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If you have a background in writing or journalism and researching companies and initiatives is your idea of fun, a career in grant writing could be for you.

You may be able to work in this field part-time, on the side, without quitting other work you love, and many grant writers even work in a freelance role. Since the tools for this job are limited to your own skill, a computer, and an internet connection, this job can be completed from anywhere as well — perhaps even from your home.

One of the best perks of grant-writing? Your work can help change lives and make the world better.

Keep reading to learn:

How to become a grant writer in 3 steps

• Step 1 (maybe): Take an online grant writing course or grantwriting class
• American Grant Writers’ Association online grant writing class
• Udemy grant writing classes
• Step 2. Consider grant writing certification
• Step 3: Gain some experience.

What degree is needed for grant writing?

What is a grant writer?

What kind of tasks do grant writers do?

• Other tasks grant writers complete

What skills do you need to become a grant writer?

Are grant writers in demand?

How much do grant writers make?

• Grant writer’s salary
• Freelance grant writing
• Advantages of working as a grant writer
• Disadvantages of working as a grant writer

How do you find grantwriter jobs?

• How to prepare your grant writer resume

The bottom line

How to become a grant writer in 3 steps

If you think you want to become a grant writer but aren’t exactly sure where to start, these basic steps can help you lay the groundwork:

Step 1 (maybe): Take an online grant writing course or grantwriting class

Often, grant writers who work for individual clients get their start with a bachelor’s degree in English or a related field. The exact field you earned a degree in doesn’t matter so much, however, provided you have excellent writing skills and enough attention to detail to get the job done.

Beyond brushing up on your writing skills, you can also take an online grant writing class online to learn the art of grant writing, and how to build a grant-writing business. Fortunately, the internet is home to all sorts of free and inexpensive resources that can help. Some colleges and universities offer courses in grant writing online. There are also certificate programs you can earn in this field, which may be a good idea to bolster your resume.

American Grant Writers’ Association online grant writing class

American Grant Writers’ Association offers online courses in grant proposal writing and grant consulting as well as a certificate program.

The American Grant Writers’ Association is a national professional organization for professional grant writers and grant administrators. 

Membership grants individuals access to a number of valuable resources:

• Access to the association’s Members Only area 
• Listing in their online membership directory
• Opportunity to join special interest groups within the association, which are tailored to specific industries within the profession

When you pay for a grant writing online course, you automatically get an annual membership to the American Grant Writers’ Association, which otherwise costs $119 per year.

The American Grant Writers’ Association offers a number of online grant writing courses for project grants, as well as research grants. These include:

• Grant Writing for Government Grants
• Program Development and Proposal Writing
• Grant Writing for Non-Profit Organizations
• Certified Grant Writer® Series
• Evaluation Plans for Project Grants (Advanced Course)
• Preparing Applications for Research Grants
• Grant Management
• Starting a Grant Consulting Business

Completing the entire Certified Grant Writer® Series is the only way for an individual to earn the certification required to use the Certified Grant Writer® trademark. Completion also grants you free membership to the association, which normally costs $119. 

The curriculum consists of a grant-writing online course—Program Development and Proposal Writing (PDPW)—followed by a review course and examination. The course covers grantseeking and program development to proposal writing for nonprofit and for-profit institutions to ethics, and more. 

The association claims most students find that they are able to complete the 8-course assignments in about 50 hours over the course of one month. However, you have up to 90 days from date of purchase to complete all assignments. If necessary, you can buy a 90-day extension for $100. 

Upon completion of the course, students must select an available date to take the exam, which is currently conducted in-person. (Though the association is in the process of shifting to an online exam.) The test consists of true or false and multiple-choice questions, supplemented with a writing portion.

NonprofitReady free online grant writing classes

These are basic, free online courses from NonProfitReady.org to help you get started with basic grant writing skills. The site offers a free grant writing certificate that will teach you:

• How to find the right grants for your nonprofit
• Write great grant proposals
• Build strong relationships with your grantors

Udemy grant writing classes

Udemy offers several dozen quick grant writing courses for fees of less than $20. These will get you started with basic skills.

Step 2. Consider grant writing certification

If you’re interested in becoming a grant writer, completing an online grant writing course or earning your grant writer certification can jump-start your career. Not only does earning your certification teach you what you need to know to do the job well, but it will also give you a valuable credential that you can use to strengthen your resume, stand out from your competition, and charge more for your services.

While there are a number of services and organizations which offer grant writing certification, our favorite is the Certified Grant Writer® Series from the American Grant Writers’ Association. This curriculum provides students with the skills needed to become a grant writer, while also allowing you to use the Certified Grant Writer® trademark in your resume, website, LinkedIn profile and marketing material. 

Step 3: Gain some experience.

Next up you’ll want to gain some experience, and this may just be the hardest part. After all, how do you gain experience writing grants when nobody has hired you yet?

The best step to take here is to look for volunteer or internship opportunities. A good place to start is the American Grant Writers’ Association since they partner with numerous organizations that work with and hire professionals to craft grant proposals. The AGWA also sponsors a Grant Conference for grant writers who want to stay on top of industry trends or meet other grant writers in their niche.

On Indeed.com, there are usually some openings for grant writing internships. At the moment, there are several available, including opportunities for contract grant writing work and full-time trial positions. FlexJobs.com also offers some unpaid grant writing internship opportunities on their website as well as links to paid jobs.

You can also try your hand at networking with other grant writers. They may know about entry-level opportunities you could explore or be willing to show you the ropes. Attending conferences like the AGWA Grant Conference or the annual conference sponsored by the Grant Professionals Association can also help you get your foot in the door. Also, check out Facebook groups for grant writers. There are several that can be easily found online, including one for “professional grant writers.” You can probably learn a lot from people already working in this career, and it can’t hurt to join and see what these groups are all about.

