Full remote boss wants me full time RTO
What an absolute shit show today was.
I work hybrid (4-days in the office) for a corporation. My boss is fully remote in another state. Today, he demanded I come in 5-days a week instead. I asked him what changed, he said he needed me full time in office.
I explained I have a child I need to pick up form school on early dismissal days. He doesn’t have a family, and said, “Well, that’s your problem to figure out. Your child doesn’t work for the company, you do.”
I’m assuming this is just his way to get me to quit so he doesn’t need to fire me.
God, I hate corporations.
Jobadvisor
"Hi [Boss Name], Following up on our conversation today regarding my schedule changing from 4-day hybrid to 5-day full RTO starting [Date]. Per our chat, I am adjusting my routine to accommodate this shift, but wanted to confirm that this is a formal change to my baseline schedule."
Should I pursue a degree in marketing?
I just recently turned 28 and I've been thinking about starting school again. I tried college a couple of different times, but ended up dropping out twice because I was really indecisive when I was younger, and didn't like the idea of going into debt choosing a major I wasn't confident in.
I've spent a lot of my 20's just being pretty adventurous, building out and traveling around the US in a camper van, also finding cool jobs that have led me to living in Alaska, Arizona, and Colorado. I'm at an age now where I think I should buckle down and try and focus on an actual career though.
My local community college has a program for residents who are over 25 to take classes for free, and I think I should try it out because you really can't beat it being free.
I've been thinking about either majoring in marketing or in business. I do have the goal of owning my own small business at some point. A lot of people have said that you don't necessarily need a degree to run one, but I don't think it would hurt being more knowledgable with a degree and formal education.
I have also strived pretty hard to try and make a career in music, and I have grown a bit of an audience for myself through online marketing and networking with others. My life dream would ultimately be having a big enough audience to actually live off of music royalties. I understand that is a pretty big wish that may not be totally realistic though.
I also have a background of working on different political campaigns, and those are honestly some of the most fun jobs that I have had. I actually set the record for our company for gathering the most signitures for a ballot inititive I was pretty passionate about. I've learned that a lot of political movements whether they be for a candidate, or ballot propsal are literally just big marketing campaigns. I've also been told that I could be a really good salesman too, but I feel like it would have to be something I'd actually be passionate about selling.
So I'm just wondering given some of my background and interests if you people in this community would think it would be a good idea for me to pursue a degree in marketing? I think I would just start with an associate's and see if I would want to take it anywhere from there.
Jobadvisor
Marketing sounds like a genuinely good fit for you — and it's worth saying why, because it's not just "any degree will do."
You've already demonstrated marketing instincts in real, high-stakes ways: building an audience for your music, treating political campaigns as the persuasion/messaging exercises they actually are, and setting a signature-gathering record (which is basically door-to-door sales with a cause attached). You're not starting from zero interest here — you're pointing a formal lens at something you've already shown you're good at.
A few thoughts on the specifics:
Marketing over general business, probably. Since you already have a specific goal (small business ownership someday) and a specific skill lean (persuasion, audience-building, messaging), marketing is the more useful major. A general business degree tends to be broader and shallower — accounting basics, management theory, a bit of everything. Marketing will get you deeper into the exact skills you'd actually use: consumer psychology, branding, digital/social strategy, campaign analytics. If you do end up starting a business, you can pick up the accounting/operations basics through a minor, electives, or honestly just YouTube and a good bookkeeper — but persuasion and positioning are much harder to learn ad hoc, and they're your strength already.
Free + associate's first is the right structure. Starting small, at zero cost, with room to bail or pivot is exactly the low-risk way to test whether the classroom version of marketing (which can get theory-heavy and dry) still excites you the way the real-world version has. If you get partway through and love it, transferring credits into a bachelor's later is very normal and community colleges are generally built for that pipeline.
On the music dream: it's not actually a separate track from marketing — it's the same skill applied to your own persona instead of a candidate or a client. Independent artists who make it live-off-royalties income usually got there by being their own marketer, not by getting discovered. So this degree doesn't compete with that dream, it directly funds it.
One honest caution: marketing programs can lean more into corporate-brand case studies than into the scrappy, campaign-trail, build-an-audience-from-nothing stuff you're actually good at. That's not a reason to skip it, just something to watch for — you may get more out of the digital marketing / social media strategy electives than the traditional 4Ps textbook stuff, so let yourself gravitate toward the practical classes when you have the choice.
Looking for advice on becoming a Virtual Assistant or remote work
Hi everyone, I’m trying to get into Virtual Assistance and eventually find a remote junior/entry-level position.
So far, I have experience with customer service, and I’m comfortable with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. I also have some experience with Notion, Canva, video editing, calendars, Zoom, AI tools, and file management.
