We're Not "VAs"

We’re not “just admin” — and most VAs know that

If you’ve ever introduced yourself as a virtual assistant and had someone assume you manage inboxes and diaries, you’ll know how limited that picture still is.

The title hasn’t caught up with the work.

“VA” is a shorthand. In reality, many virtual assistants support far more than administrative tasks. The work is digital, operational and often creative. It spans systems, content, planning and delivery — not filing cabinets.

How the role shows up in practice

Most VAs don’t wake up thinking in job descriptions. They respond to what the business needs that day. That might mean editing a website in the morning, preparing an event budget or guest list in the afternoon, scheduling social content before close of day and reviewing a newsletter draft before it goes out. None of that is unusual in VA work anymore.

What’s interesting is how normal this feels on the inside, and how surprising it still sounds from the outside.

Clients don’t ask for roles, they ask for support

Clients rarely come asking for a specific role. They come with work that needs to be organised, communicated, built or maintained. The VA role expands to meet that reality — often blending admin, coordination, content and technical support in ways that don’t fit a neat label.

That doesn’t mean VAs do everything. It means they develop judgement.

Knowing how to structure a website update without overstepping. Understanding enough about events, budgets and timelines to keep planning on track. Writing and editing content so it reflects the client properly. Recognising when a task is within scope and when it belongs with a specialist.

What this looks like at Officility

This is the reality we see across the industry.

At Officility, this understanding shapes how we work. We don’t position ourselves as “more than admin” to sound impressive. We acknowledge what VA work has become — multifaceted, digital and rooted in trust.

We take on different types of work alongside our clients because that’s often what good support requires. We’re also clear about limits, because quality matters more than saying yes to everything.

That balance is not accidental. It’s built through experience and clear judgement.