VAAEN Administrative Professional Voice Council

VAAEN · Founding Cohort

Help us build what administrative professionals have been asking for. Your voice, on the record.

An invitation to join the Administrative Professional Voice Council — before you apply, here is exactly what that means.

You were not asked to join a webinar. You were asked to help shape something real — the training, resources, and certification path VAAEN is building for administrative professionals and virtual assistants. This page tells you what that actually looks like, so you can decide if it's right for you before you fill out a single field.

What this is

A small research and advisory group, not a membership.

The Voice Council exists to gather honest, firsthand insight from people doing the work — so VAAEN builds programming based on what administrative professionals actually need, not what we assume they need.

Six weeks, one focus

A structured series of working sessions covering your daily realities, your career goals, and the gaps you wish someone would close.

II.

Built to inform, not impress

What you share directly shapes VAAEN's training library and the future certification pathway for the profession.

What's asked of you

Before you apply, know what you're signing up for.

Time

One session per week for six weeks, 90 minutes each. You'll choose a weekly time that works for your schedule.

Honesty

Open, candid feedback about your role, your challenges, and what support is missing — this only works if it's real.

Confidentiality

Sessions are recorded for internal VAAEN research and review only. What's shared in the council stays in the council.

Agreement

Participants sign a confidentiality and participant agreement before the first session. We'll walk you through it — no surprises.

Beyond the six weeks

Earning your badge unlocks the Council's monthly discussion for Leadership Circle members, or a quarterly discussion if you're not yet a member.

How It Works

From application to your first session — the full path.

Eight steps stand between applying and your first Voice Council session. Here is exactly what that path looks like.

Apply

Submit the short intake form.

Application Review

VAAEN reviews your application and determines whether to invite you to interview.

Interview

Schedule and attend a brief 15-minute conversation.

Final Decision

After the interview, VAAEN confirms whether you're invited to join the current cohort.

Sign Agreement

Review and sign the participant agreement.

Receive Community Access

Get access to the VAAEN Community after signing your agreement.

Attend Orientation

Get oriented before the sessions begin.

Start APVC Sessions

Your six-week cohort begins.

What you receive

Not paid. Still worth something.

This is not a paid research study, and we want to be upfront about that. In exchange for your time and honesty, here is what you actually walk away with.

Beta access to VAAEN's administrative professional training and assessment tools before anyone else sees them.

The Voice Council badge — earned by completing the six-week study, yours to keep and add to LinkedIn or your professional profile. As a founding participant, you're among the first to earn it.

Founding member rate on Leadership Circle, plus an additional discount layered on top, when VAAEN membership opens to the public.

Badge holders inside Leadership Circle join the monthly discussion, where ongoing research keeps shaping VAAEN's training and resources. If you're not a Leadership Circle member yet, you're still welcome at a quarterly discussion to keep your voice in the work.

First consideration for future ambassador, facilitator, and leadership roles as VAAEN grows.

A few honest notes

This is probably not for you if —

You're looking for paid research work or a contract role
You can't commit to a consistent weekly session for six weeks
You're currently affiliated with another organization offering similar admin professional programming
You'd rather receive a finished resource than help build one

If that still sounds like you —

We'd love to hear your voice.

The next step is a short intake form — about five minutes — so we can learn about your background and find the best session time for the group.

Continue to the intake form

Submitting the form does not commit you to anything. We'll follow up with your agreement and next steps before any session is scheduled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you want to know before applying.

About the Voice Council

The Administrative Professional Voice Council (APVC) is a six-week research and advisory group made up of administrative professionals and virtual assistants. It was created by VAAEN — the Virtual Assistant & Administrative Empowerment Network — to gather honest, firsthand insight from the people doing this work every day.

Instead of building programs based on assumptions, VAAEN uses the Council's findings to develop training content, membership resources, and its future certification pathway based on what administrative professionals actually need.

The Voice Council is open to administrative professionals and virtual assistants at any stage of their career — whether you are a new administrative assistant, a seasoned executive assistant, an office manager, a paralegal, or a virtual assistant. If you work in an administrative capacity and have real experiences to share, this is for you.

