Secretarial Service & Virtual Assistant

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Formatting complex documents, general typing and data entry.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I really enjoy working with people and helping to relieve them of the stress they often have when they need a job done. A lot of times, people come to me when they are not sure where else to turn. I treat each job as if it were as important to me as it is to my client. I am part of their team and it is my job to make them look good.

I get a kick out of seeing the look of pleasure and happiness when they see the care I take with their work. I'm building friendship and trust with my clients.. not just earning a paycheck.

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. I created a custom training class for a small group of people who wanted to learn Excel. The instructions said they were intermediate users who wanted to learn more about functions. So, I developed handouts for the class.

When I got there, I discovered that most of the attendees had not ever touched Excel before. So, on the fly, I taught a beginner-level class and managed to include enough new information that the two intermediate level attendees said they were impressed and pleased with the class.

I had a great time, and the attendees all said they enjoyed the class. Whew!

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I spend a significant amount of time reading online and reference books to keep my MOS certification and MCT certifications current. I am currently studying for the Office 2010 test.

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. I worked with a client formatting his masters dissertation. He sent me the typed draft, with separate photographs, maps, and appendices.

I inserted the photos and maps, formatted the document using outline numbered headings, alternating footers, literally hundreds of cross-references, and created a Table of Contents, List of Figures, List of Tables, List of Maps, and List of Appendices, as well as a Bibliography.

I converted it to a PDF and fine-tuned the list of bookmarks in the PDF.

The document ended up being 725 pages. This project spanned a month, including emails and phone calls with the client, and I charged the client $600.

We did the whole project electronically, and never had to travel or meet face-to-face.

I did not get this client through Thumbtack, but through a work acquaintance.