Become a Virtual Assistant

You will learn how to become a virtual assistant, including: what a virtual assistant does and how to provide virtual assistant services, how to develop your skills to succeed in a virtual assistant career, how to get hired for a job as a virtual assistant, and how to start your own virtual assistant business and get clients.

What Happens in the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course

The Virtual Assistant Certificate course is an online learning program with suggested readings from the textbook (IAP Career College Guide to Become a Virtual Assistant ). This course is self directed, which means you may study and complete assignments at times that are most convenient for you from the comfort of your own home.

This part-time Virtual Assistant Certificate Course has a recommended completion date of 6 weeks from the start of the program, however, you may choose to complete the course in as little as 2 weeks or as long as 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.

The Virtual Assistant Certificate Course has been created to allow you to complete it without any teaching assistance. However, if you have questions or need assistance, you can receive help from a Faculty Member throughout the 6 weeks of the course. Your Faculty Member is a valuable resource person who can provide you with personal teaching assistance to help you succeed in the course and advice to help you succeed in the career.

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Course Topics

The Virtual Assistant Certificate Course has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you can display with pride the Virtual Assistant Certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College.

Introduction to Virtual Assistance

  • What is a Virtual Assistant?
  • Services Provided by a Virtual Assistant
  • Benefits of Being a Virtual Assistant

What a Virtual Assistant Does

  • Choosing Your Niche
  • How to Do a Client Consultation
  • Understanding Your Clients’ Learning Style
  • Evaluating Your Performance
  • Managing Your Time and Productivity
  • Setting Policies, Processes and Procedures
  • Working with Strategic Partners

Getting Hired for Subcontract Work

  • Who Hires Subcontractors
  • How to Find Telecommuting Opportunities
  • Job-Hunting Materials
  • Interviews

Starting Your Own Business

  • Creating a Business Plan
  • Financial Matters
  • Working with Support Staff

Getting Clients

  • Choosing Your Target Markets
  • Marketing Tools
  • Marketing Techniques
  • Selling Your Services
  • Meeting with a Prospective Client
  • Client Contracts
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What Is Included in the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course

This all-inclusive Virtual Assistant Certificate Course package includes:

  • Registration for the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course
  • Lifetime access to course materials
  • Access to a Faculty Member to provide you with personal teaching assistance and career advice
  • (Optional) 2026 membership in the IAPO International Association of Professional Virtual Assistants for only US$ 2.99 per month
  • Downloadable Virtual Assistant Certificate personalized with your name and the seal of the International Association of Professions Career College which you may print
  • (Optional) Opportunity to order official certificates printed on fine linen paper and embossed with the gold seal of the college
  • Textbook: IAP Career College Guide to Become a Virtual Assistant (e-book edition)

 

Register for the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course


FALL SPECIAL
Easy changes and cancellations
It’s easy to change or cancel your course registration. See our FAQ page for details.

You can have all this for an incredible price. It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other programs. (We found courses based on old editions of our guides with registration fees of up to $999 and more.) We are able to offer you online courses at a significantly lower cost to you because of our expertise from over 20 years of producing the leading online guides for non-traditional careers.

Our online certificate courses have previously been offered for a registration fee of $297 U.S. and include a textbook and professional membership – a total value of almost $377.

FALL SPECIAL: This all-inclusive registration package for the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course is priced as only US$ 149.00 for the October 12, 2026 course.

Associated Courses

Register today for the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course. Enrollment is limited and registration is on a first come first served basis, so we recommend that you register early for the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course online to avoid disappointment.

If the course is full, please email support@iapcollege.com to be notified when a new course date is scheduled.

To ensure your complete satisfaction all certificate courses are backed by our full 100% money back guarantee.

About a Career as a Virtual Assistant

If you have ever worked in an office, you may have spent countless hours commuting, dealing with office politics, and working long hours for little financial reward or appreciation.

If this sounds familiar—or if you are seeking interesting new challenges, higher pay, or more flexibility and freedom in your life — becoming a virtual assistant could be your dream career.

Instead of going into an employer’s office to work, you work “virtually” from the comfort of your own home or another location of your choice.

You might choose to work for prestigious corporate clients who have an increasing need for virtual assistants because of downsizing and outsourcing of jobs.

Or you might choose to provide virtual assistant services for busy professionals such as authors, entrepreneurs, real estate agents, doctors, or lawyers.

You might offer a variety of services such as appointment setting, bookkeeping, customer service, data entry, editing, event planning, human resources, legal assistance, medical transcription, proofreading, project management, public relations, research, web design, word processing, writing, or anything else clients need help with. The choice is yours!

The one thing I wish I had known before I started my virtual assistant business was how amazing being an entrepreneur and a business owner can be. I wish I had done this sooner. It has allowed me the freedom to choose to do what I want, for who I want, when I want.
Kate Kerans, Kerans Virtual Assistance (Kate is one of the VAs who share advice in the guide)

Why Get a Certificate?

How can you benefit with a certificate from the International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College)?

