Work From Home as a Virtual Assistant For Time Etc.

Time Etc. is a well-known company that frequently hires home-based virtual assistants.

They were founded in 2007 and claim to handle more than 20,000 tasks per month for their various clients. These clients are primarily business owners and entrepreneurs based in the US and UK.

If you meet Time Etc.'s requirements, you may be able to get a job working for them from home as a VA (virtual assistant).

I always try to let you know whether or not a company hires worldwide, and I can't find that information posted on the Time Etc. website.

Because they have clients in the US and UK, I would assume that they hire from both of these places. It does say on the application that you need good English skills to qualify to work for them.

What kind of work do you do for Time Etc.?

If you're familiar with virtual assisting jobs, then you know your duties may seriously vary just depending on the needs of your clients.

So you may be writing blog posts, scheduling appointments, doing research, filling out forms, making travel arrangements, and so on. The sky is the limit when it comes to the services VA's provide.

One good thing about this type of work is that because your tasks may vary so much, the work is not likely to get repetitive and boring.

How much does Time Etc. pay?

The starting rate for Time Etc. virtual assistants is $11 per hour. In the past their hiring material used to say you could eventually earn up to $16 per hour, but that's gone now. It may still be the case, but take it with a grain of salt.

When does Time Etc. pay?

Time Etc. pays monthly with Paypal.

Who is qualified to work for Time Etc.?

Time Etc. wants to hire people who have 2-3 years of commercial experience, good English skills, and good organizational skills.

What is the schedule like?

You need to be available to work at least five hours a week, Monday through Friday. If hired, they want you to commit to working for them for at least one year. The company website claims this is a flexible position.

What do people say about working for Time Etc.?

As you may know, I always check the employee reviews for different companies on Glassdoor and Indeed. At this time, Indeed does not have a profile for Time, Etc., but there are many, many reviews posted from *mostly* happy workers on Glassdoor. You can view these here.

How can you get started?

If you are interested in becoming a VA for Time Etc., you can fill out their application here. Good luck!

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38 thoughts on “Work From Home as a Virtual Assistant For Time Etc.”

  1. I have been with Time Etc for over 6 months now and I would say it is an OK opportunity. While you can work for another company full or part time, you do need to be available for regular business hours Monday – Friday, however I have found that some clients do send work to you over the weekend.

    The opportunity with Time Etc is meant to be supplemental. It is a part time job to make extra money, and honestly I think it is good for training especially if you are new to the virtual assistant field or want to start a VA practice and want experience in determining best practices. Since, I had another more stable opportunity, working with Time Etc, presented an opportunity to develop best practices, learn if this is something I wanted to do on a bigger scale, and learn new things.

    The pay is $11.00 an hour and they have a fair pay policy and it can go as high as $16.00 an hour. They do provide a guide on how to reach that and I know there have been some complaints on how to get their. Time Etc is an entry level position and I am only applying basic general administrative skills. This is not an opportunity if you have expert skills. I would advise going for other companies that require expert skills such as WorldWide that have a higher pay rate.

    The process is not particularly difficult, just a bit lengthy. Once you are accepted as an assistant, in the beginning, you are able to get to accept tasks, and you are constantly sent client opportunities. This is to get you set up with clients. Once you have a few clients, you will stop receiving the daily opportunities and you will stop receiving client opportunities, so that you can build a relationship with the clients you have which is fine and a great idea.

    However, I find that Time Etc really needs to improve on getting to know their clients and this is where they fall short. A client opportunity lets you know how many hours a month they need, the tasks they need complete, as well as a bit about the client. The client fills this out, and when you express interest in the opportunity, an account manager will call you to ask you why do you think you would be a good fit, if you have performed these types of tasks before, and set up an interview with the client. TE will send you some tips on how to have a successful interview, questions your should ask, etc.

    Now the reason why I say TE falls short is what the client needs and what is actual is very different. I have found this to be the case with every single client. Clients may pick that they need ten hours a month, when they may need five hours, or they may need twenty. TE should take the time to really understand the client, their needs, how they work, and their flow, is this short term or long term, project based etc, because as an assistant you have to decide if you would like to work with this client, and you are going based off the information TE sends. While you have the opportunity to speak with the client, honestly to get all the information, it can take a bit of time, and usually the phone call is not meant to be lengthy but more so screened for fit. Also, opportunities are sent and you do not go through the phone screen, you are given the client and begin working right away.

