14 Things To Consider If You Want To Work Remotely
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Finding a location independent, fully remote job is now nearly a new normal. Pre Covid, a fully remote role was considered mostly an anomaly; 17% of US workers worked out of a home office before 2020. Turn the clock to today and that number is now 44% of US citizens! Nearly 1 in 2 people are working from home.
If you are wondering if a remote job could be right for you and you are wanting to get an understanding for the advantages and disadvantages to joining the ranks of fully remote workers, read on!
Opportunities To Consider If You Want To Work Remotely
Once companies realized that work productivity increased and company costs decreased once they sent their workers home, many companies opted to remain fully remote, despite the chance to return to the office. Instead, they worked on expanding remote resources and the support network for their now-digital team. Many companies now allow, and even prefer, location independent employees—or at least, developed a hybrid work model—so the opportunities for anyone wanting this kind of flex career have drastically improved.
Of course, as the market has grown, so has the competition. When applying for a remote role, you can be sure that instead of competing against local professionals in your city, you are now competing in a nationwide pool of applicants.
Another aspect to consider when looking into working remotely is whether you want to pursue your own business or brand through freelance work, or opt to pursue a more structured career within a developed company.
Where should you start looking for flex careers?
The following are a great place to start:
For freelancer specific work:
What kind of fully remote work is available?
The type of professional remote work that is currently available to you is basically now across the board, ranging from copyediting to billing to engineering. Working in the digital space does not really limit you professionally anymore, as different companies have gone remote. You can find high-quality professional roles, whether you are looking for an entry level, intermediate, or senior-level position.
According to BusinessInsider, the most common remote roles are as follows:
Virtual Assistant
Copywriter
Customer Support Specialist
Marketing Manager
Recruiter
Translator
English Language Teacher
Front-end Developer
Web Designer
Business Development Manager
Social Media Coordinator
Product Manager
Curriculum Designer
As you can see, these remote opportunities are diverse and support a variety of professional goals and interests. From marketing to education to web design to business development to management, you are not limited in your career path if you choose to pursue a remote work life.
What are the advantages of working remotely?
Fewer distractions and increased work performance
77% of remote workers report greater productivity when they’re working from home. Turns out the water cooler talk takes up more time and attention than expected!
The ability to work from the comfort of your own home
Working in PJs and spending time with family just became more possible!
Flexibility with your schedule
When working remotely, you will have more wiggle room concerning your schedule and routine. However, this is not to say that you get to pick your own hours, start time, and end time, as this is highly dependent on the company you work for. (They may still require a specific clock in- and out- time.) Each company is different, but odds are, flexibility will be in your favor. Many employees find that working remotely affords them precious moments in their schedule to carve out time for working out, cook and eat healthier at home, use a fifteen minute break to read, or go outside for a quick walk. All instead of spending it in a break room at work.
Work-Life Balance
75% of remote employees say working offsite has improved their work-life balance, leading to improved mental health. More of your schedule and environment is up to your discretion and you are able to dictate many of the terms on which you work. Say bye-bye to a toxic work environment or an unpleasant coworker or manager. You can blast the music of your choice. You save money on work outfits and dress exactly as you wish (except for waist-up when on video calls). You can make a cozy, ergonomic home office or take your work laptop to a coffee shop when you need a change of scenery. You have less chance of getting whatever cold or bug is going around the office. The independence is liberating!
Location Independence
Some companies only support hiring or health care in specific states, but many have no restrictions on geographic location, which literally opens up the world to you. You could become a digital nomad and travel; you can visit out-of-state family and friends without taking up PTO.
No Commute
No commuting hassle when you work from home! The average commute time is 27 minutes, and what a waste of life that can add up to be!
Higher Income
On average, the annual income of remote workers is $4,000 higher than that of other workers.
What are the Disadvantages of Working Remotely?
What are the drawbacks to living and working so flexibly? The three biggest challenges associated with remote work are unplugging after work (27%), loneliness (14%), and communication (20%).
The Lack of Company Culture
You miss out on company culture. A physical company workspace can increase general happiness within and loyalty to a company.
Relationships with Coworkers
You miss out on co-workers' relationships. Coworkers can make all the difference in making your job something to look forward to. In a remote role, you are less likely to get to know your coworkers, no matter how awesome they seem to be from a thousand miles away.
Training Limitations
Training, learning, and communication can suffer when your team is remote. Many companies have improved and streamlined their training and communication strategies, but for many, it is still a work in progress. When you are training, you no longer can turn to your coworker next to you, tap them on the shoulder, and have them double-check your work or ask for a quick walkthrough.
Increased Loneliness
A fully remote role increases the potential for isolation and loneliness; independence is a two-sided coin. Working eight hours a day in the privacy of your home can turn out to be too quiet and socially-depriving for some.
Distractions
Statistics say there are fewer distractions when working from home, but on the flip side, working from home could provide even more, for example, if you have kids.
Boundaries Between Work/Home Life Can Suffer
Unbalanced work/home life. It can be hard to draw a line between your work and personal life if they both happen in the same space, and this could look like a number of things. free time now, extending your hours.
Difficult to Maintain a Routine
Working from home can make it difficult to maintain a good routine or schedule. Too much flexibility can backfire, leading to a lag in motivation, engagement, and performance levels. It may sound amazing at first to be able to wake up, flip open your laptop and start plugging away work from the comfort of your bed, but you may find that over time your routine is suffering, impacting your physical and mental health. You have to make extra efforts to get out of the house, work out, develop a healthy routine, and make social calls and visits.
Is remote work right for you?
While companies were unprepared for the unanticipated transition during the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, they have greatly acclimated to this new normal, with a much better and more developed support system, designed to keep positive employee morale and sense of their company culture alive.
Buffer offers a variety of interesting statistics surrounding remote work, one of which being: 95.3% of remote workers would recommend working remotely to others.
Take a look at the pros and cons of working from home, and be honest with yourself. Do these premises align with your goals, professionally or personally, and do you think you would thrive under these circumstances?
Additional Remote Work Resources:
Time Camp put together an extensive list of resources to check out and browse through for both fun and information. It is a great way to get excited about working remotely!
We Work Remotely has a worthwhile resource page to draw from, including lists of reading materials, communities, and work equipment.
Owl Lab made a cool list of the nine of the best remote work travel programs, which organize housing, travel arrangements, co-working space, gyms, and more, while hopping around the different cities and/or countries.
Check out this helpful and fun article on working remotely while also traveling for inspiration.