Ahhhhh --- I do love spirited discussion! And please, anyone reading this, keep in mind I am speaking from my personal perspective. I am not trying to label, pin, pigeon-hole, or segregate anyone into something they are not.

When I speak of an "industry" I am picturing blue-collar, production focused work. Consider the auto industry, steel industry, electronics industry. "Industry" brings to the forefront of my mind manufacturing, or piece-work.

When I speak of "profession" I am picturing white-collar, accomplished expert. Consider teaching, medicine, consultants, or engineers. "Profession" brings to my mind education, what you know, not how much you produce.

It is not my intention to speak of industry with a negative tone. Both industry and profession are necessary. But I think in the case of the virtual assistant, we use the term "industry" incorrectly. Many of us call ourselves "professionals" but act as if we are working in an industry.

My clients are not paying for the number of pages I can produce in an hour. They are paying for my skill, education, and experience. If I worked in the auto industry, my employer would expect me to produce a certain amount during my shift. As an executive, I am paid for what I know.

I believe standardization will come to the profession in time. It may, in fact, be underway now. Clients expect that we are current on business software packages, working remotely, self-discipline, demonstrate trustworthiness and ethical business practices. Slackers or poor businesspersons will fall away after a period of time.

Tess, aren't there already some standards required in Web and IT? Don't most customers want some certifications in server management? Aren't the big guys in the browser world discouraging or forcing the use of CSS, Flash, and other programs?

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Robin A. Holstein
Robin's Desktop Virtual Administrative Services
My Blog