    Since you are given clients in the beginning to get started, it is so imperative that you pick the right clients to work with as tt is difficult down the line to add clients, and you may find that you start with plenty of work and down to none. Also, be advised that a client can work with another assistant at any given time, and stop working with you, and you are not advised.

    I had three clients one client that was 25 hours a month and two clients at 10 hours a month. Total of 45 hours a month which was fine with me as I already had another part time job and was looking for another part time opportunity. All my clients in terms of personality no complaints. However, as I began working with my clients, it was a discrepancy in terms of what they actually needed and how often they needed it. The client that purchased 25 hours, rarely uses 25 a month. It was more so 5-10 hours a month. The client who purchased 10 was more like 15 and the third client who purchased 10 was more like 3-5 hours a month. While the company does not guarantee weekly hours because work fluctuates, which is understandable because the clients have different needs, this can impact your decision on if you can take on another client or clients which impacts your bottom line.

    Even after I had three clients, I was sent other opportunities to work with clients here and there. I accepted another client who wanted personal assistance for about 3 hours a month, however, as soon as I began working with him, I quickly realized that he needed more time and wanted me to be available for more hours than I could be, because at any given time any of your clients can send over a few tasks that can equate to a few hours. I was also given quite a few clients who did the trial basis and after exchanging emails and calls, they decided to either go in house, hire on their on, or not use the company which is time consuming.

    Currently, I have only one active client, as one left TE as they hired in house, and the other client switched to another assistant, and I was never informed. Now, Time Etc tells you how to reach out to the client and sends you tips on how to get them to use their time monthly, however you can do those things, and the client is going to follow their own thing. The one client that is active sends over a task or two monthly. This big client is a little client, and had I known I would have accepted more clients in the early stages, as after you have been with Time Etc for a few months, they start sending opportunities to the newer assistants so that they can build a client base.

    My advice is that you take your time and know your schedule. You can input your schedule into the TE system and send it to your clients so they know your availability. I did not know about this until later. Stay in constant contact with your account person and keep them update about your clients. I found this to be instrumental as I went through a period of getting client after client, and change after change. When you are sent a client opportunity, take your time and really find out if the client is looking to stay with TE long term, trial basis, short term, not sure etc, as this will impact your decision to take on additional clients. Review the tasks that they have listed and see how long you believe it will take you to do the tasks vs the tasks that are listed and not listed. You do not have to accept a client just because an opportunity is sent. I spoke with a client who requested that I babysit his work, and I felt uncomfortable doing so. Once you are comfortable with your clients, reach out for more and see if you can have more, but do not be disappointed if they do not as again they do not guarantee work.

    If you have another job that is during the daytime, be mindful of your time zone and hours you work, as the client can send the task over and need immediate turn around and this can impact you if you both are on the same timezone and if you have another job. I tended to choose clients that were on a different timezone for this reason, as well as on my timezone who needed tasks done within a 24 hour period as I was able to do the work at different times.

    I will continue with TE as I have my one client that I enjoy working with. I am also looking at working with out VA companies to expand my knowledge. Time Etc is a good opportunity to get your feet wet, but as a main source of income or even part time work may be a stretch.

  2. These folks are ok to work for, but many of their trial clients can be bad. Apparently there’s very little requirement for the clients to detail their jobs, some as little as “I NEED LEADS”, but if these jobs end poorly, your ability to pick up jobs all but stop. Don’t count on this company.

    • I did some work through them a while back and had the same issue. Most tasks that I thought were clear cut were snatched up quickly. Others were very vague as you mentioned. Finding leads, online research, etc. One task was to write someone’s term paper for them! (I declined – students should do their own work.) I had a few repeat clients, but then it seemed things slowed down and eventually stopped altogether. I came here to check to see if they were still working with U.S. workers. The pay was great for work from home, but from what I read about them, I was under the impression that clients would be companies giving work, not individuals with odd tasks. Ultimately, it wasn’t for me.