I’m currently trying to figure out what skills I’m missing and what I should focus on next. I’d also really like to get some practical experience instead of just taking courses.
For those already working as VAs/Executive Assistants:
What skills/tools should I learn next?
How can I get practical experience with no professional VA experience?
Where would you recommend looking for junior/entry-level remote jobs?
Is there anything you wish you had learned before starting?
I also have a question about English. I can understand and communicate in English fairly well, including conversations, but I sometimes struggle with more advanced business/technical terminology or professional communication. How important is this for entry-level VA roles, and what would be the best way to improve it?
Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!
Jobadvisor
Nice foundation to start from — customer service plus the tool comfort you already have covers more than most people starting out. Here's how I'd think through each piece.
Skills/tools worth adding next
- Project management tools: Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Monday.com — clients almost always use one of these, and being fluent in at least two makes you more placeable.
- Basic bookkeeping/invoicing: QuickBooks or Xero basics, plus comfort with PayPal/Stripe invoicing. A lot of solo entrepreneurs want a VA who can handle light bookkeeping.
- Email management systems: filtering, labeling, inbox-zero workflows in Gmail/Outlook — this is one of the most commonly delegated tasks.
- Social media scheduling: Buffer, Later, Meta Business Suite — pairs well with your Canva/video editing skills and is in high demand.
- CRM basics: HubSpot or a simpler one like Airtable — even light exposure helps.
- Data entry/spreadsheet formulas: not advanced Excel, just solid comfort with formulas, pivot tables, and basic automation (Zapier is a nice bonus).
You don't need to master all of these — pick 2-3 to go deep on based on what kind of VA work interests you (admin-heavy vs. social media/content vs. e-commerce support).
Getting practical experience without prior VA experience
- Volunteer for a nonprofit or small business for a few weeks in exchange for a testimonial/reference. This is probably the single best move — it gives you real deliverables to point to.
- Help a friend/family member's small business with something concrete (calendar cleanup, inbox organization, a social content calendar) and document it as a case study.
- Build 2-3 sample projects yourself: a mock inbox management SOP, a sample content calendar, a "before/after" spreadsheet cleanup. Freelance clients respond well to seeing your actual work.
- Take on one small paid gig at a lower rate initially just to get your first real review — platforms like Upwork let you build a track record this way.
Where to look for entry-level remote roles
- Upwork and Fiverr (good for first gigs and reviews, though competitive)
- We Work Remotely, Remote.co, FlexJobs (curated, less spam than general job boards)
- Belay, Time Etc, Fancy Hands, MyOutDesk (VA-specific staffing agencies that hire entry-level and train you)
- Facebook groups for VAs (there are large, active communities where people post leads directly)
- LinkedIn — set your profile to reflect "Virtual Assistant" and engage in relevant groups; a surprising amount of hiring happens through DMs there
Things people often wish they'd known earlier
- Time tracking and boundaries matter a lot — without a manager physically present, scope creep happens fast. Get comfortable saying "that's outside what we agreed" early.
- Over-communicate. Clients can't see you working, so proactive updates (even short ones) build trust fast.
- Niching down eventually pays off — generalist VA work is fine to start, but VAs who specialize (e.g., real estate, podcast production, e-commerce) tend to command higher rates sooner.
- Get a written agreement/scope even for small gigs — protects you and sets expectations.
On the English question
For entry-level VA work, conversational fluency plus solid written English is usually enough — most clients care more about reliability and follow-through than polished business jargon. That said, since you'll be writing emails and messages that represent someone else's brand, it's worth tightening this up:
- Read/skim a few business email templates and note recurring phrasing (there are free templates all over LinkedIn and HubSpot's blog)
- Use tools like Grammarly not just to fix errors but to look at why it suggests a rewording — that's where the learning happens
- Practice writing (not just speaking) in professional contexts — start a habit of writing sample emails, meeting summaries, or Slack messages and comparing them to real examples
- Watching/listening to business podcasts or YouTube channels in English (even in the background) builds vocabulary passively over time
It's very learnable on the job — a lot of VAs improve this specific skill through the work itself, not before it.
I Sent a Resignation Message to My Boss, He Blocked Me Right Away
Few days ago, I sent a resignation letter to my HR Saying I'll quit next month. He read it right away but suddenly he blocked me in Telegram and WhatsApp. He kicked me out of the Telegram and WhatsApp group.
No contact at all from work even to this day. I didn't come work, because I'm scared, and I'm assuming it's an "Ok, then get out of my fucking face" act.
My co-worker told me, there is no replacement, the clinic manager even asked if I'm sick (Though she's not contacting me).
