I’ve worked in industries as diverse as: 

Government, health care, insurance, law, entertainment (all facets), retail, manufacturing, cosmetics, auto, aerospace, investing, the courts, mortgage lending (I was a loan processor), real estate, the non-profit sector, advertising/PR/ marketing, hospitality, food service, and much, MUCH more.

I have a certificate in graphic design.

These are just a few of the skills I’ve acquired in those fields –

• I can set up, run and wrap up week-long out-of-town seminars  (from scratch!)
• I can put the pieces of a home loan together so it can be closed
• I can transcribe legal tapes, type contracts/motions, etc.
• I can write press releases, procedure manuals, articles, generic correspondence, interviews…you name it.
• Create and manage spreadsheets/charts/ tables to keep track of all sorts of things
• I can proofread and edit all kinds of documents; I know script & manuscript formats well
• I can make travel arrangements, create itineraries
• Create Power Point and other kinds of presentations
• Create newsletters, design stationery/ business cards/fliers/brochures and write the content for them
• I can handle databases – i.e., keeping track of when your clients need mailers and getting bulk mailings out on time
• I even worked as a celebrity coordinator for a charity tennis tournament years ago!

(Organizing is “my thing”)

And yes, I’ve gotten security clearances, in some (usually government) offices. I’ve also been a notary (I can re-test, if there’s a demand from my customers)

LET’S TALK CERTIFICATION

People in the VA biz are obsessed with getting certifications. On some VA’s sites you will see several listed. Keep in mind that no certification guarantees you a VA who is honest, intelligent, experienced, efficient or capable. But it’s a “seal of approval” that most seem to covet.

I looked into the process of getting certified; thus far I have found three alternatives -- There is a “university” that, for $1,000, conducts an on line course in secretarial, giving a test and handing out certifications. If their fee is too steep for any given VA wannabe, there’s a “professional organization” connected with them that can offer $500 scholarships (plus the cost of membership in their organization, of course. I joined that organization, didn’t like them and quickly left their ranks). That same organization claims to certify experienced secretaries as VA’s if they can be provided with resumes, college transcripts and references. Lots of them. Makes you wonder about the actual value of certification if it can be given by anyone inclined to grant it. Hmmm. (I HEREBY CERTIFY MYSELF!) Lastly, there is another “company” that gives a test, for a few hundred dollars (with a slight discount if you join their organization). It is necessary to make a reservation to take their test months in advance, pay several hundred dollars, spend weeks studying before the day-and-a-half-long test, only to answer questions that anyone who’s been doing secretarial for more than a week could answer.

Can you understand my hesitation in putting large amounts of money in the pockets of people/ organizations I don’t know (and, consequently, haven’t had proven to me that they’re in the position to judge my qualifications), to give me their official “seal of approval,” after I’ve been working as a secretary (and much more) for more than three decades? Would YOU spend a lot of money to prove to strangers that you’re qualified to do your job (when several impressive resumes, superior skills and great references will do that for you, free of charge)? No, me, either. If your comfort level doesn’t extend to hiring a VA who doesn’t have one of those cute little stickers, by all means find someone who has one (or two or three…) Happy hunting! What I have to offer instead is experience, skills, diversity, integrity, patience, tenacity, creativity, and a strong, double dose of the work ethic. If that isn’t enough for you, press on. I’ll understand. If it is, you’ve hit the jackpot, here! ;o)

For a list of my services, as well as talk of prices, see page two. Thanks.