Week 7

Video Transcript

Hi everyone, it is Week 7! You are in the final stretch, and we are so proud of you. Keep moving forward;
you only have two more weeks to go!

Last week, you had the opportunity to improve your cover letter, resume, and LinkedIn profile. We hope
you feel more confident about these career tools and in your skills to tailor them to specific jobs.

This week, you will learn four key skills: how to Bid, Pitch, Interview, and Negotiate.

This week is a game-changer! You’re going to explore the world of freelancing and learn how to land
online work through bidding.

You will learn how to pitch yourself and shine in those moments when you meet someone influential
who could propel your career to new heights.

You’ll also get the inside scoop on how to ace interviews and negotiate like a pro. Hiring managers often
expect you to negotiate, but it’s all about having the confidence and skill to make your case.

As you’re sharpening these career tools, you will be sharpening your VA skills through the volunteer
opportunities you have lined up this week. This is your chance to practice your VA skills in real-world
scenarios and gain invaluable experience. Plus, volunteering is a fantastic way to network and connect
with potential clients.

As you volunteer, be courageous, and open-minded, and remember to practice a growth mindset. Treat
this as an experiment and a learning opportunity.

You will get out what you put in this week. All the best with your volunteer endeavors. We can’t wait to
learn all about your experiences.

Marketing yourself
1. Package yourself right-avoid looking like a beginner

a. Upwork account
b. Review the upwork account
c. Completed project and recommendation

2. Get ready to start accepting clients

3. find clients

Warm regards,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Job Title/Position]
[Your Contact Information]
[LinkedIn Profile (if applicable)]
What is a Bid

On platforms like Upwork or Freelancer, a bid is essentially a proposal you submit to a potential client in
response to a job posting. The bid outlines your interest in the project, your qualifications, and your
proposed terms for completing the work.

Bid vs. Cover Letter: A bid on these freelancing platforms functions similarly to a cover letter but is often
more detailed and specific to the project at hand. While a cover letter typically accompanies a resume in
traditional job applications and provides a broad overview of your qualifications and interest in a
position, a bid addresses the specifics of a single project or job posting.

Resume in Bids: Although a resume provides a comprehensive overview of your work history, skills, and
achievements, it is often not included directly in the bid on freelancing platforms. Instead, relevant
details from your resume are selectively highlighted in the bid to showcase your suitability for the
specific job.

Purpose of a Bid

A bid serves to:

 Introduce Yourself: Briefly introduce who you are and what you do.

 Showcase Relevance: Highlight your relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications that make
you a good fit for the job.

 Outline Your Approach: Describe how you plan to tackle the project, demonstrating your
understanding of the client’s needs.

 Provide Terms: State your proposed budget and timeline for completing the project.

 Engage the Client: Encourage the client to select you by demonstrating your enthusiasm,
professionalism, and readiness to start the work.

Elements of an Effective Bid

An effective bid should include the following elements:

 Professional Greeting: Address the client by name if possible.

 Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and mention your relevant background.

 Understanding of the Project: Summarize your understanding of the job requirements and why
you are interested in the project.

 Relevant Experience and Skills: Highlight specific skills and experiences that align with the job.
Include examples or brief case studies if applicable.
  Proposed Approach: Outline how you plan to complete the project. This demonstrates your
grasp of the task and your methodical approach.

 Budget and Timeline: Clearly state your proposed rate and the estimated time to complete the
project.

 Call to Action: End with a call to action, inviting the client to discuss further or review your
portfolio. Express your enthusiasm for the project.

 Professional Close: Sign off professionally with your name and contact information.

What is an Elevator Pitch?

You will likely find yourself in a situation where you must pitch yourself. This means talking about
yourself in a short period in a way that makes your listener want to learn more about you.

You might meet various professionals in the elevator, such as:

 A potential client who needs administrative support.

 A hiring manager from a company you’re interested in.

 An executive from a big top firm in your home town.

 A busy entrepreneur who could use help managing their schedule

What you say in these short moments of bumping into someone who can influence your career
trajectory, is often called an elevator pitch. Which is, the amount of time it should take to pitch yourself
to your potential future employer in one elevator ride, which is around 30-60 seconds.

Elevator Pitch Elements

Okay, now here are the basic elements of an introductory elevator pitch:

 Your Name

 Your background. This can be achievements or key relevant aspects of your education/work
experience.

 Any needed short context. Brief information that helps others understand your background
better. For example:

o “My background in the travel and leisure industry has contributed to my skills in travel
planning and my desire to pursue that further.”

o “I’ve always enjoyed working with complex spreadsheets and numbers. This makes me
efficient in completing data entry tasks and working in Google Sheets.”

