Jumpstart Your Work From Home Career

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Transitioning From Office to Home

Working from home is definitely different than working in an office space. Working from home often means that you have to find a way to separate work from home life more than ever before. When you leave a physical work place setting and go home, it’s easier to feel that separation.

When you work from home… things might not be that easy at first. It might be easy to start putting things off or try to multitask work duties with household duties. We might not even realize we are doing it until one starts to interfere with the other.

Working from home often requires a level of independence that you might not be used to. Perhaps you are used to chatting with coworkers in a break room or being able to call someone for assistance on certain projects. When you are working from home there might be some periods of loneliness. After all, you are working in your own space. It takes some getting used to. You also have to be ready to troubleshoot technical glitches, internet disruptions and other things on your own because you are the only department in your home.

Now, I am not trying to change your mind here. I DO want you to be able to work from home. Working from home comes with tons of benefits such as helping to reduce your carbon footprint with less travel time to work, better work/home balance, and learning opportunities.

But, I DO want you to go into your career change with a solid plan for working remotely. Chances are, with a realistic understanding of remote life and a game plan for tackling some of the common challenges, this career change will help you transcend your goals.

Finding Your Place

More and more employers are offering remote work these days. Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, expects to see, “approximately 70% of the workforce being remote by 2025” (1). That’s a big enough number to start making some changes now.

The sooner you find your place in the remote world, the sooner you will be able to get settled into a nice routine.

There are many industries that traditionally have remote work available such as IT, clerical and transcription among others. With more industries moving turning to remote options, it’s a good idea to check if any employers in your industry might be hiring remotely before making a full career change.

If you cannot find remote work in your industry then take some time to think about what you really want to do. Do you want to stay in a similar industry? For example, nursing is mostly hands-on work that requires employees to be physically present in a workplace. However, there are many remote work opportunities for nurses becoming available with insurance companies, health care providers, and other areas. While it may not be bedside nursing, remote options for nurses are in the same industry but with different resposibilities.

Not interested in staying in your current industry? Take some time to look at different job options available. Do you like talking to people? Then maybe a customer service related phone job might interest you. Do you prefer not to talk to people? Then maybe exploring a chat only tech support position might be a better option.

Before jumping in and applying to the many remote work opportunities available, it’s a great idea to really think about what you like and what you WANT to do. Working from home can be rewarding – especially when you are doing something you love.

For the most up to date information about new remote jobs, be sure to check out our job board. We continue to update our work from home resources and will add industries as they are made known to us.

Plan It Out

Once you narrow down the list of available jobs and begin applying to the ones that interest you, it’s time to plan your work from home strategy. How will you separate work and home life? What hours will you set for work and home routines? Where will you work in your home? How will you set up your space? What equipment will you need?

It’s a great idea to have a general idea of what your work and home life hours will be. This will help you plan and maintain a schedule that will make it easier to balance the best of both worlds.

Planning your space is also very important. Sure, you can work on a laptop on your couch or in bed. We’ve all seen pictures of people looking very comfortable, lounging around while working from home. It’s an ideal image. The reality is that, hunching over your computer in bed and not having support for your wrists over time will begin to cause some aches and pains.

It’s best to have your workspace set up properly in order to avoid any physical ailments down the road. Check out this article on setting up your space to prevent and stop neck and back pain. Setting up your space in advance will give you some time to test it out and make sure it’s a space that will make working from home enjoyable.

Before running out and purchasing all kinds of equipment to work from home, it’s best to check with your prospective employer and see if there are any specific requirements for the job. Some employers want you to have a certain brand of headset while others may want you to have dual screens of a certain size. Other employers might send you all the equipment you need so you don’t have to make any purchases yourself. You can save yourself a lot of money and hassle by waiting to see what you will actually need before deciding to make any major purchases.

Finally, enjoy the process. It is all a learning experience. You will learn about new job, new industries, new ways of doing things, and a new way to experience work. It can be scary and exciting… confusing and insightful. There will be times when you feel like you will never get the right opportunity or you might find the perfect job with your first application.

This is a journey. It’s a new path and a new way of doing things so be patient and remain optimistic. There is something for everyone in this digital age. Stick with a plan and see it through until you find the best job for you!

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Have you made the transition from office to home? Are you considering making this transition? Do you have any comments or suggestions about remote work? Leave a comment or visit us on social media and let us know!