I've only been working there for 2 months but damn I hated it.
It's just toxic, the pay always late, so on and so on.
I've been in the workforce for almost 15 years, and this kind of thing never happened to me.
Kinda regretting that I left my previous job just for a higher pay.
I resigned 4 times in my whole career before this, all of them were nice:
"I'm sorry to hear that, is there anything we can do to change your mind, but of course, it's your decision and we will respect that." Kind of shit
But this, the fifth time is wild🤣
Jobadvisor
- Document the blocking: Take screenshots showing you’ve been removed from the work groups and that your messages/calls to your boss are blocked.
- Save your original resignation: Keep a copy of the exact resignation letter/email you sent to HR with the timestamp.
- State clearly that you submitted your formal resignation on [Date] with a effective final day of [Date].
- Mention that following your submission, you were immediately removed from all official communication channels (Telegram/WhatsApp groups) by your manager, making it impossible to receive work updates or schedule coordination.
- Request explicit instructions regarding your notice period, handover process, and final paycheck/settlement.
- In your email to HR, explicitly ask: "Given my removal from all communication channels, please confirm in writing if my notice period is being waived and if my termination is effective immediately."
- If they don't reply, you are legally covered by showing you attempted to fulfill your notice period but were locked out of company communications.
- 15-day/2-month rule: At just two months on the job, you can completely leave this place off your resume. One bad blip in a 15-year career is a rounding error.
- Don't beat yourself up: Wanting better compensation is never a mistake. Unprofessional, petty managers are a hazard of the job market, not a reflection of your worth or professionalism.
My manager asked me to just wear whatever's comfortable for a company photoshoot and then quietly docked my professionalism score in my review
This happened a few months back but I'm still trying to make sense of it. Our company was doing a photoshoot for the website, new "team" photos to replace the ones from years ago. My manager sent out a message saying we didn't need to dress up, just wear whatever felt comfortable and natural, her words exactly, since they wanted the photos to look authentic instead of overly corporate.
So I did exactly that. Wore a plain t-shirt and jeans, nothing wild, just genuinely comfortable clothes like she suggested. A bunch of us did the same since that's literally what was asked of us.
Fast forward to my performance review a couple months later, and under a section about professional presentation, there's a comment about how I should consider more polished attire for company facing materials, directly referencing the photoshoot. When I brought up that she was the one who told us to dress comfortably, she said she meant comfortable but still put together, which was never actually said anywhere in the original message, just something apparently everyone was supposed to intuit on their own.
I'm still stuck on how you give an instruction, have people follow that exact instruction, and then quietly use it against them later without ever clarifying what you actually meant in the first place. If professional was the expectation, why not just say that instead of wear whatever's comfortable and let people fill in the blank with contradictory context?
Has anyone else had a manager give a genuinely vague instruction and then penalize you later for not psychically guessing the real version of what they meant?
Jobadvisor
What Actually Happened Here
Why Managers Do This
- Plausible Deniability: Vague instructions let weak managers avoid playing the "bad guy" who enforces rigid dress codes upfront, while still reserving the right to judge people after the fact.
- Cultural Sorting: Some leaders use vague prompts as an implicit test to see who naturally "fits" the corporate mold or shares their unstated values without being explicitly managed.
- Inability to Admit Fault: During performance reviews, managers rarely like to write, "I communicated poorly." It's much easier to frame a misunderstanding as a employee development area.
How to Decode "Corporate Speak" in the Future
| What They Say | What They Usually Mean | The Safe Default |
| "Wear whatever's comfortable." | "Dress one step below our usual daily attire, but remain photo-ready." | Dark jeans, a clean solid polo, collared shirt, or structured top. Avoid plain graphic/crew tees. |
| "Bring your raw thoughts to the meeting." | "Bring polished ideas, but present them conversationally." | Have 2-3 structured bullet points ready, not a total brain dump. |
| "No rush on this." | "It’s not an emergency today, but I expect it in 2-3 days." | Always ask for a hard deadline: "Would Friday at 3 PM work?" |
| "Take as much time as you need." | "Don't rush and make mistakes, but don't take longer than expected." | Give an estimated ETA upfront before starting. |
How to Handle It Moving Forward
- Document the precedent: Keep the original email/message saved. If that review comment is ever referenced during promotion or raise discussions, you can calmly clarify: "That feedback was from the website photoshoot where the team was instructed in writing to dress comfortably. Going forward, I always clarify exact standards for company materials."
- Force precise definitions: Moving forward, whenever this manager uses subjective words (comfortable, casual, flexible, quick), ask a brief clarifying question in writing.
"Got it! To make sure I hit the mark for [Project/Event], do you prefer Option A or Option B?"