Finally, keep in mind that your prior work experience could lead to a paid job as a grant writer, particularly if you worked for a nonprofit. The more you know about a specific industry, the more attractive you will be when being considered for other positions in that industry. If you worked in healthcare in your previous career, for example, you may have a leg up when it comes to finding work writing grants in the healthcare niche. If you have worked in a field where grants are awarded regularly, you may already have contacts you could reach out to for advice.

What degree is needed for grant writing?

Again, there is no formal education requirement for being a grantwriter, though many in the field come from a writing background — English major, journalism, marketing. Others enter the field through their experience in non-profits or government jobs. 

But, who hires grant writers? And what do grant writers do? Most of the time, businesses and nonprofits that need help to secure funding for various projects through grants hire these professionals to seek out and apply for money from organizations that give out these funds.

What is a grant writer?

To understand what kind of work a grant writer does, you need to understand how grants work in the first place. Grants are funds gifted to companies and organizations by public and private foundations. These funds are typically awarded to help the organization reach a specific objective, such as conducting research or developing a new product. An example would be a research lab that seeks out grants to do its research on thyroid cancer.  A grant is a gift, but it is only given for a specific purpose that is usually aimed at a philanthropic goal.

Grant writers are the professionals who put together the proposals for companies and organizations that are seeking grants. Many grant writers work for a single organization with the goal of helping them qualify for as many grants as possible, while others take on freelance grant writing projects.

Thanks to technology, it’s easier than ever to work as a grant writer from home, although you’ll need to build up some experience on your resume before you’ll be able to secure clients. Thankfully, there are many opportunities to get that kind of marketable experience (read on!).

What kind of tasks do grant writers do?

The tasks that grant writers complete can vary slightly depending on the position they work in. A grant writer who works for a single client may spend some of their time researching grants to apply for, whereas a freelance grant writer mostly focuses mostly on creating the grant paperwork required for grants their clients wish to apply for.

Other tasks grant writers complete include:

• Grant writers research grants to ensure the client’s project fits with the goal of the grant. Since grants require money and resources to pursue, grant writers need to devote time to figuring out which grants are worth going after.
• Grant writers read over grant guidelines. Before a grant writer can get started with their work, they have to read over information about specific grants to ensure they follow listed rules when drafting their proposal.
• Grant writers create proposals. Grant writers use their time, expertise and creativity to write compelling grant proposals that explain why a client’s project is important. They often include stories that explain the company’s commitment to specific causes — such as the environment or children. Grant proposals need to be factual and informational, but they also need to be motivational and interesting enough to stand out.
• Grant writers work with clients and donors. Not only do grant writers need to be able to communicate with their clients and answer their questions, but they may also speak with prospective donors regularly. That’s why excellent communication skills are required for this job, even if you work from home.

What skills do you need to become a grant writer?

To work as a grant writer, you need to have excellent writing skills as well as the ability to write persuasively. You are asking for money, so you need to explain why your client needs the money and why they deserve it over all the other people who apply. You also need to have attention to detail and solid proofreading skills since you may or may not have someone available to edit your work.

Having organizational and multitasking skills is also important since you may be juggling several clients and grant proposals at once. Finally, you need to be great at research to work successfully as a grant writer since you’ll need to research plenty before you start each proposal as well as during the process.

Related posts:

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How to become a virtual assistant

Are grant writers in demand?

Here is what expert grant writers say about the market for these jobs:

Career stability and demand for grant writers/managers from r/grantwriting

How much do grant writers make?

Pay in this field can vary widely since some grant writers work for companies and others are self-employed. The good news is, you have the potential to earn a lot more than your peers if you can handle a large workload and keep your clients happy.

Grant writer’s salary

You may work as a salaried grant writer, being employed full-time at a non-profit, university, or other non-profit organization that depends on grants.

Salary.com reports that grant writers were paid an average of up to $76,457 as of July.

Your pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your experience, education, certifications, and even where you live.

Freelance grant writing

Many grant writers work as freelance consultants, writing grant proposals for multiple clients.

Freelance grant writers can earn $100 per hour or more, although that’s usually only if they have a lot of experience and the ability to research and write quickly — and get results for their clients (grants!). Most newbie grant writers will earn closer to $40 or $50 per hour.

Pros and cons of becoming a grant writer

Consider these pros and cons before you look for work as a grant writer:

Advantages of working as a grant writer

• There’s a strong possibility you can work from home
• High income potential, since you will control your time and how much you charge
• You can use your skills and expertise to help causes you care about

• The work can be interesting, and you can meet inspiring people
• You will likely be self-employed.

Disadvantages of working as a grant writer

• It may be challenging to gain grant writing and industry experience at first
• Self-employed grant writers need to pay their own benefits and take care of their own taxes
• You may need to spend some time finding and securing clients
• You will likely be self-employed. This can mean freedom, power, and independence, but for some moms the instability and lack of benefits like health and disability insurance are negatives.

You need disability insurance more than life insurance. Those who do not have disability insurance through a job, including the self-employed, can find individual coverage through reputable companies for an affordable price.

How do you find grantwriter jobs?

When it comes to finding grant writing jobs, there are several options to consider. You can seek out traditional employment or you can try to build a freelance grant writing career. Some tips that can help include:

• Create a portfolio online. To market yourself to potential clients, it is important to have attractive social media accounts, as well as a simple website that showcases who you are, and what you offer.
• Check the big online job boards such as ZipRecruiter.com, Indeed.com and CareerBuilder. Even googling “grant writing jobs” can help you find job boards with positions listed in your area.
• Reach out to local nonprofits and organizations that are likely to qualify for grants. Offer to help them pro bono, then leverage your experience for your portfolio and resume.
• Set up an account on Fiverr.com noting your writing experience and grant writing abilities. You may be able to find entry-level freelance work writing grants for companies.
• Update your LinkedIn profile to show you have grant writing experience and a renewed focus on this career path.

