One of the first things I did when I finally became successful making money with my websites is hired some virtual assistants (VA). It was one of those situations where I wanted to spend less time on things I didn't enjoy and more time on things that I did.
So giving those tasks to a VA just made “cents” literally for me and them. It gave me far more time to focus on activities that I enjoyed such as babbling here with you. Not surprisingly it also made me more money because I had more free time to try different ideas out. Unfortunately for you, I don't have plans to hire any new assistants because I have two wonderful ones in Denise & Callie that have been with me for many years. As much as my wife hates it, but she handles a lot of my “personal assistant” tasks as well. LOL
But fear not, there are plenty of other business owners out there that need virtual assistants. So if you ever wanted to become a virtual assistant you might enjoy the following review on Zirtual.com
Who is Zirtual?
We all know I'm not a great speller so you may think I've made a typo. But no, “Zirtual” is the actual name of the company. The company is basically a virtual assistant service that offers virtual assistant and personal concierge services to people all around the world. Zirtual was founded in 2011 in Las Vegas and has headquarters in San Francisco, CA. Their virtual assistants are referred to as ZAs (Zirtual Assistants)
What Do Zirtual Assistants Do?
Zirtual assistants are hired to do a number of tasks. They include one or more of the following:
- Sending out birthday cards
- Ordering flowers
- Making travel arrangements reservations
- Scheduling meetings
- Conducting research
- Making telephone calls
- Coordinating plans
- Sending out and responding to e-mails.
Whatever an assistant is usually tasked to do, you may be expected to do but from the comfort of your home!
How Much Do Zirtual Assistants Earn?
That's a good question! But alas the company is allusive about this. Based on the research I've done, it seems to range from $10-$15 per hour. But don't quote me on that! It seems to vary depending on the client and the plan they have paid Zirtual.com to hire virtual assistants.
What is Required to be a Zirtual Assistant?
According to their website, here's what they're looking for in a potential ZA:
- Prompt responses to clients' questions and requests
- Internet savviness
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong internet research skills
- Strong communication skills
- Strong problem solving skills
- A high-speed internet connection
- Solid phone access; landline or dependable cell phone
- Availability during working hours to respond to and engage with your clients
- Familiarity with standard assistant tools like Google Docs, GCal, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.
- Strong desire to help people and a positive attitude
How To Become a Zirtual Assistant
At the moment they only hire U.S. based workers. Sorry my international brothers and sisters. Eddy loves you though and you can check out my international options here.
For US based workers, you can proceed to work for this company by submitting your application by clicking here.
Assuming you can get past the application review, then there are a gang of other steps to get through which include:
- Finish sample tasks that Zirtual Assistants would normally do.
- Complete questionnaires about yourself & your experience.
- Create a video of yourself responding to interview like questions and posting the video on Vimeo.
- You'll have a one on one Skype video interview with a Zirtual Employee.
- You must be willing to complete a background check.
- There is a personality test.
There may be some other things I'm missing but as you can see it's very “comprehensive” to say the least.
Zirtual Assistant Complaints
As with any company there are always things that people won't like. It doesn't mean the company is negative or bad. It's just that no company is perfect and there is bound to be things that rub folks the wrong way. So it's better to know them beforehand so you can avoid them altogether or so you can make a better informed decision. Either way, let's dive into the cons of this company down below.
Excessive Screening Process
The Zirtual worker screening process is a little “cray cray” to say the least. Is this a virtual assistant job or are we applying to be FBI agents? The hiring process can be viewed as a gift and curse depending on which side you're on. As a business owner that has hired a few virtual assistants, I can tell you that it could be a nightmare if you have the wrong one. A lot of time is wasted training and filtering out bad folks. So I can appreciate that Zirtual does this for me. But as a work at home seeker the hoops that Zirtual makes you go through may seem excessive and not worth the effort. And I suspect that's exactly what they want so they can get a certain type of worker.
Allusive Zirtual Assistant Salary
I hate when companies aren't upfront about salaries. It feels shady and it's almost as if they have something to hide. We all have different lifestyles and needs. So it's very important to know beforehand how much money you can make with a company. You don't want to end up wasting your time and energy on something that won't meet your needs. Considering the lengthy process that Zirtual makes workers go through, I think it's a damn shame they don't just tell you beforehand what you can expect. Even a range on the salary is better than not knowing at all.
