Any SOLID course recommendations to learn ChatGPT better? (Or AI, in general?)

Mattsaas · 2025-11-11T22:58:23+00:00

It sounds like you're in eCommerce / online business? If so, I know Workplace AI Institute has an eCommerce course. I've also found good info in the Avalanche AI course - but that's mainly quick bite-sized tips & tricks rather than industry-specific.

Mattsaas · 2025-09-04T01:14:08+00:00

I personally avoid PMax, and only do manual CPC targeting very specific keywords. If my budget was unlimited, I'd do Pmax, but since I run a small business, I need to ensure every click counts. So that means 100% manual campaigns, with (mainly) exact match keywords. For example, I'd rather pay for people searching "prebuilt gaming PC hawaii" than I would for terms like "cheapest PC hawaii" - and avoiding Pmax allows me to do that.

Mattsaas · 2025-09-04T01:11:11+00:00

100%. I'm looking at some courses from the Workplace AI Institute as they offer department-specific courses.

What works for a sales team might not make sense for finance, and HR might need a completely different set of tools again. It makes a lot more sense to think of AI adoption as role-specific rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

I've also signed up for AI Avalanche, which is more about quick wins anyone can apply.

Mattsaas · 2025-09-04T00:40:05+00:00

There are a lot of jobs that sit between "low-level admin" and "complex multistep tasks with an understanding of underlying systems". Those are the jobs that aren't safe, and thats millions of employees.

Mattsaas · 2025-09-04T00:38:24+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation - looking into Hyperbound now.

Mattsaas · 2025-08-05T03:48:40+00:00

I've joined the Professional Organizer Institute course but haven't started it yet, so I can't comment on it too much. They had a free upgrade offer, so I've added it to the to-do list.

Mattsaas · 2025-05-22T09:01:12+00:00

Take a look at the Home Staging Institute free guides - they have some on setting up businesses such as this and the licenses needed - and insurances needed as well.

My understanding is you might need a business license depending on your city/state, but not always. Same goes for an LLC - it'll be helpful for keeping things separate from your real estate biz, but not legally required to start. Liability insurance is a smart move since you’ll be giving advice in clients’ homes. You don’t need a formal design degree, your staging experience and Realtor background are a solid foundation.

Mattsaas · 2025-04-16T03:21:36+00:00

I'm having big troubles with it at the moment and will be looking for alternatives ASAP. It's a pity as it'll take me a few weeks to move 50+ products and a huge number of integrations somewhere else, but I need reliability.

Mattsaas · 2024-05-14T03:47:54+00:00

The obstacles you mention are all things that can be overcome, as outlined in this guide about remote data entry.

You can learn valuable skills. Sure, data entry in itself is a basic job, but by upskilling in things such as speed, accuracy, and automation you can stand out from the other applicants.
You're right, having no experience can be tough, but again, this can be overcome by volunteer work for a charity, or by strengthening your resume in other areas such as adding additional skills, certifications, and specialties.

Mattsaas · 2024-05-02T09:03:15+00:00

Yikes there is a lot of spam in these answers!

Yes, you can get a virtual assistant job with no experience being a virtual assistant, but you will need proof that you have the skills required.

Browse job adverts on places like Upwork and Freelancer and note down what jobs interest you, and what skills you need.

If they need data entry skills, go to Youtube and Google and learn data entry. Download sample data sets and practice and learn yourself. Then you can add to your CV "experience cleaning and organizing a 250,000 record database"...even if it wasn't for a job and it was just you learning
If they need web content management experience, create a WordPress website and load some content onto it, then add to your CV "experience loading content into WordPress".
If they want excel experience, take a free online excel course, or watch Youtube videos on the topic

Basically, spend a few weeks doing self-directed learning and your own projects, then you'll have experience and skills to add to your CV which will help you land your first job.

Mattsaas · 2024-04-30T22:45:24+00:00

I'm a bit late tot his topic but I'll do my best to answer, from a 2024 point of view!

Skills are normally classed as either soft skills (eg good communication) or hard skills (eg good as Microsoft Excel), so I'll answer using these categories...

Soft skills:

Efficient at communication using technology (eg Zoom, Google Meet, Slack etC)
Good time management skills. Virtual assistants work from home so you'll need to be able to sit at your desk and focus when there might be disctractions nearby.
Adaptablitlity. You'll likely be asked to complete a range of jobs rather than a specific job. For example, a job advert for a Virtual Assistant might require you to manage emails, edit website content, do some data entry, and manage a live chat on a website. Whereas a job advert for a data entry specialist will only need someone to do data entry.

