The Foreign Service Journal, April 2004

APRIL 2004 • AFSA NEWS 7 T he spread of the Internet coupled with the strong private- sector trend intheU.S. towardoutsourcinghas createdattrac- tive newportable career choices for Foreign Service spous- es. Two expanding career options are theVirtual Professional and the Virtual Assistant. Working with U.S. companies and using e-mail, fax and courier services, Foreign Service spouses with JD,MD, andMBA degrees can now provide litigation support, insurance case screening and corporate growth consulting as virtual profes- sionals. Foreign Service spouses with business-support exper- tise can offer foreign-market research, database management and foreign-travel support to U.S. sales and marketing execu- tives as virtual assistants. Many business relationships, in fact, that were once consid- ered “face-to-face or not at all” have givenway to virtual arrange- ments. Granted, a Foreign Service spouse lawyer in Norway cannot appear “virtually” in a U.S. court—and will, of course, have to be cognizant of host-country restrictions on the prac- tice of law—but he or she can just as easily summarize a depo- sition or review litigation documents as a U.S.-based colleague. By the same token, a Foreign Service spouse with an MBA no longer need be present to advise the executives of young com- panies on their growth strategies (even the “virtual CEO” con- cept, emerging from Silicon Valley, has been around since the 1990s), nor does a spouse with research skills need to meet with a U.S. marketing executive before reporting on themarket land- scape in his or her host country. The Background and Growth of Virtual Services The concept of virtual support services beganwith the launch of the virtual assistant industry in1995. Originallyoriented toward administrative services, the “VA” industry quickly spread. The hiringmarketplace understood that, just as in telecommuting, the physical presence of the assistant was not always necessary. Moreover, theVA, as anoffsite independent contractor rather than anonsite employee, could save thehiring company significant costs in employee taxes and benefits, and in office space and ameni- ties. The VA industry has since grown to include over 80 skill sets or areas of expertise, many of which overlap into the virtual pro- fessional arena. There is roomfor debate as towhether some spe- cialties belong in the “VA” or “VP” category: Is an interpreter a VAor aVP? Be that as itmay, there are expandingwork options for numerous skill sets. The following is a sampling of the opportunities a Foreign Service spouse almost anywhere might pursue: Business plan writing Marketing plan writing Academic writing Press release services Grant proposal writing Import-export support Foreign market research Legal and medical transcription Fundraising consulting and support Nonprofit growth consulting Audiovisual and multimedia presentations Public relations/media relations consulting Graphic design and corporate identity services Technical writing and editing Voice services (greetings, events) Intranet development and support Web community hosting and monitoring Web site design and maintenance Software programming Customer service complaint/dispute resolution Resources on the Net Whether youopt for the virtual assistant or virtual profession- al path, you’ll find plenty of tips on launching and growing a vir- tual services business on the Internet. A Google search will get your efforts off to the right start, and industry organizations like the International Virtual Assistants Association, at www.ivaa.org, can also help. The media has also embraced the concept, and archived articles, on virtual assistants in particular, abound. Look Before You Leap! There are, of course, caveats. The ForeignService spousemust take into account potential conflicts of interest andothermission- specific considerations and sensitivities that non-diplomatic VPs andVAs can ignore. Be sure to read relevant FamilyLiaisonOffice publications such as Employment Options for Foreign Service Family Members and get guidance from your post administra- tive officer as first steps before undertaking any VP or VA self- employment effort, andmost especiallybefore accepting any client in a VP or VA relationship. Enjoy, andmay the heady and rewarding pleasures of success- ful entrepreneurship be yours! ▫ Michael Haaren, who was a Foreign Service dependent in the 1960s, is the co-founder and COO of Staffcentrix, LLC, which specializes in training pro- grams in the Virtual Assistant/Virtual Professional industry. FS VOICE: FAMILY MEMBER MATTERS BY MICHAEL HAAREN Portable Career Options: Virtual Assistants, Virtual Professionals JOSH