  3. Looks like a great opportunity for married, non-working folks, people who have their own businesses, or people with night jobs. I contacted them recently asking which position I should apply for based on my experience, and they said that you can apply for the general virtual assistant position if your experience branches into the others. But, they also mentioned that this job is not for those that need it (yes, that sounds weird).

    “We know from experience that the assistants who succeed working with Time etc are those who:

    – Are not in full time or part time employment
    – Who are flexibly available Monday to Friday, during normal working hours (and will be for the next 12 months)
    – Can commit to this way of working consistently for at least a year
    – Do not have a financial dependency on the work we provide”

    So, this doesn’t really work for single me until my business gets off the ground, but it may work for others! Hope this offers some clarification.

  4. Currently contracting with TimeEtc and I have to say that the clients are a breeze to work with. I have about 5 clients that I work with exclusively, but the work isn’t always consistent. Pay is always available by the 10th of the month and it is via PayPal. The fees that PayPal deducts is a pain, but as a Freelancer, you can claim those fees at tax time.

    The downside:
    – Communication can be stagnant: because they are in the UK and we’re stateside, there’s no communication should something happen after they close, although they claim to have someone available here in the states to cover. So, if there’s an emergency with a client, you’re short until the next business day.
    – Don’t hold your breath for a pay increase: it’s been almost 1 year that I’ve been with them, and they have refused to increase my pay from their standard $11/hour. This, although I am constantly receiving rave reviews from both the account managers and the client. There’s no reason given, and the only feedback provided is to read their directive on how to qualify for an increase (which I’ve met) and hopefully it will happen soon.

    If you decide to work with them, DEFINITELY consider having other options available to you, as I doubt that you could survive with them as your only source of income.

  5. A friend of mine applied for a job with Time etc at the start of this year. She passed all the online tests and was told she had got the job. She was told she would be introduced to a member of staff who she could ask questions to at any time but before this happened, she was sent a job which turned out to be a practice task which they say they send to all new assistants. Basically without saying what the task was in case they are still using it, she was given a PA role, she has never been a PA before. Long story short, she was then told that she didn’t meet the minimum criteria required. This was not fair as this was probably not a job that would have been assigned to her as this is not where her experience was. If they were going to test her, she should have been tested on the skills on her CV which they had a copy of. They treated her badly which is horrible after all the time she had invested doing all the online tests and setting up her profile etc.

  6. Thank you for always providing great information Anna! I am going to fill out my application today!

  7. I wasn’t thrilled with the fact that, if you get to the next step in the application process, they have you create a profile with your personal info, PayPal e-mail address, and photo…before they’ve actually accepted you. The last time I had applied, my application didn’t even get that far. So when they had me do that this time, I thought it was a good sign. But then I just got the e-mail this morning that I was not accepted.

  8. I applied a few months ago and was turned down. I applied a week ago and I was accepted just a few days ago. I did not have a telephone interview.

  9. I have recently signed with Timeetc and have clicked on email as soon as received and link to task and it has already been picked up. This has happened to me for the past couple of days. How quick do you have to be and are some servers slower than others when forwarding on emails?

  10. I’ve recently began working for Timeetc. It seems like a fair company. The only problem I’ve seen is it’s seems there aren’t very many tasks to pickup.

  11. Has anyone ever applied for The Time Etc. and got turned down, and then was later accepted after reapplying? How long do you think a person should wait before reapplying? Thanks!

  12. I am in the process of a career shift so I applied. I have a master’s degree and years of relevant work experience. The compensation of $11-16 is inaccurate because they will not hire you for more than $11.00 hourly. After taxes, this wage is simply unsatisfactory. However, I will say they responded to my e-mail and my resume almost instantaneously. So a quick response was very nice. But, I feel that my background respectfully requires the $16.00 hourly rate for me to get on-board.

    • Heather,

      I have duel Masters (M.B.A.,M.L.L.) $11.00 is more then most at home companies start you out at. Also, you can make up to $16.00 per hour, you just have to take the time to read in the instructions HOW to get your pay bumped.

  13. Starratt,

    That’s awesome! Congratulations! My interview is next week. Thanks for the insight; it helps. Will come back and let you all know how it goes! 🙂

  14. I applied two months ago and when I didn’t hear anything back I was a bit disappointed. I scored well on all the tests and set up a profile with them. But they finally reached back out to me earlier this week! So if you’re waiting dont be discouraged. The next step is the phone interview..can anyone tell me what that is like (what kind of questions, how long it lasted, etc). I just want to be prepared as I’ve worked really hare to get this far. Thanks!