 Highlights of your top skills. These could be the 3 key skills you highlighted in your resume
summary.
  Your value proposition.

o What you will bring to the table - the value you will add to a client/employer’s day-to-
day business.

o What makes you stand out, and why should they hire you? For example, “I am
resourceful, quick in action, and self-manage well.”

 Your ask. Be clear and say exactly what you want from the person you are communicating with.
For example, “If you need a fast and accurate typist to transcribe your meeting minutes, please
connect with me.”

 A professional close-out statement. For example, “I am eager to put my VA skills to good use
and help you meet your office goals.”

Elevator Pitch Elements

Okay, now here are the basic elements of an introductory elevator pitch:

 Your Name

 Your background. This can be achievements or key relevant aspects of your education/work
experience.

 Any needed short context. Brief information that helps others understand your background
better. For example:

o “My background in the travel and leisure industry has contributed to my skills in travel
planning and my desire to pursue that further.”

o “I’ve always enjoyed working with complex spreadsheets and numbers. This makes me
efficient in completing data entry tasks and working in Google Sheets.”

 Highlights of your top skills. These could be the 3 key skills you highlighted in your resume
summary.

 Your value proposition.

o What you will bring to the table - the value you will add to a client/employer’s day-to-
day business.

o What makes you stand out, and why should they hire you? For example, “I am
resourceful, quick in action, and self-manage well.”

 Your ask. Be clear and say exactly what you want from the person you are communicating with.
For example, “If you need a fast and accurate typist to transcribe your meeting minutes, please
connect with me.”

 A professional close-out statement. For example, “I am eager to put my VA skills to good use
and help you meet your office goals.”

 VA Elevator Pitch Example

  Pitch 1:
 Hi, I’m [Your Name]. With a background in digital marketing and administration, I
specialize in providing support to marketing consultants. My experience includes
managing social media, conducting research, and handling administrative tasks, which
allows consultants to focus on their clients and business growth. My strengths are
efficiency, organization, and proactive problem-solving. I bring these skills to streamline
your operations and support your business goals. If you need someone who can enhance
your productivity and manage your time-consuming tasks, please connect with me. I’m
eager to discuss how I can contribute to your success.
 Pitch 2:
 Hi there, I’m [Your Name]. Over the past four years, I have worked as a Virtual
Assistant, primarily serving small businesses and consultants. My background includes
extensive experience in organizing, multitasking, and proactively managing
administrative tasks. I excel at improving my clients’ productivity and saving them
valuable time. If you are seeking a reliable Virtual Assistant to support your business
growth and handle your administrative needs, please contact me. I am enthusiastic about
leveraging my skills to help you achieve your business goals and enhance your
efficiency.
 Pitch 3:
 Hello, I’m [Your Name]. I offer administrative and customer service support to small
businesses and consultants. My expertise lies in time management and problem-solving,
which significantly enhances operational efficiency and contributes to business growth. I
am dedicated, proactive, and reliable. If you are in need of a VA who can manage your
administrative tasks and support your business objectives, I’d be happy to discuss how I
can assist. I am eager to put my skills to good use and help you meet your business goals.

A Perfect Pitch

Your pitch won’t be perfect in one go. There is always room to improve. What is important is to create
the first pitch, then you can always improve on it as you go.

A while back, we asked VA graduates to record 2-minute elevator pitches. It was a video, so they had the
liberty of more time to deliver their pitch. Oke was one of those ALX VA graduates. When he was asked
to do a pitch video for us, he shared two videos.

Interviewing
With your expanding network and great resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, bid, and pitch, you are
likely to secure an interview.

When that time comes, there are some important things to keep in mind the key one being to always
consider the perspective of your potential employer.

Interview Considerations

1. Top on the employer’s mind is to find someone who will do the job well and make their life
easier. They are hoping you will be that person. So show them that you are!
2. Be as genuinely enthusiastic and positive as you can without “overdoing it.” The employer wants you
to be excited about the work. Your genuine enthusiasm means you’re more likely to stay in the job and
more likely to do a good job.

3. Do your homework. Learn as much as you can about the organization and the role ahead of time. This
also shows the employer that you’re excited about this specific job.

4. Try to understand what their questions indicate about what they really need, and offer the best
evidence you can to show you can meet their needs. Giving specific examples of past accomplishments
and experiences is always helpful.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions too. It demonstrates that you’re a curious person and that you’re truly
interested in the job.

Common Interview Questions

Here are 5 very common job interview questions:

1. Why are you interested in this job?

2. Tell me about a project you’ve managed in the past.

3. Tell me about a time in the past that you’ve failed, or made a mistake. What did you learn?

4. What are your best skills / greatest strengths?

5. What are your areas for growth / biggest weaknesses?

How can you answer these questions in ways that communicate to the employer you are excited about
and qualified for the job they need done?

For guidance on how to answer these common interview questions, read this short article by the New
York Times.