How to prepare your grant writer resume

Hiring a professional resume writer or resume editor is a huge advantage in creating a grant-writer resume that stands out. A quality resume service will help you not only create a professional resume, but also help you frame your experience and goals in a way that you cannot do on your own. It always helps to have a second set of trusted eyes when it comes to important career moves.

The bottom line

A career in grant writing may be challenging, but you have the potential to work with companies who are making positive changes in the world.

Do not to let a lack of experience get in your way. If you have a background in writing or a way with words, you may have more applicable skills for this job than you realize. Take the time to build up your portfolio and your resume, and you could be writing grant proposals from home in no time.

Writing not your style? If you have an eagle-eye, you might consider proofreading instead. Read:

How to be a work-at-home proofreader

Proofread Anywhere reviews: Is it worth it?

Or if you’re more of a numbers person, consider one of these careers:

• Medical billing and coding
• Bookkeeping
• Coding

Virtual assistants are in hot demand — and a very popular work-at-home option, especially for parents. Benefits include:

• Good pay. Depending on skill level, you can earn $20 to $75 within the first year.
• Extreme flexibility. Work anywhere in the world you like, often any hours you prefer
• Very high demand. Every industry and business requires some support, and it is easier and more cost-effective to hire a remote worker
• Interesting work. The types of tasks required of virtual assistants are wide, varied and changing. You can pick and choose what you want to specialize in
• Easy to get started. If you can type, do basic skills on a computer, run social media, you are ready to start your virtual assistant business.

Ready to become a virtual assistant? Here are things you need to know:

How to become a virtual assistant with no experience

1. Market relevant experience differently
2. Take an online course to learn how to become a virtual assistant: 10kVA course reviews
3. Work under a successful VA

What is a virtual assistant?

What kinds of tasks do virtual assistants do?

• Legitimate work from home jobs for single moms

How does a virtual assistant work?

What skills do you need to be a VA?

How much do virtual assistants earn?

How do you find virtual assistant jobs?

• Virtual assistant jobs for beginners
• How much do virtual assistants charge per hour?

Virtual assistant services: What services does a virtual assistant offer?

• Virtual assistant service: Writing

Virtual assistant service: Managing social media

How to create virtual assistant packages

Pros and cons of being a VA

How to become a virtual assistant with no experience

Here’s how to get started:

1. Market relevant experience differently

If you already have job experience as an administrative assistant, office manager, secretary or with a specific job title such as marketing manager, social media manager or copywriter, market yourself as a virtual assistant.

2. Take an online course to learn how to become a virtual assistant: 10kVA course reviews

If you’re curious about this career path, it’s important to know that you don’t have to do this alone. There are a handful of helpful virtual assistant courses online out there, like $10K VA. Also, consider becoming a bookkeeper or bookkeeper assistant, which can be a six-figure work-at-home career you can launch in less than a year. Our No. 1 recommended course is Bookkeeper Launch, which we review.

3. Work under a successful VA

Increasingly, successful virtual assistants either hire sub-contractors under them to serve their clients, or work as agents matching clients with virtual assistants.

What is a virtual assistant?

Virtual assistants are exactly what they sound like they would be — assistants that work virtually (online) instead of in a physical office.

While many virtual assistants are self-employed freelance workers, some virtual assistants work for an agency or for one employer.

Kayla Sloan earns $10,000 or more each month as a virtual assistant. Her 10KVA course has helped hundreds of people — mostly moms, all working from home — replicate the same success. Check it out:

Virtual assistants provide online support to a wide range of professionals who need help managing their online businesses.

People who employ VAs run the gamut from bloggers to online entrepreneurs, podcast hosts, online colleges, and pretty much any business owner who needs a support staff — but that support staff does not need to be in their physical office.

Why would someone hire a virtual assistant? In many cases, people who hire VAs work virtually as well so they don’t want to bring someone into a brick-and-mortar office.

If everyone on a team can work from home from wherever they live, businesses can save money on overhead by not paying for office space, and also get the benefit of happy, loyal employees.

What kinds of tasks do virtual assistants do?

At this point, you want to know:

What does a virtual assistant do?

While the answer to this question varies widely, most VA duties are similar to those conducted in any traditional office.

A virtual assistant who works for a blog or major website may perform tasks such as reading and responding to emails, helping their employer add people to their mailing list, create documents, manage a client’s calendar, schedule and create social media posts and more.

Proofreaders are also in big demand, with competitive pay. Learn more about being a proofreader from home.

Also, learn more about becoming a bookkeeping assistant.

They may also create virtual images to be shared online, and they may even perform basic social media management.

Other tasks that are performed by VAs include:

• Update documents with new data
• Create spreadsheets to track performance
• Input or documenting payments
• Send invoices to clients
• Set up interviews
• Respond to media or informational requests
• Basic data entry
• Schedule appointments
• Writing
• Ghostwriting
• Project management
• Pinterest, Facebook and other social media management (more details on this below) 
• Customer service
• Real estate agents and brokerage assistance with administrative tasks

This is not an all-inclusive list since VAs in a specific niche may perform additional tasks. However, it’s important to note that the bulk of your work will take place on your computer and online.

Legitimate work from home jobs for single moms

While these may seem so obvious they are a scam, there are many jobs that require the following skills — even for large companies like Amazon and Google:

• Work from home on a computer
• Work from home typing jobs
• Work from home data entry jobs
• Work from home customer service jobs
• Work from home chat jobs
• Work from home medical jobs
• Work from home transcription jobs

Learn more about FlexJobs, a site that connects job-seekers with career-level work-at-home positions

How does a virtual assistant work?

In short: A virtual assistant is just like a traditional, in-person, or in-office assistant — but VAs work remotely. Often a virtual assistant communicates with clients via regular phone or Skype meetings, email, text, or a project management system like Trello, Asana or Basecamp, but that all depends on the agreements between the VA and their clients.

Most virtual assistants work on a contract basis. You may choose to charge an hourly rate, with a package based on a minimum number of hours. Your clients may assign you a list of tasks to be completed over a week or month or quarter — or you may respond to their requests as they send them throughout the day.