Lottery Chances of Getting Hired
Like so many work at home jobs the chances of actually getting hired by Zirtual.com is very slim to none. It's a huge reason why I just opted to be my own boss via My #1 Free Recommendation. I got tired of not hearing from employers or being rejected even though I was qualified. With that said, I've read that only 3-5% of the people that apply to Zirtual get interviewed and even less are actually hired. It seems like you have a better chance of winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning. But that does happen to people so you may be lucky.
Must Be College Educated
So let me get this straight, if you have years of work experience that doesn't matter to Zirtual because you didn't get a piece of paper from a school? I've always found this requirement to be ridiculous for certain jobs. Keep in mind I went to college so I'm not biased. But I've always been a big believer in judging people by their own merit and experience not by a piece paper. Because I can tell you from experience there are a lot of unqualified college educated workers out there. So it's a shame that Zirtual uses this to filter out people that may be great for their company!
So Is Zirtual A Scam Or Legit?
It's definitely not a scam. It's been around for a number of years, it has a lot of private funding and the business is a sound one. But with that said, it doesn't mean it's a great option for you. You have to consider the cons I've mentioned above and determine if any of them are a deal breaker for you. Ultimately that's up to you to decide.
I think there are a lot of hoops to jump for a position in which you don't even know how much money you'll really make. And let's say the rate listed above is correct, is it really enough for your needs? I don't like any glass ceilings on how much I make. And I certainly don't want any employer or company to determine my worth. I'd prefer to do that which is why I moved away from work at home jobs and decided I was better suited to be my own boss. Fortunately with my #1 Free Work At Home Recommendation, I'm now able to make exactly what I want from home and whenever I want it. It's that type of freedom no work at home job will ever give me. But to each their own.
I hope you have enjoyed my Zirtual Assistant Review. If so, do what thousands of other smart work at home seekers have done and become a subscriber by clicking here. And if you really like me you can stalk me… I mean find me on the following social networks, Facebook, Twitter or Google +. LOL Thanks for the support either way!
In any event, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to chime in down below in the comment section. Let me know your thoughts about this opportunity. Don't be shy, I won't bite you. LOL
Speak to you soon!
Eddy with a Y!
I currently work for Zirtual and honestly, I love my job.
The screening process IS rigorous – and it’s the type of process that’s either going to get one very excited about the company, its culture, and the type of work they’re going to be doing, or make those who want the paycheck for minimal effort run for the hills.
Having worked with Zirtual for awhile now, I can tell you they put a lot into their employees from the start. It simply doesn’t make good business sense to expend unnecessary resources on the “wrong” people, leading to an unnecessary amount of churn causing even more resources expended to hire and train those who still might be the “wrong” people. When you find what works, you focus your resources there. None of us with any good sense handle our personal budgets on uncertainty, do we? We check the food we buy to make sure it’s of a quality we require, we install reputable personal home security, we choose a childcare provider who we believe will be the best fit. We expend our resources on what we know works for us.
Why would a business not do the same? Knowing what you’re investing in is crucial, and it’s a lot more “sane” to see how people are going to do the job before putting them into it than hoping a resume, a document designed to highlight (and sometimes embellish) 100% strength and 0% weakness, is an accurate reflection of who that person is. The law of the vital few works in business for a reason.
Now, don’t get me wrong – it IS a very strenuous process to be hired – but I was grateful that I wasn’t dealing with a company who was unclear about what was expected of me, and that they wanted to be sure that I was right for the job (and that I knew the job was right for me).
There have been communication issues in the past; management on every level has owned this and has been very proactive about eliminating this issue.
I honestly couldn’t be happier with my job; I still wonder sometimes how I got so lucky that I don’t have to look over my shoulder on a daily basis wondering where the next troublemaker is coming from, how secure my job is, or whether the company I work for even realizes that I’m a human being. And then I remember – I didn’t get lucky at all. I worked hard and earned my job.
Sorry but you sound like you’re one of the owners of Zirtual Assistant. LOL
That said I understand the motive behind some of the processes that Zirtual Assistant makes applicants go through. But regardless it still seems excessive.
I don’t agree that someone that takes issue with the process is somehow not hard working. It’s an overgeneralization you’re making. I liken it to people making the assumption that because someone doesn’t have a college degree they’re not as smart or hard working as someone that doesn’t. It’s utter BS.
Ultimately ZA has the right to run their company anyway they think seems fit to get the right candidates for a given business. And fortunately virtual assistants have many options outside of this company if they can’t get through the stringent process.
