connect with me on linkedin i've put my linkedin link in the description below the video and it's always great to connect with like-minded professionals such as yourself thank you so much for watching and i wish you all the best for passing your virtual assistant interview have a fantastic day