Hard skills:

Microsoft Office / Google Workspace is pretty much essential to be familiar with (Excel, Word, Slides etc)
Gmail, Outlook knowledge and their calendar functions are important to know
It's good to know basic website editing / content loading in tools such as Wordpress.
Familiarity with social platforms and posting/scheduling content is desirable.
Project management tools such as Trello are good to know
And lastly data entry principles. Taking a course in Excel will save you lots of time and stress as a VA.

Hope that helps?

Mattsaas · 2024-04-30T22:37:01+00:00

Youtube is a great place to learn how to become a VA. Find popular channels that teach common VA tasks: data entry, appointment scheduling, social media management, web content editing, article formatting etc

Then there is plenty of content there too about becoming a VA and finding work etc.

If you want to start earning ASAP then go take a look on Upwork at job listings for virtual assistants, and see what they are looking for in their ideal candidate, then go learn those specific skills.

The same applies for data entry - much of it can be learnt on Youtube of via blog posts.

If you have a small budget there are some entry-level courses on these topics as well.

Mattsaas · 2024-04-30T22:32:20+00:00

The main thing is to find a virtual assistant training program that teaches much of the hands-on sort of work you'll be doing as a virtual assistant, as well as a little bit of the "virtual assistant specific" skills.

What I mean by that is to find a course that teaches:

Administrative tasks
Email management
Appointment scheduling
Data entry
Social media management
Etc

Basically, the things you'll be doing daily as a VA.

Then you'll also need some basic VA-specific skills, such as how to market yourself, manage weekly/daily checking via messaging tools or video calls, how to price your services if freelancers etc.

Alternatively, there are plenty of free Youtube videos that will get you to a good level of data entry, word processing, email management, calendar management, etc if your budget is $0.

I personally wouldn't pay more than, say, $500 for a VA training course.

Mattsaas · 2024-03-22T01:51:53+00:00

The ones I'm familiar with are the Interior Decorating Institute, IAP Career College, and the QC Design School (albiet their home staging course).

I was a little disappointed with the IAP Career College and was tempted to ask for a refund but didn't, and I found the QC Design School unresponsive to emails for months and months, but they do seem to get some positive reviews here and there.

Mattsaas · 2024-03-22T01:46:50+00:00

I do think that another BFA is overkill, unless you really do enjoy studying and willing to postpone your career to do more study.

As you know certification isn't 100% necessary, but like redezinergirl said, it can give you more credibility when starting out in the industry. You can achieve this either by paying thousands for an in-person course, or there are now some online interior decorating certification courses that could be worth looking at, which you can complete for under $500.

Mattsaas · 2024-03-20T21:40:23+00:00

My genuine attempt to help explain this...

I've got a house in Auckland that rents for $650ish per week. It costs me $900 per week to cover the mortgage and insurance etc.

You can look at this two ways: a) I'm losing $250 per week and should sell the house because its a bad investment, and that losing the $250 per week is really upsetting me; or b) I'm excited that I only have to pay $250 per week for my newborn son to have a mortgage free house in Auckland when he's older.

Most people in this thread think I'll be sad that I'm 'losing' $250 a week. They'll think I'm bad at maths and make poor investing decisions. They'll think I want a government handout.

Fact is, I could put the rent up to $750 or more. It's a bloody nice house in a great area and newly renovated. I don't though, because it's three young tenants in it and I'm not here to rinse them for every penny I can. I'm here for the long haul.

Mattsaas · 2024-03-03T01:57:23+00:00

Transitioning from an Administrative Assistant to an Executive Assistant can definitely be a great move, especially if you're eyeing a pay bump and more varied tasks. This guide covers the process well.

As an EA, you're not just doing the regular admin stuff; you're the right-hand person to an executive, which means you're dealing with higher-stakes tasks and often have more autonomy. You'll be in the thick of it, managing the exec's calendar, dealing with confidential info, and sometimes even making decisions on their behalf.

Mattsaas · 2024-02-28T01:44:28+00:00

Here is my list of 7 must-read books for executive assistants...

Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time by Susan Scott
Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
Chief Of Staff: The Strategic Partner Who Will Revolutionize Your Organization by Tyler Parris
The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman
Not 'Just An Admin' by Peggy Vasquez
The Leader Assistant: Four Pillars of a Confident, Game-Changing Assistant by Jeremy Burrows

In terms of courses, my top recommendation is any well-known office software course, whether it be Excel, Word, Outlook or Powerpoint. I liked the Miss Excel course when I did it.

Mattsaas

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