How to Get Started With Remote Working

When you start working remotely, you probably won’t miss waking up early, commuting, or the time spent dressing up. What may bother you instead is wondering why you want to work remotely. First, have the answers to these questions:

• What is it that you like about remote working? Based on how long you wanted to work remotely, this can be the easiest or the hardest question. What is it that you try to gain or get away from? Is it the colleagues, the gossip, or the traditional office? Or maybe you envision yourself in a different light?

• Are you able to push yourself to manage your workflow daily? Remote working is different than a traditional job. When there is no superior to check on your work, it’s up to you to manage your schedule and clear all work within its deadline.

• Are you comfortable working alone every day? Your coworkers might get on your nerves from time to time, but there is still someone around you. Remote work can be very lonely, so make sure you are ok not seeing people and talking with them face-to-face.

• Last but not least - do you feel confident in the skills and experience the marketplace is looking for? In here, usage of communication software is mandatory. Communication and project management tools like Asana, Basecamp, Slack, Trello are just a few you will come across. Also, some skills are more needed - like coding or graphic design. Make sure you are aware of your capabilities and start with confidence.

Of course, the list of preparatory questions can always expand. If you love reading, this book selection will help you to put your best foot forward when preparing for remote work.

Prepare yourself and your environment

With this preparation at hand, your next steps should focus on:

Defining your workspace

You want to set yourself up for success. Choose a place where your focus can blossom. No matter if you like to join some great coworking space, enjoy the local coffee shop, or simply have a designated work spot in your home, your environment should motivate and encourage you to tackle all those long to-do lists.

Getting reliable tech

Anyone working remotely can tell you that constant access to wifi is part of the base of their success. But there’s more to it, and great accessories are a lifesaver. For example, quality noise-canceling headphones will help you to take your work anywhere. Wireless keyboards or even additional screens can be integral to your efficiency and productivity.

Finding your working style

Before you start your remote journey, defining your preferred environment will give you many benefits. For example, if you like white noise, a café will be a great choice for you. If silence is more preferred? Consider an investment in some noise-canceling headphones. But noise is not everything. Are you more productive in the morning or in the evening? Are you a morning person or your waking process takes two hours? The beauty of remote work is that you define your best hours, so enjoy that benefit.

Time to match your skills

You don’t want to lose hours on the internet searching for different platforms where you will find your new job, only to end up frustrated at the end. Regular new job postings and great user experience are two very important aspects to look out for in a great job site.

Best practices for successful remote working

Depending on who you will ask, every remote worker will have specific advice they can share with you. Everyone has a unique style of living and working, so things that work for ones might not work for others at all.

Here are a few points to consider:

1. Set a clear work schedule

Not having a fixed schedule would make you postpone your work indefinitely. When you start paying attention to your habits and productive hours, you can try to work only during that period.

As long as the remote position doesn’t mandate a strict schedule in front of the computer, you could experiment with what works best for you. A great method to plan your day accordingly is a calendar. Experiment with your daily schedule and make adjustments to optimize productivity throughout your day.

Remember to take breaks and go offline

Soon after starting with remote work, you’ll notice the lack of physical activity and fresh air. Being constantly in one room staring in the blue screen, with short breaks to the kitchen and bathroom will not do it. If your agenda is flexible, try to enjoy every good day with a walk in the park, jogging, or walking. Work on your mind, and give it the fresh energy it deserves. If this isn’t possible, at least try to have a quick workout in your living room. There are many great exercises you can do in a small area. Squats, pushups, and stretches are just some exercises anybody can do in their room. Your body will thank you.

Keeping your work secured

Public wireless networks are a major concern for the possibility of getting hacked or having secure information compromised. This is especially worrying for remote workers who frequent cafes. If you’re going to use public wifi, make sure you use a secure network, have an antivirus installed on your computer, and don’t click on any links you do not recognize. The same goes if you work from home. Anything you download, watch, or click can be corrupted and harm your work files if the network you use is not secured. You can never be safe enough, but make sure that:

• Your laptop is never left unattended
• You use strong passwords across every network and account;
• Use of password managers and two-factor authentication is something that you follow rigidly;
• Your software is always updated;
• You use VPN service, so your Internet traffic is encrypted;
• You don’t access work accounts from any public computer.

Benefits from working remotely

Remote working is growing exponentially. Many companies have complete teams who have never met and work together remotely. And why’s that? Because the benefits both for the individual and the company are immense. Employees enjoy many benefits. Few of them include:

Improved work-life balance

To maintain a healthy work-life balance is on top of every employee’s mind. The chance to balance these two worlds through remote work has shown as a key to feeling happier and being more productive. All those hours spent daily on commuting to work now are added for some extra time with the family, friends, or personal time.

A new type of freedom

Remote work keeps employees happy, fulfilled, and engaged. It doesn’t matter if you have to take a trip across the country or you have to attend your child’s soccer game - remote working allows all that. Contrary to that, a traditional employee needs to request time off. Remote employees could also clock in from their homes whenever it is needed. The flexibility remote working is bringing is like nothing before.

Productivity growth

The ability of companies to trust the teams, even when working remotely, might be the key to creating more productivity like never before. Data tells us that whenever an employee can skip a long commute, extra coffee break, or any other distractions, their focus towards the work goes up and productivity reigns supreme.

Overall, the remote working state becomes the future state of work. Technology becomes more advanced while bringing us virtually closer than ever before. It will connect employees and businesses across different time zones and continents, and many more people will enjoy it sooner than later. And although that is not the traditional way of working, and employees are not physically in one room, the work is effective, and employees efficient. This is a new world of work, and we don’t see this trend dying anytime soon.