    • Hi Kembra! Congrats! I just had my interview this morning, and it was super easy. She basically went over how it all works, and then asked me what types of work I would enjoy doing. She also asked what type of work I would avoid, which was easy for me…no accounting or bookkeeping. No one in their right mind would want me doing their finances. 😉

      Then she asked if I had any questions, and after that told me that she was very interested in signing me on as a freelancer. All in all, it lasted maybe 30 minutes. I think if you make it to this stage, your chances are excellent. Good luck!

  15. Hi! Has anybody started working with them? I need to fill out the profile but I don’t find any information on them on the web and I want to make sure it is an established company in the US. Will I need to give them my SS?

    Than,s

    • Hi Monica, I just finished my first month with them and received my first pay. I was a little leery myself, but did a search and found several items about the company online – it is actually based in the UK. Good luck!

  16. Hi Everyone,

    I’m new here. I’m in the application process with Time etc. If all goes well an interview is probably next. I’m wondering if anyone can tell me what the phone interview was like? Is there any testing? I tend to get nervous when its time to interview and I would hate for that to ruin my chances because I’m really good at what I do.

    Any tips regarding the kind of questions that will be asked during the interview and what kind of testing there is will help prepare me. Thanks so much.

    Eden

    • Hi Eden, I, too, am a horrible interviewee! The questions were pretty basic. What was my last job, why did I leave, what type of work do I enjoy doing. Very friendly and easy going. I only had a slight problem with my cell phone reception and trying to hear her. I also did some online testing. Good luck to you!

  17. I just got off the phone with Kirsten and am on my way to hopefully working with them. Slightly anxious about sending them my ID and SS info, though. You hear so many stories. But seeing Tiffany’s comment above makes me feel a little more at ease about it.

    • Same here. I just received an email saying that I didn’t get the job either. Bummer. You’re right though. Can’t give up.

  18. I can tell you right now that this is a legitimate job. I currently work with Kirsten at Time, Etc and the clients are not only amazing, but Kirsten is amazing to work with as well. Kirsten doesn’t just give you work that she doesn’t think you can handle. She asks you first if it’s something that you have experience in doing. She’s prompt in her responses with you, the system that we work with is very user friendly, payments are prompt, and it’s just a breath of fresh air all around. If you get hired on, hold on to it. This is NOT a dime a dozen company and should not be treated like one. You’re treated like an individual, not like a number.

  19. Hello Kirsten,
    I just applied moments ago and actually I’d prefer working nights and weekends but I’m open to working any hours available. I have a home off the meets the requirements and I have the experience as well. Looking forward to being selected.

  20. Hi everyone,

    Kirsten from Time etc here – nice to meet you! Thanks very much for the review 🙂

    We welcome applications from the US and UK – we’re also now accepting applications from people who are not available to work during the week but instead prefer to work at the weekends or outside of normal hours.

    We try our best every time to match assistants with work – but sometimes we have more assistants apply than our workload requires – so please don’t be disappointed if you don’t get work through us first time around!

    What we really mean by “commercial experience” is experience working in a paid capacity (rather than internships or work experience) but we’re going to change this phrase in the next two weeks to something clearer as a result of your feedback.

    If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me directly at the link below – I will be very happy to help:

    http://be-a-virtual-assistant.timeetc.com/portal/question

    Thanks,

    Kirsten
    Time etc

    • Thanks so much for stopping by, and I also greatly appreciate the clarification for “commercial experience.” I will edit my post above to include the info you provided.

  21. I can’t thank you enough Anna for this information. You’ve really helped me find cools ways to make money online without having to come across scams. I’ve applied to Time etc. and I really hope I get this job because I know I’m qualified. Good luck to everyone out there who applies!

  22. Re: “Commercial Experience.” I suspect that Time Etc. makes the distinction between those venues which are commercial in contrast to those which are non-profit. Having worked in both venues, I’m aware that they function very differently, especially inasmuch as financial and political agendas are concerned.

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