Where to actually find them
Upwork for offshore. Airtasker for Aussies. The exact filters and search terms I use for each.
Two platforms cover 95% of my hires. Upwork for ongoing offshore roles, Airtasker for Aussie freelancers and one-off jobs.
Offshore — Upwork
Best for ongoing admin and marketing roles
Upwork is the deepest pool of full-time VAs you’ll find. The Philippines is the strongest market for English-speaking admin and marketing assistants — strong work ethic, good English, used to working with Western businesses.
Filters I use:
- Location: Philippines (occasionally South Africa or Argentina)
- Hours billed: 1,000+ (means they’ve been doing this a while)
- Success rate: 95%+
- English level: Fluent or Native
- Hourly rate: $8–18 USD for admin, $12–25 USD for marketing
Search terms that work:“executive assistant”, “social media manager”, “video editor CapCut”, “content scheduler”.
Australian — Airtasker
Best for short jobs and on-the-ground work
Airtasker is where I find Aussies for one-off and short-burst jobs. The videographer who shoots my B-roll came off Airtasker. Same for a graphic designer I use for printed material and a photographer for events.
When Airtasker beats Upwork:
- Anything that needs to happen in person (filming, events, photoshoots)
- Short jobs you can scope as one task with one deliverable
- When you want an Aussie accent on the project for cultural reasons
- Same-day or same-week turnarounds
How I post the task:short title, clear deliverable, day and location, rough budget. Aussie rates land $40–80/hr for skilled work. Worth every cent for the stuff Upwork can’t cover.
The honourable mentions
- OnlineJobs.ph — direct hires in the Philippines. No middleman fee. Better long-term, but more work upfront.
- LinkedIn— search “virtual assistant” + your city. Good for Aussie EAs who’ve worked corporate. Pricier but very polished.
- Word of mouth — once you have one VA, ask them. They all know each other and the referrals are gold.