Living in the age of the internet can be overwhelming, but it also presents unprecedented opportunities. Some of the most important of these come in work, where traditional methods are increasingly being challenged. A huge number of jobs and careers now find themselves open to remote workers, alongside all the advantages that this approach brings.
As such a non-traditional form of employment, there’s still a lot of confusion and mystery surrounding remote work. From the possible benefits to the options presented, and how to prepare yourself for the challenges, it’s important to grasp the big picture before jumping in. Taking a look at these key aspects, we aim to illuminate whether this path could be right for you, and what you need to do to get started.
Why Go Remote?
There are many reasons why remote work can be a superior choice to traditional working opportunities. Business breaks down a few of these from the employer’s perspective, mentioning points like:
- Better staff morale
- Easier adaption to unexpected physical events
- Boosting retention
- Less spent on office space
For workers, the central benefit of remote work comes from convenience. Immediate advantages of convenience could appear at the start of the day thanks to no need to commute. No commute means you save on transportation costs, sleep longer, and have more free time. Not being at the office means you don’t have to deal as intimately with office politics or get exposed to the office cold. It means you’re more flexible in setting a timetable, and reduces the frustrations of micromanagement.
Going even further, some workers might only require a laptop, meaning that even a home office wouldn’t be necessary. This could mean remote working while traveling, even becoming a digital nomad if that idea fits with your lifestyle.
What Jobs and Careers Are Available?
Many forms of work have been evolving remote functionality in the last decade, and while many options are available, not every industry or business has embraced the approach equally. To start with the obvious, jobs that require manual labor aren’t going to work remotely, at least until we can command robot workers online. As for what is available, anything data-centric or digital has the potential for remote work.
As a starting point, consider what type of work goes into a traditional office work environment. Working with documents in Word, managing databases in Excel, sending emails through Gmail, and updating POS systems are all possible with the right setup. Working with these systems online will require businesses to invest in online functionality and communication tools, but as long as this baseline exists, remote work is possible.
An approach we recommend is exploring what goes into a physical business operation like a cleaning service each day, and exploring key components. Answering phones, coordinating teams, and working directly on creative projects are all possibilities here. This concept can be taken a step further in industries centered in the online space, where practically every component of a digital business or website produces remote work options.
For a direct broad-reaching online example, consider what goes into the modern online casino environment. A website like CasinoBonusCA compares different websites like Leon and 888 Casino, breaking down bonuses such as deposit matches and free spins. It includes rating systems, direct links to up-to-date offers, and key information for players. An informative page like this requires researchers, programmers, writers, UI designers, and more. Practically every component here is workable remotely, it’s just a matter of finding the opportunity.
Whether you’re looking to take your existing offline skills like admin online, or trying to learn and apply the newly demanding courses we covered at AllAboutCareers, there are many remote work opportunities available. Either by checking local businesses or online offerings on sites like Upwork, LinkedIn, or FreeLancer, exploration can show you the path.
Preparing Yourself for Remote Work
Remote work isn’t just about sitting down and doing what you could do in an office. The act of remote work is a skill in itself, and it’s something that newcomers can tend to misunderstand or underestimate. While some new remote workers adapt easily, most will benefit from first understanding and addressing the extra challenges that remote work provides.
Firstly, a professional work environment can be just as important for remote work as it is for in-office work. A noisy workplace at home can harm productivity and introduce errors, so it’s best to create a dedicated office area. This doesn’t have to be an entire room, but it will require a space with minimal distractions. A remote work area should be a dedicated space away from typical entertainment areas, so it’s easy for you to switch into work mode.
Minimizing distractions can mean asking friends and family to respect private work time, keeping TVs out of view, and adopting noise-cancelling headphones to create a calm environment. You’ll also want to ensure that your remote work environment is an ergonomic one. A good office chair can make all the difference between a pleasant workday and long-term health problems, so it’s an investment you should take seriously.
It’s also a good idea to set boundaries and timetables that you can stick to, especially at first. Nobody truly knows how remote work will affect them until they start. This means it can be best to ease into the remote approach slowly by mirroring an office setup, and seeing how your body and mind adjust to changes over time. It could be that you’re the type of person who can work remotely just fine without an action plan or a calm environment, but you’ll need to test these waters before jumping in.
Current statistics reveal that 12.7% of full-time employees work from home, with 28.2% adopting a hybrid type of work model. As society becomes more digital, this proportion will only increase, with an estimated 22% of the American workforce working entirely remotely by 2025. Given the benefits available from working remotely, and the range of options available, this change was perhaps just a matter of time. If you’re interested in this increasingly popular and non-traditional approach, consider exploring what’s available, and you could find a working future more open and convenient than you ever thought possible.