None of the above. The Voice Council is a research cohort — a structured group of professionals who meet weekly to share honest insights about their work, their challenges, and what support is missing. It is not a training program, a course, or paid employment. Participants contribute their perspectives and, in return, receive meaningful benefits for doing so.

Participation & Commitment

The Voice Council runs for six weeks, with one 90-minute session per week held via video. After each session, participants complete a short written survey — typically five to ten questions — on their own time before the following session. The total time commitment is approximately two hours per week for six weeks.

We understand that life happens. Two make-up days are built into the program for exactly this reason. If you know you will miss a session, please let VAAEN know in advance and we will get you scheduled for the appropriate make-up day.

Yes. VAAEN records each session for internal research and review purposes only. Recordings are used to accurately capture insights and are reviewed by VAAEN's internal team and administrative board committee. Participants are not permitted to record sessions themselves. No participant will be identified by name in any published findings without their explicit written consent.

Yes. Every participant signs a Participant Agreement and Confidentiality Agreement before the first session. This covers what participants are committing to, how VAAEN will use their input, confidentiality obligations for both parties, and the benefits participants will receive. Everything discussed inside the Council stays inside the Council.

Benefits & Recognition

No. There is absolutely no cost to participate in the Voice Council. This is a research and advisory initiative, not a paid program. There is no commercial obligation of any kind attached to participation.

Participants who successfully complete the six-week program receive:

The Voice Council digital badge via Credly — shareable on LinkedIn and your professional profile
Beta access to VAAEN's administrative professional training content before public launch
A founding member rate on VAAEN's Leadership Circle membership, plus an additional discount on top
Access to the VAAEN Community, which begins immediately upon signing the participant agreement
First consideration for future ambassador, facilitator, and leadership roles within VAAEN
An optional Employer Recognition Letter upon request

The Employer Recognition Letter is a formal letter issued by VAAEN on behalf of a participant, addressed to their employer or organization. It explains what the VAAEN Administrative Professional Voice Council is, what the participant contributed during the program, and why their involvement matters to the advancement of the administrative profession.

It is not a performance review — it is a professional acknowledgment confirming that the participant served on a formal research and advisory council. Participants can use it to add to their personnel file, share with their manager or HR department, or include in a professional portfolio. It is optional, available upon request, and issued after successful program completion.

The Voice Council badge is a digital credential issued through Credly, one of the most recognized platforms for professional digital badges. It signifies that the recipient completed the VAAEN Administrative Professional Voice Council program. The badge can be displayed on LinkedIn, added to an email signature, or included in a professional portfolio. It is verifiable — anyone who clicks it can see exactly what it represents and who issued it.

Data & Privacy

All responses and contributions are used solely for VAAEN's internal research and programming development. Findings are reported thematically — no individual is identified by name in any published report without their explicit written consent. Individual responses are never shared with third parties.

Participants may receive communications from VAAEN related to the Voice Council program — session reminders, survey links, and updates on how their input is being used. They will not be added to a general marketing list without their explicit opt-in consent. Any future communication outside the scope of the Voice Council requires separate permission.

What Comes Next

The State of the Profession Report is VAAEN's annual research publication documenting the real state of the administrative profession — based on data gathered directly from administrative professionals through the Voice Council. It covers workforce trends, career advancement barriers, technology adoption, training needs, and executive relationships. Founding Voice Council participants are contributing to the very first edition.

VAAEN is currently developing a professional certification program specifically designed for administrative professionals. It is not yet available. Voice Council participants are serving as beta contributors — their input is actively shaping the content, structure, and standards of what that certification will become.

Founding Voice Council members will be grandfathered into the certification process when it launches, meaning they will not need to retake modules or exams that their participation helped build. Additional details will be announced on vaaen.org when it is ready. It is currently listed as Coming Soon.

Completing the Voice Council is the beginning, not the end. Badge holders who are also Leadership Circle members are invited into VAAEN's ongoing monthly discussion. Badge holders who are not yet Leadership Circle members are welcome to participate in a quarterly discussion to stay connected and keep contributing to VAAEN's research.

We're happy to help. Reach out to us at [email protected] or visit vaaen.org