That all said, I don’t think the company is bad at all. And I’m sure there are many assistants that enjoy working for them. Although I still feel like you’re actually management and not an assistant the way your comment reads. But I could be wrong. LOL
Either way, I appreciate you chiming in.
Definitely not a great word choice there. Clients aren’t owners of their ZAs.
My point was not that someone who views the process as excessive is “not hard working,” but rather that there is a certain type of person who is right for the job and certain others who aren’t. We see this in pretty much any skilled occupation on the planet; a certain type of person does it best. For example, a homebody who does not enjoy being away would not necessarily be a great fit in the truck driving industry (save for local hauls) – it doesn’t mean they don’t work hard, just that they’re not the right fit for what the job needs. Likewise, a person who cannot manage their personal finances is probably not a great fit for banking.
The education requirements you’re referring to are, by the way, outdated and have been for quite some time – but when that education requirement was in place, the service was being advertised to place clients with a college educated assistant – so, yes, people needed to have the level of education required. Otherwise, the company is lying to its consumer outright.
It’s great never having to worry that your clients won’t be properly taken care of if you have an emergency and someone needs to take over for a day or two… you get very attached to them and it would be much harder to focus on situations when life is happening if one needed to worry that another ZA would not be taking care of their tasks properly, thus leaving more work for you to return to. If life happens, I know that the ZA who steps in while I’m handling it is just as interested in creating a great experience for my client as I am, will deliver equal quality of work, and will keep me up to date on anything that transpires in that time to minimize my catch-up time.
I’m not management, just have a different perspective than you, which I’ve thought about enough to be able to support logically. I do absolutely love Zirtual, and have an understanding of why their screening process makes sense and works for them. I’ve personally seen it working for the company, and don’t believe that it’s necessary to venture into practices that may or may not work for the company in order to make any given person more eligible for the position. The world just doesn’t work that way.
Well I’m glad you cleared up your choice of words because it sounded like you were implying anyone that didn’t want to go through the exhaustive process had some type of lesser work ethic which we know is nonsense.
That said I’m happy to hear the whole college requirement has been lifted. I understand if an employer requires it then it makes sense. In either case, I’ve already expressed that I can understand the business implications of all the hoops that ZA makes applicants jump through. But regardless from the worker side I can still appreciate how they would view the whole process as excessive. So I see both sides of the fence and they have merit either way.
I think we’ve pretty much beat the topic to death at this point. Thanks for sharing your insight again. There is always room for intelligent discussion and I enjoy it. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. And I definitely enjoy having a discussion with folks like yourself that can be intelligent and don’t resort to name calling or any of the other crap I’ve seen from rep trying to defend a company they’re part of.
Zirtual is a very cruel company! Let me tell you about my experience. Over the course of three years, I’ve been applying over and over at Zirtual. I put my heart into it but it never seemed to pay off. Then finally, last month (Nov 2014) I applied and was hired.
Day one began but little did I know, it would be my first and last day. I began training, they wanted us to use Google Hangout of the training which I didn’t object to because I’ve used it before. That’s when I started having technical issues. I had brought up Google Hangout on my Firefox browser and there were a lot of people on it as well which made it run slow, and, on occasion, freeze. This was odd seeing as how this was a fairly new computer. I had to shut down three times during the work hours and even fight through the constant error messages I was received. The instructors were aware of my troubles see as how I was in a constant state of going in and out of the chat. We had two chats in between which we were assigned work which I completed the bulk of but my computer made it hard for me. Near the end of the chat, I manage to find the problem and fix it. We were assigned a break which I used to work off a headache but I got back to work before the break officially ended to catch up on the work. However, before I could finish the work, the instructor messaged me. I explain everything to him about three times. I told him about the technical problems I had experienced which he should have known seeing as how one of the instructors brought the issue to the group’s attention…..he did not care one bit! I responded to an email he sent earlier telling him everything was fine and it was because by the time I sent that email the problem was fixed. You see, they give us a certain amount of time to finish the work…..I spent most of that time trying to explain to him what happened. I could have finished in time but even before the training day ended, he told me that I was terminated. I think that it is extremely cruel considering the circumstances, you would think that they would be a little more merciful seeing as how it was my first day. I was also told that I couldn’t apply again. Zirtual is a truly cruel company and in truth, I would never want to work for people like that so it’s a good thing that they let me go.
Hey Tim,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I’m sorry to hear how it ended badly. Technical issues can make you or break you in any situation. Unfortunately in this situation it worked against you. The issue is supply and demand. They know they can easily replace you with someone that isn’t experiencing this issue. It’s just messed up either way. Sorry again.