You can also find more common interview questions, with example answers in this article: 50+ Most
Common Interview Questions and Answers. Scan through the list and note interview questions you think
you will likely get but may struggle to answer.

Job Offers

When you do receive a job offer, you will likely be very excited and keen to immediately accept to secure
your spot.

The truth is most employers will expect you to negotiate the pay that they first offer you. Employers
often start with a lower offer than what they can actually pay because they expect you - the candidate to
counter.

By negotiating, you can potentially increase your salary, which sets a higher base for future raises and
benefits. It’s also an opportunity to discuss other aspects of the job, such as responsibilities, work-life
balance, and professional development opportunities. Here are some tips to navigate the process:
Approach to Job Offers

 Express enthusiasm and positivity at being offered the job, excitement about the role, and
confidence about your ability to do it well.

 Do not immediately accept the first offer. There are certain jobs that only offer one fixed salary,
but usually, a company is expecting you to negotiate and so they offer you a lower salary than
they are ultimately willing to pay.

 Ask for a little more than what you actually want or expect to get. If you use a range, make sure
the bottom of the range is acceptable to you. They are unlikely to accept what you ask for but
may meet you in the middle.

 Do research and be informed about the average salaries for similar roles with similar
experience. You can check websites like [Link] or [Link], and talk with
professionals that you know to try and gather information. You can say something like, “I’ve
been doing some research and also interviewing with other companies. The average salary I’ve
seen is [$X]. I’d really like to work for you. Are you able to be competitive with these other
companies?”

 Be prepared to remind them of why you’re worth what you’re asking for. What are the key
skills and experience you bring? And remember, they agree, because they want to hire you!

 You can also negotiate things other than salary: vacation days, ability to work from home, etc.

Charging Online As a Freelancer

 The big dilemma that many freelancers face is how much to charge a client for a
task? It’s a diverse topic among freelancers but some common guidelines can be
followed to set a competitive and satisfactory rate. Before we get into these
guidelines, let’s first talk about the primary methods of earning for freelancers.
 Most online job offers for a project, task, deliverable, or hour of work include a
total amount that the client is willing to pay. This client-set rate is a reliable
benchmark for freelancers to bid on the project. Payment can come in three or
more methods.

Methods of Charging as a Freelancer

 Hourly - This is when you are paid for the hours it takes to complete a task. This method
requires you to keep a time sheet or log where you record the hours you spend each day
to complete a particular task for a client. Some freelance websites like Upwork have tools
that help you track how many hours you work on a task.
 This charging method requires you to be ethical, fair, and honest regarding the number
of hours you work. If you don’t keep a time sheet or log of your hours, you might
disadvantage yourself or your client by underestimating or overestimating the hours you
actually worked.
 Per Project/Task - This is when you are paid to reach a certain milestone (point) or
finish a task. This method does not consider how long it takes you to do the task and
 requires careful charging. The benefits are that clients favor this method, and you might
get paid more for a task that only requires a little time. Conversely, there is a risk of not
fully considering what it entails to complete a task and charging too little for a task that
will take up a lot of time and resources.
 On Retainer - This is mostly for experienced freelancers who repeatedly perform tasks
for a particular client. Simply put, a retainer agreement is a contract, typically lasting
several months or years, that ensures a freelancer will be paid a specific amount each
month for a specific number of hours or projects. This method of charging provides
financial stability and security for freelancers, but it is not the easiest method to get.
One’s relationship with a client, experience, track record and credibility as a freelancer
play a big part.
Setting Your Freelance Rate
Whether you work hourly, per project, or on retainer, determining your rate as a freelancing VA
can be a difficult decision. It often comes with the worry of charging too little and undercutting
yourself or charging too much and losing a potential client.
There is no standard cost that one should charge, and choosing the appropriate amount
necessitates taking numerous factors into account including:
 The going market rate for the same type of work and required skills to complete the job.
Good places to look are freelance websites, [Link], and [Link].
 An income range of how much you want to earn (the lowest and highest amounts you
would like to earn per hour or per job), e.g., between $10-25 per hour.
 The rate your client is willing to pay if known.
 What your competitors are offering to do the same work.
 What it costs to do freelancing work, e.g., WiFi, computer, or running a generator.
These factors combined can make charging a bit challenging for beginners.
The real question is how much should you use as your standard VA rate? The most honest
answer is that you will have to do the work, research the above considerations, and determine a
personal rate that’s competitive, comfortable, and rewarding for you. There is no one set fee.
For those considering taking the freelance route, please read this comprehensive guide by
Upwork on how to set your rate as a freelancer.
This helpful article How to Set Your Freelance Rates When You Have No Clue Where to
Start on [Link] can also help you think through setting a standard freelancing rate.
It speaks in greater detail to the considerations we mentioned above.