It is up to you as the business owner, the types of tasks you agree to handle, the way in which you are paid, the hours you work, and deadlines you feel comfortable with.

What skills do you need to be a VA?

Since your entire VA career will be spent in front of your computer, it’s natural to wonder if you have all the skills required for the job. Fortunately, you do not need a ton of technical skill to find work in this profession.

Kayla Sloan, a six-figure virtual assistant and the founder of $10K VA, even says that you don’t even need a formal education to get started. You mostly need a very basic set of online skills, attention to detail, an aptitude for excellence.

While the skills and knowledge you’ll need can vary depending on the specific type of VA work you do, basic skills to get started likely include:

• Strong communication skills — ability to understand exactly what the client needs, and express what you need to the client
• Highly organized
• Ability to use Microsoft Office products, specifically Microsoft Word and Excel
• Google Docs
• Software editing programs
• Organization and scheduling software such as Basecamp, Asana, Evernote, or Trello
• Excellent reading comprehension and writing skills
• The ability to proofread your own work
• Accounting and bookkeeping knowledge, including QuickBooks
• Experience with social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest
• Extreme attention to detail

If you haven’t mastered these skills yet or have never heard of some of these programs, don’t stress! There are many skills you can learn as you go, and there are even virtual assistant training programs that can get you started off on the right foot and with the knowledge you need.

Build basic cybersecurity into your workflow. Use a password manager and 2FA on client accounts, and connect through a fast VPN/proxy whenever you’re on public or shared networks. The encryption protects files, client logins, and project tools, and can also help you access geo‑restricted resources while traveling. This keeps your online activity private and delivers a secure browsing experience for you and your clients.

None of the skills required to be a VA are overly complex or technical, and you will usually do some learning as you go. That’s totally normal.

In addition to the main skills you need, however, you also need an excellent work ethic since you will be working from home. You need the drive to get up and do the work every day even if you don’t want to — and without a boss to motivate you. For many people, this is the hardest part about working as a virtual assistant or in any other work-at-home job.

Finally, you need to be a somewhat organized person with excellent time management skills. While most virtual assistants are paid by the hour, they need to be efficient with their time if they want to keep their employers happy. Remember that people who hire VAs are doing so to save both time and money. If you’re not efficient or you’re terrible at managing your time, you won’t be a “good deal” to anyone who might hire you.

How much do virtual assistants earn?

Now on to the question we’re all here for: How much do VAs earn? This is another topic that is up for debate because it really depends on:

• Salary or part-time / self-employed (self-employed earn a higher rate, typically)
• Experience level
• Type of services provided. Data entry will command a much lower rate than organizing meetings of C-suite executives for the oil and gas industry
• Industry. Clients in financial services, medicine, law and other fields that require high levels of service and have big budgets can pay more than serving an individual influencer or small business owner (though not necessarily)

How much do virtual assistants make, by job type

Virtual assistant salary (full-time)

Just as there is a remote version of every type of job (including surgeons, who can now perform operations remotely via robots!), any assistant job can now be applied to the VA category. In this case, some assistants doing very beginner tasks may earn a flat rate of $20,000 per year salary, an executive level assistant supporting the full schedule of a Fortune 500 CEO can earn $150,000 or more.

Virtual assistant full-time jobs may come with benefits like health insurance, retirement, paid time off, equipment like a computer, phone and desk, and/or rental on office space or a community office like WeWork. This is true for VAs working for large businesses, as well as solopreuneuers.

Virtual assistant part-time jobs

If you’re a self-employed freelance virtual assistant with multiple clients, you can typically charge a lot more than virtual assistants who work for agencies of a single employer.

13 jobs that pay well and do not require a degree

How do you find virtual assistant jobs?

Virtual assistant work is in more demand than ever, but that doesn’t always mean the jobs are easy to find. For the most part, the *first* job you find as a VA is the most difficult to secure. From there, you can usually get more VA work via referrals. That’s why many virtual assistants start out with an agency at first.

Virtual assistant jobs for beginners

If you are just getting started, there are countless ways to find VA gigs to build your skills and resume.

To market yourself to potential clients, it is important to have attractive social media accounts, as well as a simple website that showcases who you are, and what you offer.

• Fiverr is a marketplace where creative professionals promote their services — including designers, writers and virtual assistants. Keep in mind that marketplace is global, so you are competing with people in places like Thailand and El Salvador where wages are lower.
• FlexJobs is an incredible resource for those seeking telecommute and other flexible and work-at-home jobs. There are hundreds of virtual assistant positions on FlexJobs, which does charge a fee to access its database of highly vetted companies. In other words: These are only quality positions at quality companies.
• ZipRecruiter is a job search site you can use to find all kinds of jobs, including part time, full time, and remote work.
• Ask around. Talk to friends and family who own small business, as well as work at corporations. Hiring remote workers on a contract basis is very common now. Offer to provide data entry, social media management, or any other services.
• Networking events in your town
• Conferences
• Facebook groups and other online communities. There are a number of Facebook communities specifically for VAs, which can be useful in connecting with others in your new field to brainstorm business-building, as well as make new friends who might refer business. Also seek out communities of professionals where you specialize. For example, if you have experience supporting a dental practice, find an online community of dental practice managers.

These sources may sound really vague, but these are the best places to find VA work and VA jobs. You have to remember that, as a virtual assistant, part of your job really is finding and keeping clients. Fortunately, highly-skilled virtual assistants with plenty of knowledge and great communication skills tend to have no problem finding and retaining work. Happy clients will be thrilled to refer you to their colleagues and friends.

Remember: If you are successful in helping your clients’ business grow, they are happy to help you grow you business — with increased fees and hours on their payroll, as well as recommendations to their friends and colleagues.

How much do virtual assistants charge per hour?