A certificate from the International Association of Professions Career College may give you:

  • Respect as a professional
  • A competitive advantage when marketing your services
  • A sense of achievement and confidence
  • A credential for your resume when applying for jobs
  • Assurance to clients of your professionalism
  • Evidence of your expertise
  • Higher earnings (according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in Certificates: A fast track to careers)

With the International Association of Professions Career College, you can earn a certificate online more quickly and affordably than many other educational options.

Student Spotlight: A Graduate's Success Story

Janet Kumedzro

“Enrolling at IAP Career College was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

The course Janet took at IAP College gave her the skills, confidence, and structure to turn her passion into a real career. The flexibility of the program allowed her to study at her own pace while balancing other responsibilities.

She applied what she learned right away—launching her own business, serving clients professionally, and even mentoring others. With IAP’s help, Janet has transformed her potential into real success.

“Thanks to IAP, I now have a career I’m proud of, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.”

Why Choose IAP Career College?

The International Association of Professions Career College (also known as IAP Career College) aims to offer the finest in affordable online certificate programs for dream careers.

The textbooks for most of our courses were developed by our parent company, the leading online publisher of career guide books on how to get started in a dream career, with an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Our guides have been used as textbooks for more than a decade, and you can find them in the career centers and library collections of many famed colleges and universities – from the University of Texas to the Fashion Institute of Technology – as well as in numerous public libraries in cities from Vancouver to New York.

It can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to take other certificate programs. When we discovered online courses based on old editions of our career guides costing over US$ 1,000.00, we knew it was time to offer our own online certificate programs.

Now, the leader in online career guides for dream careers, along with a team of respected academics, have created online certificate programs through IAP Career College, allowing you to study and earn a certificate from the comfort of your own home.

Established online in 1999, the parent company of IAP Career College (known as FabJob) is an award-winning organization named “the #1 place to get published online” by Writer’s Digest. Our company and career guides have been featured in media ranging from ABC to Oprah’s newsletter and respected news sites ranging from CNN to the Wall Street Journal online.

We continue this tradition of excellence in online career education with the International Association of Professions Career College. Each of our career certificate programs has been developed to meet high academic standards, ensuring that as a graduate you can display with pride the certificate you will earn from the International Association of Professions Career College.

We invite you to learn more about the online certificate courses we offer you by visiting our Certificate Courses page. We are also happy to answer any of your questions to help you decide whether an online certificate course from the International Association of Professions Career College is right for you.

Have questions or need help?

Contact an Academic Advisor at International Association of Professions Career College:

support@iapcollege.com

Student Service Center
(For registered students only)
1-844-204-7982

If you are not a student you can email support@iapcollege.com or use live chat for inquiries.

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Click on “Ask Us a Question” at the bottom of this screen.

About IAP Career College

IAP Career College, also known as the International Association of Professions Career College, is a private online career college affiliated with FabJob Inc, the leading online publisher of guide books on how to get started in a dream career, serving hundreds of thousands of career changers on six continents since 1999. Learn more about us.

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  • What does a virtual assistant do?
    Virtual assistants provide administrative, marketing, scheduling, and customer support services remotely—helping businesses streamline tasks from email management to bookkeeping.
  • What will I learn in the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course?
    You’ll learn core VA skills like managing calendars, communication protocols, task automation tools, client relations, service packaging, pricing strategies, and basic bookkeeping procedures.
  • How long does the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course take to complete?
    The Virtual Assistant Certificate Course is designed to be self‑paced, with a recommended completion time of 6 weeks. However, you have the flexibility to complete it in as little as 2 weeks or extend it up to 12 weeks, depending on your schedule.

    Need more time? No problem. All of IAP’s Courses include lifetime access.
  • How much can I earn as a Virtual Assistant?
    Some VAs earn over $100 per hour – but more typically the range falls somewhere between $25 and $60 per hour. Your own fees will vary based on your specialization, level of experience, and unique skills, as well as the industry and types of clients you are targeting.
  • Can I start working as a virtual assistant after completing this course?
    Yes. The course equips you with both administrative tools and business framework essentials to launch VA services—working independently or joining agencies.
  • Do I need prior business or administrative experience?
    No. The course is beginner-friendly and introduces all necessary VA skills step by step, with practical examples and tools.
  • Can I take the Virtual Assistant Certificate Course from outside of North America?
    Yes. The course is 100% online and self‑paced, so you can enroll and complete it from anywhere in the world. All course materials are accessible 24/7 on your schedule.
  • Will I receive a certificate when I finish the course?
    Yes! Upon completing the course, you will receive a Virtual Assistant Certificate from IAP Career College. This certificate demonstrates your readiness to work as a professional virtual assistant.
  • What is IAP Career College?
    The International Association of Professions Career College (IAP Career College) is a leading online career college offering online certificate courses and professional certifications for non‑traditional and "dream" careers.

    Since 1999, we’ve helped over 500,000 students across six continents get started in dream careers—from life coaching to event planning to end‑of‑life care. Our courses are flexible, beginner‑friendly, and designed for adult learners looking for practical, self‑paced options.

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