But there are other fish in the sea so be sure you keep looking for them.
Well, I was just rejected today! I would love to be a fly on the wall and see the resumes of those that they actually have hired. Congrats to you all! I was completely shocked that they rejected me. I’m a 41 y.o. with many years of Executive Assistant experience. More recently, I’ve spent the past 8 years working in Los Angeles in the film/TV industry in one of the most highly respected, stressful, admin jobs in existence. I’ve worked for/with Clint Eastward, Tim Meadows, Jon Lovitz, Kris Kristofferson, …the list goes on…(100s more). I had to leave L.A., about a year ago, for some family business in the Mid-West (literally out in the sticks). The film/TV industy does not exist here and so I’m left with little local town retail jobs. I discovered Zirual online during my job hunt and thought it would be perfect for my current situation. Funny…..I can easily obtain a $70K per year job in L.A. but….not good enough for $12 online job making reservations and researching travel arrangements. Completely dumbfounded and disappointed! I’m curious… Zirtual says that you can reapply after 30 days, right? How in the world will that make any kind of impact different than the 1st time around? Our resumes will remain unchanged. Our college education (for most my age) will remain the same. The utmost attention to detail and presentation when completing their tasks…unchanged. I’m also curious to know what the ages are of those that are applying. Zirtual doesn’t hide the fact that they are a “young” excited group. Not that I blatantly advertised my age but upon reviewing my resume and taking note of when I attended college …easy to conclude that I’m not right out of college. Anyway… I suppose I’m here to encourage my fellow “Rejectees” to keep your chins up and to keep on keeping on.
Sorry to hear that Kay! It sounds like you have some great experience that would have been perfect for this position. But when one door closes there is usually another that opens. We just have to make sure we’re not focused on the closed door and clearly you’re not.
Thanks for sharing your experience and here’s to bigger and better things for you!
Hi Eddy,
I just left Zirtual, and they pay their assistants $12-$13 per hour. You’re spot on about their lack of transparency. Although I had a great experience overall, I wouldn’t say I was compensated appropriately for the work I was doing.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Hopefully you’re on to bigger and better things.
I wasn’t offended jumping through the hoops for a few reasons. I’ve had much worse interviews with surly and downright rude people who wanted the moon for a fraction of what the minimum salary commands even in the current job market.
This type and length interview gave me a chance to figure out if this was a job I could do, or even wanted to do. Another reason is that I really believe that many think telecommuting is slumming a paycheck without a lot of effort and only working when they want. Yes, protection for the company and the clients having heavily workers. As it should be.
So yeah, I can work in my PJ’s some days, don’t have to drive anywhere and battle weather or traffic, and I can pop downstairs for coffee or lunch without “clocking out”.
The services Zirtual offers have high standards and you have to be able and willing to DO THE WORK! And that means being ENGAGED and PROACTIVE with your clients.
I couldn’t be happier working for Zirtual! And I hope clients are similarly thrilled to be working with me!
Caron,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don’t think anyone has a problem with a detailed interview. But I think the tasks should dictate how deep the interview process should be.
A CIA agent should go through a lot more of rigorous interview than a virtual assistant that may only be responsible for posting comments on a blog for instance.
So again, I just think it’s a way to make their lives a little easier in terms of getting rid of people who won’t subject themselves to jumping through unnecessary hoops.
Fortunately there are people like you who don’t mind so it works out for Zirtual. Thanks again for sharing.
I was told once by a very successful man. Whatever you do in life have an assistant. He says if you write have an assistant edit. If you paint have your assistant to market. He was right I’m still working on getting the money part in but I have an assistant she is amazing and worth every penny.
That is some wise advice and so very true! It just makes your life easier and you can be a lot more productive. You only have so many hours in a day. So having an assistant helps maximize it.
It’s definitely a great business to be in!
Thanks for chiming in Selina!
well personally Eddy, I think it is good to have the hoops to jump through to protect a business. There are a lot of people out there slumming. I wouldn’t feel offended jumping through the hoops, but I am an ex government employee so I am used to it.
Kat,
As I said above as a business owner I can appreciate the rigor of the screening process. But as a work at home seeker, I would find it excessive. It can go either way depending on your point of view.
Like I said, it’s a gift and curse. Either way, I appreciate you chiming in! It’s always good to hear from my readers. So thanks!