There is a common stigma associated with remote jobs. It is perceived that they are easier and have a smaller workload. This isn’t necessarily the case. Working from home isn’t exactly the picnic it sounds like – reclining in your pajamas with a laptop sprawled across your lap, a Big Gulp in one hand, bag of Doritos in the other, streaming YouTube videos on a separate window (though your boss would never know as long as everything is done on time) -- but it does afford some distinct advantages.
Remote jobs are, simply put, working from somewhere outside of a normal office. Typically speaking, this is from home via the Internet. These jobs can include anything from customer service to data entry, remote desktop support to web developers, and a vast array in between. (Author’s Note – I wrote this article from home.)
First and foremost, there is a level of flexibility that remote jobs offer which is unsurpassed in conventional offices. Many telecommuting jobs don’t have set hours, allowing you to work when you’re feeling the most productive – which yields higher efficiency than working when someone else requires. For “night owls” especially, this can considerably raise one’s output in the same number of hours worked – giving you bargaining power for a potential raise, and increasing the probability of employee retention.
With this flexibility comes responsibility; there is greater pressure to ensure deadlines are met, but most telecommuters develop this mindset going into the job and thus, this is often moot. Even if the hours required are the same as one would find in a traditional setting. However, there is still an added level of comfort and advantage by being more comfortable in one’s surroundings.
Studies have also shown that single parents who work remotely and have flexible hours have significantly increased job satisfaction, as this can avoid work-daycare clashes. Additionally, the commute, fuel, and auto maintenance savings alone accumulate over a few months, let alone long term. As mentioned in the previous article, the time and savings from commuting is a raise and additional vacation in and of itself. In general, working from home enhances your quality of life.
Finally, IT specialists find considerable success in working from home. In most e-worker positions, the employee provides the hardware and connection while the employer is responsible for a VPN, remote access or some other proprietary software. Corporately owned computers are locked down so even small changes are highly regulated and admin protected, but when one owns the hardware, these changes are accessible – allowing the customization and optimization of equipment. IT specialists, by nature, tend to have very particular proclivities concerning settings – and usually, they know the best configuration for their functionality. This, coupled with the above factors, provides incredibly valuable benefits for those who are accustomed to their own devised method.
Finding a remote career can be challenging, even in today’s high-tech world. However, at V-Soft Consulting there are highly specialized recruiters who know what to look for, and can match your skill set to a profession where you can not only work from home, but fully validate the successful employee you already are. It’s time to take your career to new heights.