If you work for an agency or full-time for one employer, you’ll take a cut in pay in exchange for help finding clients. VAs that work for an agency or single employer typically make between $10 and $20 per hour.

Some self-employed VAs who are highly trained and skilled charge upwards of $75 per hour and remain in demand, but the majority of freelance VAs earn in the $20 to $40 per hour range. Of course, there is a downside that comes with being a freelance VA — for the most part, you’ll in be charge of finding all your own work.

While earning on the low end of the scale may not be ideal, it’s important to keep in mind that you can charge more as you learn new skills and become better at your job. If you start out as a VA with an agency and become proficient enough to run your own client base, you could even double or triple your starting income within a few years.

Virtual assistant services: What services does a virtual assistant offer?

A virtual assistant can offer nearly any service remotely to assist a business owner. Here is a sampling of common VA tasks:

1. Customer service through email, chat, social media or phone
2. Email management 
3. Blog, social media and online community comment management 
4. Live webinar assistance
5. Calendar and appointment management 
6. Data entry
7. PowerPoint presentations
8. Order fulfillment
9. Ordering supplies
10. Scheduling interviews for podcast or YouTube guests
11. Re-purposing content (Example: turn a video into a written blog post or a blog post into a social media post)
12. Taking meeting notes
13. Managing blog editorial calendars
14. Photo editing 
15. Graphic design 
16. Bookkeeping
17. Client onboarding and management: Setting up contracts, payment, invoicing and paperwork
18. Vendor onboarding, maintenance and payment 
19. Travel arrangements
20. Managing online communities
21. Assisting with webinars and Zoom meetings 
22. WordPress blog post management
23. Project management
24. Event planning — online or IRL
25. Online marketing and promotion, including giveaways, promoting ebooks or courses
26. Organizing files on the cloud / Google Drive
27. Training new team members
28. Personal shopping and appointment management 
29. Translation

Virtual assistant service: Writing

Some writing-related tasks for a VA:

1. Writing blog posts
2. Writing ebooks, books, newsletters, emails
3. Writing or editing audio or video transcriptions
4. Writing and scheduling social media posts for LinkedIn, YouTube Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
5. Creating pins and managing Pinterest
6. Managing social media comments and DMs
7. Press releases
8. Editing blog posts, books, websites, newsletters, recipes, etc.
9. Website and sales page copywriting
10. Write product descriptions for online shops like Shopify or Etsy
11.   Grant proposals
12. Collecting/editing testimonials
13.  Podcast or YouTube scripts or promos

Virtual assistant service: Managing social media

Many virtual assistants perform social media management services for their clients. Sometimes these job titles overlap, or are used interchangeably as social media becomes increasingly important to businesses of all sizes.

While businesses once relied on major media to advertise their products or services, the internet ushered in a new era that changed how marketing works.

Instead of paying for radio and print newspaper or magazine ads as the bulk of their strategy, most businesses today turn to social media to get the word out. And really, why wouldn’t they? Not everyone listens to the radio anymore, and print media is going the way of the dinosaur at lightning speed.

Many businesses — including individual bloggers, influencers and small businesses — hire social media managers — a specific type of worker that handles all forms of social media outreach and engagement.

Keep reading to find out more:

• What is a social media manager?
• What kind of tasks do social media managers do?
• What skills do you need to be a social media manager?
• How much do social media managers earn?
• Pros and cons of being a social media manager
• How do you find social media management jobs?
• How to become a social media manager?

What is a social media manager?

Think of any business you know that has an online presence, from your local grocery store to your doctor’s office, to your favorite food blogger.

If that business is on social media sharing information, creating buzz about events, or simply letting people know they exist, there’s a good chance they employ a social media manager to take care of those details.

While social media management jobs vary, these workers are charged with understanding how major social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat work. They effectively “run” the social media accounts for the business that hires them so the business owner can spend their time doing other things.

While many social media managers work as freelancers and juggle more than one client, some find full-time jobs managing social media for major corporations or businesses.

Read more: Best work-from-home jobs for single moms

What kind of tasks do social media managers do?

If you look at your own social media pages and find businesses that have an online presence, it’s not that hard to figure out what social media managers do. For the most part, they craft the communications their bosses want their followers to see.

That could mean writing a Facebook post with an image that talks about an upcoming sale or promotion, or it might mean sharing news about a local event. It can also include fielding customer questions, comments, and even complaints as a virtual customer service rep of sorts. Or, it can simply involve interacting with a brand or business’s social media followers in a meaningful way.

Different businesses may use different social media platforms as well, and most businesses do not use them all.

For example, a grocery store brand may get lots of traction on Facebook and Twitter but avoid Instagram and Snapchat because they don’t find their target audience there. On the flip side, a business that caters to younger consumers — like a fast food chain or fashion brand — may focus only on Instagram and Snapchat because that’s where their customers live.

While the tasks completed by social media managers can vary from day to day, the main tasks usually include:

• Scheduling social media posts for clients
• Communicating with clients to find out what they want to promote and the style in which they want to promote it
• Responding to customer inquiries on social media
• Creating special emails or social media promotions or schedules
• Creating images to be used on social media
• Curating and sharing relevant content social media followers will love
• Tracking and analyzing stats on each platform to monitor growth
• Optimizing platforms to best represent the business
• Staying on top of the ever-changing social media platforms’ industry news
• Planning an editorial calendar

Keep in mind that this list is not all-inclusive. Most social media managers spend time on certain networks and not much at all on others, and some social media managers may also create and edit videos for their clients to share on platforms like Instagram.

At the end of the day, the scope of the job depends a lot on who you work for, the social media networks they focus on, and the company’s goals.

Some details on what it is like to work as a social media manager:

What skills do you need to be a social media manager?

If you are on Facebook or Twitter all the time already, you may think you have what it takes to become a social media manager without any formal training.

While it’s true having social media experience helps, believe us when we say you have a lot to learn before you can offer social media management services to clients.

There must be purpose and strategy behind every move you make on social media as a business.

