Hi,

I'm doing some research on different educational opportunities for VAs and wanted to see if I could get some feedback.

One of the big draws to the VA industry for me was the opportunity to be constantly learn new things - a big plus and minus LOL! Love to learn but I can't learn it all. These great ebooks, training programs, software recommendations etc are always coming in my inbox and sometimes it is just so hard to say no. When I say yes.... then I have to find time to actually get through the program/training.

I'm getting better and I have learned a few tricks on how to evaluate.

So how do you evaluate and select the different opportunities out there and then how do present these new skills to your clients?

Thanks!
Marta

I take a lot of the free educational courses offered through different venues. But, after I have done this I make sure I am "good" at it then I will add it to my list of services. The way to present it to an existing client is to ask if this is a service they need now or will need in the future. Let them know you have taken the courses and that whenever they are ready to use this new service of yours, to let you know.

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

I love learning also, and am enjoying the freedom as a VA to have so many choices for development available to me.

I continually take part in webinars and seminars to get exposure to all parts of the industry. Those areas that I want to expand my expertise or knowledge in, I seek for additional training. I find many seminars/webinars/teleclasses are teasers for more in-depth training or coaching, and I like having the preview - plus a good presenter always provides useful information to take away.

For example, I am currently taking part in a 6 week program with Hot Skills VA Training, and start another course with VAClassroom later this month.

For me, cost is a factor and how it compares to other similar training programs/courses out there in terms of content, mode of delivery, length etc. I also take into consideration the "popularity" of the presenter - are they known in the industry - do they know the industry?

Hope that helps!

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Crystal Coleman, The Northern Edge

I am going through this right now. There are so many classes I want to take but have to decide which ones I want to pay for and which ones I can do for free.

The free training out there is sometimes more difficult to complete because you can do that at your own leisure and you aren't accountable to anyone.

I seem to do better when I pay for classes / training because I have to turn in assignments. It keeps me accountable.

My goal is to take some kind of training at least once a year. Great time to start now!

There are classes I would like to take also but am wary because I do not know if the quality of the content is worth the price. For the present, I am looking for free or low cost classes only. Ideal VA's consideration of the popularity of the presenter as a way to evaluate the class is a good one.

Janet
eBusinessOnlineSupport

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Janet Falkenberg
ExecuStrive, Details Get Done

My suggestion for evaluation would be to ask the following questions:

-Is the person teaching the course successful and making a living doing the thing they want to teach?

-Is there viable [can you trace it back to an actual person] feedback from other VAs who have taken the courses and are now making money using the learned skills?

-How long has the person been teaching/been in business?

I used to say that I would be hard pressed to find a course I'd pay for - simply because there is so much free information out there and great books at an affordable price. But self-study isn't for everyone and I've come to the conclusion that there are some really great educational opportunities for VAs out there. For example, check the boards for threads on VA Classroom, you'll find LOTS of positive feedback about them.

If there's a course you're considering taking and want to know what others have thought, post a new thread about it and get some feedback. Peer evaluation is the BEST way to get a real perspective on value for cost and long-term application of skills learned in a course.

Good luck!

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I'm also looking at taking some courses but I am waiting to see what kind of demand I have for my services so that I can focus on one thing at the time and go where the demand is. If there are good free or inexpensive online courses that anyone can suggest, I would love some info please.

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Genevieve Lachance
VA Simple Services

First, I have to say that I agree with Tess, doing your due diligence will save you time and money in the long run. Besides evaluating courses for service you can offer you may want to look to those that will help you with your business.

Genevieve, depending on the course you want there are many options out there but one that I found was Ed2Go which offers non-credit continuing professional development. Also, if taking a course through them check your local community college first since many offer the same course but at discounted rates. HP Small Business center also offers basic courses focused on business development. There should be a thread somewhere but I am not sure where.

I take classes regularly and choose based on improvement of service, improvement of business processes and if it is of interest to me. I am big on continuing education and have found many viable free and low cost programs. Keep in mind thought that many lower cost programs are self-study and that does not work for everyone.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

Thanks Lee! I looked at Ed2Go and it looks very interesting. I'll see if there anything I can take this month. I would imagine that Canadians can also take these courses. I love this board! So much good stuff from all of you!

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Genevieve Lachance
VA Simple Services

Genevieve,

You can take the course from the Ed2Go site so it should not matter that you are in Canada. Work of caution, even though they are self-study you only have so much time to complete the course. Each section is released once per week with the final exam given at the end of the time frame and then you usually have 2 weeks to complete that. So while there is much flexibility, there still is a time frame involved. One bonus though is all sections include a print option so you can save as a PDF or paper print for reference as you need it.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant