Are you self-motivated, enterprising, tired of working the regular 9-5 routine and want to work in your own time and pace? Is the daily commute to work burning you out? Is Queen’s “I want to break free” your favorite song? Then you are just the person who can ask your present employers to let you work from your home and telecommute or look for jobs which allow you to do so.
Working from home and why more people are going for it
Working from home or telecommuting is one of the most innovative concepts that have taken the professional world by storm globally in recent years. Not only can one cut down enormously on travel expenses and time, women professionals in particular, are finding it an extremely convenient way of working, since they can keep an eye on their children while working. Research shows that almost 60% working professionals around the world are unable to handle the stress arising out a misbalanced work-life ratio. Working from home reduces that stress considerably as you are no longer carrying your home-related worries with you to work and can manage both simultaneously.
All you have to do is dump your breakfast dishes in the sink and walk into the next room, switch on your computer and start your day! You are the master of your own time and you can set your own pace without your boss breathing down your neck all the time.
Concerns and disadvantages
Working from home is great but is it great for you? Telecommuting comes with its challenges and is hardly the cakewalk it seems to be. For starters, in many cases the work itself is taking a backseat as people tend to get distracted by domestic chaos. Procrastination, indiscipline, and isolation are other pitfalls rendering the concept of working from home a tough one for many people to adapt to.
So what types of people have it in them to work from home? What are the traits you should possess in some measure before you take up that work at home job? Here’s a check-list of the pre-requisites:
Multi-tasking skills
If you are working from home, you have to get used to the idea of juggling multiple things at the same time since you don’t have the luxury of having other people help you with different tasks. This requires exceptional level-headedness, patience, and multi-tasking abilities. You are your own boss, your own secretary, your own accounts executive and even your own IT specialist. If you can’t cope with the pressures of multi-tasking, you’re probably not cut out to work from home.
Self-discipline
If you are the type that has always required other people or external factors to drill discipline into you, working from home isn’t for you. Contrary to what it sounds like, working from home doesn’t mean letting yourself go and giving in to the distractions all around you. It is about being able to have the good sense and self-discipline to stay focused on the task at hand, without letting your mind wander.
Your home is your office and your work should be your only priority during the hours you choose to work, if you want to remain the true professional that you are. Of course, you have the enviable freedom of getting up and taking an unscheduled break without the boss giving you a hard time about it. However, that also means you particularly ensure finishing all that you had set out to do before calling it a day. If your productivity suffers due to a lack of self-discipline, you might want to think about accepting the offer of working from home.
Self-motivation
As you work from home or telecommute, very often you are your only friend and enemy. Basically, you are what you’ve got. Every morning when you get into work mode, you need to be able to stay motivated enough to just keep doing your job. You set your own benchmark, you are your competition. If you have a bad day, you just have to have the drive and motivation to shrug it off and put it behind you. Of course, you can always turn to friends and family for support and advice, but on the whole, self-motivation is a key element you must possess if you are working alone.
Effective time management skills
Running against time is one of the common complaints of the 21st century professional all over the world. While telecommuting saves time on commuting, it also translates into having enough time on your hands to waste or spend doing other things at home. This ultimately hampers your work. If you are not organized in planning your day and managing your time, your schedule will go haywire. As a result, you are likely to feel overwhelmed with all the pending work that gets piled up for the next day.
Ability to deal with isolation
People who work from home are bound to suffer from feelings of isolation. Those who de-stress by sharing their frustrations with peers and colleagues at the end of the day over drinks or coffee, or by the office cooler, may find the thought of working on their own quite daunting. Of course, jobs which require quite a bit of travelling or spending long hours on the phone with clients still allow for some form of interaction with the outside world. However, telecommuting or working from home, by its very nature, demands that you work independently for long stretches. Hence,if you are not good at dealing with isolation, working from home may not be ideal for you.
Positive attitude
In all aspects of life, those who choose to be different always need that extra positive outlook to help them face the consequences of their choice. If you get bogged down by life easily, then an unconventional way of life like working from home may not be your cup of tea.
If you find yourself conforming to most of the pre-requisites in the check-list above, go for it! There are very few situations in life where you get to stay rooted at home and yet develop wings to soar to new heights and do things you love. Work from home or telecommuting gives you that chance and also the chance of spending lots of time with yourself and your family. As Louisa May Alcott said, “We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving. And we all have some power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.” So go ahead, and create your dream work life, just the way you had always wanted!
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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in April, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
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—About our writer:
Swati Sensarma based in Kolkata, has over 9 years experience in IT, Telecom and BPO sectors, 4 years out of them as Sales Manager in multinational companies. A postgraduate in English Literature and a PGDBA in Marketing, she has written for her college magazine, newspapers and had her own blog. She loves reading, travelling,catching up on her Spanish and socialising. Writing is her passion and gives her a sense of freedom and satisfaction.
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