The first thing to remember is that professional social media management is not to be taken lightly. Unlike your personal social media accounts, this job is less about sharing pictures of your dinner and new selfies and more about creating advertising campaigns that help your clients meet their goals.

With that in mind, skills you’ll need to work as a social media manager include:

• Proficiency in all the major social media networks
• Knowledge of apps that help with social media scheduling, such as Tailwind
• Experience or knowledge of Facebook Ads and how to use them
• Marketing experience
• Excellent reading comprehension and writing skills
• Copywriting skills
• Excellent customer service skills
• Attention to detail
• Bookkeeping

In addition to these skills, you also need to be able to effectively communicate with clients. You need to be able to understand what it is they want out of social media and how to translate that information into effective social media campaigns and engagement. The majority of the time, you will learn the bulk of these skills through experience, trial, and error.

How much do social media managers earn?

While social media management is hard work, these professionals are typically rewarded handsomely for their knowledge, time, and expertise. However, it’s important to note that social media managers are paid in many different ways.

For example, a social media manager employed by a specific company can usually expect to earn $40,000 to $75,000 per year depending on their level of skill and who they work for. That’s a broad range indeed, but it just goes to show how much wiggle room you may have when it comes to negotiating salary.

Social media managers who are self-employed typically charge their clients a monthly retainer fee in lieu of an hourly rate. This could be anywhere from $500 to $3,000 per month per client depending on the time and scope of the social media involved.

I personally know several social media managers who juggle 6-7 clients per month with each paying a retainer of $500 – $1,000 per month. If you’re earning $500 per client each month and have 6 clients, you’d obviously be earning $3,000 per month or $36,000 per year. If you got each of those clients to pay you a $1,000 retainer each month, on the other hand, your salary would surge to $72,000. That’s obviously a huge difference!

Pros and cons of being a social media manager

While the income potential shared above may be exciting, this is also one of the downsides of being a social media manager. Unless you find a full-time social media management job with a single employer, your income may be highly variable depending on how many clients you have and how much they are willing to pay.

You’ll also need to brace yourself for the fact that you’ll lose clients from time to time. When money is tight, social media managers (and other non-essential services and employees) are often the first to go.

Still, there’s plenty to love about social media management as a career. Before you give this job any more thought, consider these pros and cons:

Advantages of being a social media manager:

• Work from home and often with flexible hours
• Spend your time on social media instead of in an office
• Put your creative side to work
• Nearly unlimited income potential
• Low expenses if you’re a freelancer
• Learn new skills all the time as social media trends change

Disadvantages of being a social media manager:

• Your income depends on your clients and their budgets
• If you’re self-employed, you will need to find clients on your own
• If you’re a freelancer, you won’t receive benefits such as access to a 401(k) plan or health insurance
• You will have to manage your own invoices and taxes
• You’ll need to spend time finding new clients each time you lose one

How do you find social media management jobs?

Social media management jobs are all over the place, but that doesn’t mean they’re advertised in plain sight. You may need to do a little digging to find the right social media management position or clients that will give you a chance when you’re first starting out.

To market yourself to potential clients, it is important to have attractive social media accounts, as well as a simple website that showcases who you are, and what you offer.

Some places to look for social media management work include:

• Online job boards
• Networking events and conferences
• Blogging conferences
• Contacting local businesses and entrepreneurs with an online presence
• Online business and entrepreneurship Facebook groups

Some social media managers also have success contacting local businesses without a social media presence to see if they need help. Many businesses want to be on social media but don’t have the time or manpower to get the ball rolling.

In many cases, they don’t even know they could hire someone to handle this aspect of their business. By showing them you have the knowledge and skill to help, you can secure work for yourself while also helping businesses create a presence where their customers are — online and on social media.

How to become a social media manager?

To become a social media manager, you need to be proficient in all the major social media networks. You also must have an eye for creativity, a certain level of professionalism, and the ability to work remotely and without any supervision.

Most of the skills social media managers need can be learned online and from home, but you may also want to explore the idea of taking an online course for social media managers or virtual assistants to get started.

Once you find a client that’s willing to give you a chance, it becomes much easier to find subsequent clients and build out your work week to earn a full-time income.

When it comes to beginning a career as a social media manager, you’ll need to learn a lot on your own and be willing to adapt right along with technology. But since there is no such thing as a college degree in social media management, you may want to seek out special training that can help.

If you have the skill and the drive to succeed, this job could be your full-time gig in less time than you think.

How to create virtual assistant packages

Often, a VA will charge per package, or a set fee for a fixed number of hours. This is a benefit to both the client and the VA — clients know they are paying a fixed fee for work that they are incentivized to use. They are also more likely to get organized to work with their virtual assistant in a meaningful way that gets the most accomplished in the fewest number of hours.

Creating a package benefits the VA: You now can budget both your time and money, instead of hoping work comes in each day — and then having to scramble to tackle it.

To incentivize clients to buy a package, offer a discount for bulk hours billed. Here is an example:

“My rate is $40 per hour, with a minimum of 10 hours per month. These packages are discounted:

• 10 hours/mo. = $350 (13% discount)
• 20 hours/mo. = $680 (15% discount)
• 40 hours/mo. = $1,280 (20% discount)

Pros and cons of being a VA

Working from home can be absolutely amazing, but the fact remains that no job is perfect. Virtual assistants face many of the same struggles as individuals in any regular job, and even a few more. Before you decide to become a virtual assistant, consider some of the pros and cons:

Advantages of being a virtual assistant:

• Work from home or anywhere with an internet connection
• You can usually work the hours you want with a flexible schedule
• You can earn fair wages for your work with the potential to earn more as you improve your skills
• You have the option to “be your own boss”
• You can often work as many hours as you want, including part-time
• You can plan your work around your family and personal schedules

Disadvantages of being a virtual assistant:

• It can be difficult to find new clients at first if you’re not employed with an agency
• You will need to learn new skills and perfect them to earn the highest VA rates
• If you are self-employed as a VA, you will need to spend some time on bookkeeping including sending and tracking your own invoices and payments
• You will likely need to pay quarterly taxes if you’re employed as a freelance VA and self-employed (a tax preparer can help)
• Since many VA jobs are for independent contractors, they typically do not come with vacation or other benefits like insurance
• You may face a learning curve when you first start out

When it comes to the best money-saving tips for single parents, my advice is simple:

• Shop less
• Focus on maximizing time vs. money
• Focus on quality over quantity — this is true for products you buy, as well as life experiences. I prefer three weeks in Vietnam with my kids over three days at Disney. The former is less expensive, more adventure, more memories and life lessons.

