Most Profitable Skills to Learn in 2024

There’s never been a better time to be a virtual assistant than now. But it’s crucial you understand which the best skills are to unlock your earning potential. The sheer variety of industries incorporating virtual assistants into their workforce is rapidly growing, so there are numerous skills to master. But what are the most profitable skills to learn in 2024?

Time is a valuable currency and one which you can’t replace when it runs out. Therefore, if you’re starting out as a virtual assistant, you need to know exactly where you should be concentrating your learning. So, where exactly do you start?

Enhancing Your Skillset

The most profitable skills to learn in 2024 for a virtual assistant are simple once you know what they are. However, gaining an understanding of these skills isn’t something you can pluck out of thin air. You need to learn and understand these skills inside out. Sadly, many newcomers to the world of virtual assistants give up when they’re unable to pinpoint the best skills to learn. Luckily, we’re on hand to take you through the very best skills you need in 2024:

Mastering IT:

One of the cornerstones of being a successful virtual assistant is a mastery of IT skills. First, and foremost, you need to show you are fully proficient in the most widely used software applications. As a starting point, understanding every tool and feature within the Microsoft 365 environment is critical in 2024. It’s also advisable to develop your skills in the world of website building, as these remain a core driver of business for organizations. The aim is to paint yourself as an indispensable IT talent. One who can make the difference when it comes to IT operations.

Social media marketing:

With close to 5 billion social media users online, tapping into the power of social media is a priority for businesses. This means it’s essential for budding virtual assistants to hone their social media skills. Accordingly, you need to demonstrate that not only do you understand how to use social media platforms, but also how to get the best out of them. So, for example, learning how to use social media management tools such as Buffer – where you can schedule posts across multiple platforms – will mark you out as an expert in the field.

Managing emails:

Businesses have been working closely with email for over 25 years. But it’s a form of communication which shows no signs of slowing up. Dealing with emails, therefore, is a time-consuming task. But, as a virtual assistant, if you can learn the best ways to organize and manage an inbox, you’re almost guaranteed to be in demand. For example, knowing how to set up efficient filtering systems to redirect mail. Determine whether individual emails are essential/non-essential is vital. Additionally, being able to set up effective labelling systems to give context to in emails in an inbox is a valuable skill.

Legal skills:

one of the most exciting areas to become a virtual assistant in is the legal industry. However, the work undertaken by legal firms is highly specific and complex. So developing your skills is integral in making it in this niche. Consequently, brushing up on your legal terminology should be one of your main priorities. This will allow you to handle numerous legal tasks with ease. It’s also a good idea to acquaint yourself with the most popular legal software tools such as MyCase and PracticePanther. So that you’re well positioned to hit the ground running with any legal firms.

Data entry:

In the big data age, it’s critical for businesses to have access to accurate data in order to make decisions. And inputting this data into databases is one of the most common tasks allocated to virtual assistants. As such, you need to make sure your data entry skills are at the top of their game. Accuracy, of course, is crucial, so take the time to hone your typing skills on websites such as Typing and Keybr. It’s also important for you to train yourself in the art of proofreading. This will allow you to strengthen the accuracy of the data you are inputting.

Communication:

As virtual assistants become increasingly popular in 2024, communication skills are essential if you are looking to start a career in this niche. Effective communication will allow you to understand your clients' needs and preferences. You also need to learn how to optimize your usage of the most common communication channels in 2024 such as Skype, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Outlook. Furthermore, strong communication skills will enable you to provide accurate updates and an excellent level of customer service. So, in conclusion, communication is easily one of the most profitable skills to learn in 2024.

Copywriting:

Copywriting has consistently proven itself to be a high value skill, and this makes it an ideal area to focus your learning on. This is because copywriting is an integral part of any business which needs clients. After all, copywriting is used to put together sales literature, marketing campaigns, and web design. So it needs to be carefully crafted to tempt potential clients into the conversion funnel. And, if you want to engage readers, your skills need to be world class. Concentrate on learning how to create copy which not only engages the reader. But also compels them to act at the end of it.

E-commerce:

E-commerce remains a highly popular and lucrative method for businesses to generate revenue, and a virtual assistant can play a crucial role in this. Understanding the fundamentals of e-commerce will instill you with a sense of value which employers are unable to ignore. These skills are numerous, but the best ones to demonstrate include optimizing product descriptions, managing stock inventories and handling orders. By learning how to combine all these skills together, you will generate new sales opportunities and prove yourself to be an asset.

Real estate:

One of the most profitable skills to learn in 2024 is how to succeed as a real estate virtual assistant. But, if you want to hone your real estate skills, where do you start? Well, the best place to start is with your people skills, as you will need to learn how to foster genuine relationships with clients. Also, cold calling remains a pivotal part of the sales process, so work on developing your skills in this area. And, finally, make a point of learning how to get the best out of third-party listings websites such as  Mashvisor and Property Radar.

Moving Forwards as a Virtual Assistant

Now you know what the most profitable skills to learn in 2024 are. It’s time to take that next step on your virtual assistant journey. It’s not essential to learn every single skill to succeed as a virtual assistant, but a mastery of multiple skills will help you stand out. And those who stand out earn the most money. Consequently, the long term benefits of investing your energies in learning new skills are immeasurable.

At Pineapple, we want to help you achieve your best as a virtual assistant. With an ever-growing pool of clients looking for virtual assistants, we can take the hard work out of securing employment. We are also here to carefully guide you and prevent you from making the most common virtual assistant mistakes. Getting started with Pineapple is simple, just click here to get in touch and find out where we can take you.