How can I achieve financial freedom as a single mom?

Here are actionable tips you can take today that can help you save money and achieve financial freedom:

1. Create a monthly budget

2. Stop spending money

3. Stop around your insurance rates

4. Pay off high-interest debt

5. Refinance your debt

6. Eliminate bank fees

7. Automate your finances

8. Shop online

9. Save money on food

• Get your groceries delivered
• Plan meals ahead of time
• Cook in batches
• Clean out your pantry once per month

10. Cut non-essentials

• Cable
• Limit restaurant meals

11. Find free or cheap things to do

12. Shop intentionally

• Hit up consignment stores
• Sell what you don’t wear
• Choose quality
• Buy timeless pieces and avoid trends

Bottom line: How can a single parent save?

1. Create a monthly budget

Are you thinking: Budget my money? What money!? When you’re barely getting by, the thought of creating a budget might seem ridiculous.

However, creating a budget is important no matter how much you earn. A budget is nothing more than a “spending plan” you can use to dictate where your money goes each month. In that sense, a budget helps you be proactive about your finances versus just letting the chips fall where they may.

Once you track your spending from the last few months, create a budget that sets limits for your spending for the upcoming month. Include all your fixed bills like rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, and insurance, and create spending caps for categories where you have some wiggle room. Ideally, you’ll be able to set aside some money in your budget for savings right away — even if it’s a small amount.

If you own your home and are looking for flexible ways to cover renovations or consolidate debt, you could explore options to apply for HELOC as part of your long-term budgeting strategy. It can be a practical tool for single moms aiming to make the most of their home’s value while staying financially organized.

You Need a Budget, or YNAB, is our recommended tool to help you collect all your accounts and debt in one spreadsheet, set goals and tackle them, easily.

Track your expenses and make a budget with these free printable budget worksheets.

2. Stop spending money — here’s how

Here is a page from my book, 30-Day Kickass Single Mom Money Makeover:

Day 6: Buy Nothing Month

Today is all about not buying shit. Our culture is hyper-focused on shopping for, consuming, and owning stuff. If you’re not happy with your money situation, you’re likely out of alignment with your values. If you always wish you had more or other things–a new wardrobe, a different/better/bigger house, a nicer car, better furniture—your thoughts and energy are engaged in a poverty mentality. You are focused on things, when deep down you know it’s people and experiences that bring you joy and love. You become focused on what you do not have. You put little energy in being grateful and full with what you do have. Which, if you’re reading this on a smartphone or laptop, then you already have a lot.

A personal shopping ban requires not just curbing the buying, but putting a stop to the shopping. No more browsing your favorite stores “just to look.” No longer skimming online retailers “just to see what they have.” No more careering from Target’s grocery section to the home goods section “in case there are good deals.” The point is to recondition yourself from seeing shopping as an innocuous hobby, and instead focus on how much you do have and appreciate that it’s more than enough.

Today, I invite you to join me on my no-shopping month. I am right there with you. I know we are a few days into our challenge, but let’s support each other for the rest of this month to buy nothing. No new clothes. No toys or crap for your kids. Make a goal to eat through everything in your pantry, cupboards, fridge, freezer—including the granola bars in the glove compartment, but not necessarily all the booze in the liquor cabinet (I leave that to your discretion).

Here’s another tip from a Redditor:

3. Shop around for better insurance rates

If you’ve been with the same insurance company for several years, it may be time to get a new quote for all your insurance products.

• Call your car insurance carrier and update the value of your vehicle, and ask for any savings for safe drivers, your new age and other discounts.

• Call your current car / renters / homeowners insurance company and ask if you can bundle it with another policy.

4. Pay off high-interest debt

If you have credit card debt or personal loans, it may be ruining your chances of saving money. The average credit card interest rate is 18%, according to CreditCards.com, and you may be paying more than that!

You can pay off debt. The first step is getting real with yourself, and you can read the other steps to paying off debt (even on a low income).

The more high-interest debt you pay off, the more money you’ll have to spend and save each month. By lowering your monthly interest rates, you can pay down debt faster. A good way to do this is to refinance your debt.

How to prepare for a recession and survive

5. Refinance your debt

You may be able to sign up for a balance transfer card that gives you 0% APR for up to 21 months. Keep in mind, however, that some cards that offer 0% APR for a limited amount of time also charge a balance transfer fee of 3% to 5%.

If your credit is low, and you don’t qualify for a personal loan or credit card, work to fix your credit. Read: How to repair a low credit score — fast!

6. Eliminate bank fees

Eliminating fees is another way to save money every month. Fees you could be paying include banking fees, ATM fees, debit card fees, credit card fees, and more. Look at your bank and credit card statements to see what fees you’re paying and if there’s a feasible way to cut them.

7. Automate your finances

This can include:

• Auto-deposit your pay check and other income
• Aut0pay bills
• Stagger your bills so that there is enough money in your accounts to cover the bills. For example: Don’t autopay all your bills for the first of the month if you get paid every two weeks.
• Automatically send a portion of your paycheck to your savings account — either through your employer or from your checking account.

The key is to pay yourself first, and understand the basics of investing to build wealth. Also, check out our tips from millionaire moms on building wealth.

Personal check cashing “near me:” 19 places to go

8. Shop online

To save money, you need to step away from the mall. Shopping for fun or “retail therapy” won’t save money. Think about it.

If you absolutely need something, shop online. Not only can you usually score the best price and free shipping through websites like Amazon.com, but you avoid window shopping and buying stuff you don’t need. Before you check out, it’s worth searching a coupon site like GangaCoupons for a working promo code.

Of course, the key is to buy only what you need when you shop online and nothing else.

9. Save money on food

Get your groceries delivered

Getting your groceries delivered via a company like Peapod or Instacart may sound like the ultimate indulgence, but it can also save you money. Sure, you’ll pay slightly higher prices, plus a delivery fee, but you won’t wind up throwing lots of “extras” into your cart.

The best way to benefit from grocery delivery is to do it strategically with a planned menu in mind. When you only buy what you need and get it delivered, you get to skip time and energy schlepping the kids to the store and avoid wasting cash on snacks and other food you don’t really need.

Plan meals ahead of time

Whether you get your groceries delivered or not, you can save money by planning meals ahead of time. Doing so ensures you buy the ingredients you need for big, healthy meals (plus leftovers) while avoiding buying extra ingredients that will just expire in your pantry.

Let’s say you plan to make chicken enchiladas on Monday, vegetable soup on Wednesday, and tacos on Friday night, then eat leftovers or inexpensive take-out the other nights of the week. Of course, you know you also need ingredients for breakfast (cereal, eggs, bagels) and ingredients for lunch (sandwiches, fruit, snacks). In that case, write out the ingredients for each of those meals ahead of time and use it as your core grocery shopping list.

Cook in batches

Cooking in batches is a great way to save some cash provided you don’t mind some meals doing double-duty. By making more food than you need on the nights you actually cook, you can use them as leftovers in the next day’s lunch or dinner. If you cook a lot more than you need, you could also freeze individual portions for future meals.

Clean out your pantry once per month

Last but not least, one of the easiest ways to save money on food is to eliminate food waste.

Each month, clean out your pantry, fridge and freezer. Identify which items are soon to expire, and focus on those first. Get creative, and see what you can throw together to make a healthy, tasty meal. You might surprise yourself and your family — in a good way! Make it a fun game to see how little food you can throw out each week.

10. Cut non-essentials

Cable

If you’re paying out the nose for cable television and don’t watch it enough to justify the cost, it’s time to dial down your package or drop cable altogether. With a Roku Box and Netflix or Hulu, you can get streaming television for less than $20 per month. Check your Amazon subscription and phone plan to see what free streaming services are included.

Limit restaurant meals

Instead of dining out 3-4 times per week, set a goal of once or twice. Tell your kids (over and over) that eating out is a special treat — not something you do on a whim in the middle of the week.

11. Find cheap or free things to do

Finding cheap or free things to do can be a huge money-saver. Look for free museum days, free entry to water parks, and free events put on by your city or local businesses.

Hiking, picnics, hikes, family bike rides and beach days are all free, create great memories and are healthy ways to appreciate the outdoors and each other’s company.

12. Be intentional with what you buy

Whatever your kids need for fun, buy it used. If they’re into video games, buy their game consoles and games second-hand from stores like GameStop or local sellers through Facebook groups, Craigslist, or sites like Craigslist. If your kids are into sports, buy used gear online or through their peers.

“Buy used” is the most generic advice out there when it comes to saving on clothes, but it’s also the best and most feasible tip to follow. Clothes depreciate in value at rapid speed, and that means you can save a lot (often more than 60 – 70 percent off) by buying used clothes for yourself and your kids.

You don’t have to go to garage sales though. You can buy used clothing online through websites like ThredUp.com, Poshmark, through neighborhood Facebook groups, or from people you know.

Hit up consignment stores

Consignment stores offer some of the best and highest quality used clothing you can find, but the prices are usually pretty low. Check local consignment shops for business attire, work out clothes, or fancy dresses you won’t wear often. Meanwhile, teen-focused consignment stores can help you afford the best brands for your kids – at a discount.

Sell what you don’t wear

While buying from consignment stores is a smart idea, so it selling clothes you and your kids no longer wear. When you sell your clothing or take a payout to consign them, you can turn around and spend that cash on new clothes you’ll actually put to use.

Choose quality

While it’s tempting to buy cheap clothes from China online or shop only at discount clothing stores, cheaply-made clothing doesn’t tend to last long. This is a lot more important for you than your kids, as they grow out of clothes in about a minute (as you know). You’ll be better off if you buy high quality pieces that will stand the test of time, specifically if you buy them second-hand.

Buy timeless pieces and avoid trends

Since fashion is often fleeting, you’ll save a bundle if you avoid most of the trends and purchase timeless pieces instead. Remember when Juicy Couture tracksuits were in style? Or when head-to-toe denim was actually a thing? Yeah, me neither.

Bottom line: How can a single parent save?

You may find your situation immensely frustrating, but it’s important to know you’re not alone. A recent survey from CNBC² noted that 58 percent of American workers are living paycheck-to-paycheck — meaning most of us are struggling to keep up with bills or save money each month. The survey also found roughly 70% said they feel stressed about their finances, mostly due to inflation, economic uncertainty and rising interest rates.

The best way to be more financially comfortable is to focus on earning more.

Thanks to technology (like your phone!), and growing company demand for smart, hard workers, flexible, at-home jobs are readily available in every industry — including traditional fields like nursing, teaching, engineering, project management, bookkeeping, proofreading and more. 

For more, check out our list of career-level jobs that are great for moms.

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SOURCES

1. “Food Prices and Spending, 2021” https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-prices-and-spending/?topicId=2b168260-a717-4708-a264-cb354e815c67
2. “With inflation stubbornly high, 58% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck: CNBC survey,” April 11, 2023 https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/11/58percent-of-americans-are-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-cnbc-survey-reveals.html