Working from home seems like the greatest gift school-aged you could ever ask for. There’s no more waking up early, having to put an effort into how you dress, and you can do what you want with your time as you please. While most of that is true, remote work is not all rainbows and butterflies because, well, it still takes work to find a position that allows that.
Is Remote Work for Everyone?
Just like how not all employees thrive well in an office environment, there are those who do much better with structure. As tempting it is to try remote work to spend the day in your pajamas, it’s important to find out if it’s not meant for you.
Here’s a quick rundown of the pros and cons of remote work:
Pros of a Remote Job:
- Saves you money: no commute, no expensive or packing lunches, no new work clothes!
- Freedom: from distractions, strict schedules, no clocking in or clocking out, do what you want when you want as long as you get the job done.
- You can work from anywhere: a whole category of freedom of its own, no office means that technically you can work at a café, library, or in Germany, Thailand, Australia.
- More time for friends and family: conflicting schedules tend to cut down family time from dinner together to saying bye as you pass each other at the door, not anymore, when you can be around whoever you want while you work.
Cons of a Remote Job
- It can be a bit lonely: other people don’t have work schedules like you so you’ll probably have to spend most of the working day alone, which some people don’t enjoy.
- You can overwork yourself: as your own manager, you have to tell yourself to take a break. It’s hard to do that when the lines blur between home and work life, ending up with the higher risk of you burning out.
- You might not work enough: on the other hand, with so much freedom and no one to keep you in check, you might be tempted to give yourself an extra 15 minute break every half hour.
- No more bouncing ideas off other people: there are moments where the word you’re thinking is at the tip of your tongue, but you just can’t remember it. At an office, you can rely on the help of your co-workers to help connect the dots.
- No more team social outings: You can count doing something fun for yourself as a work outing, but without other people, it won’t be as exciting.
The most important thing to remember is that companies look for trustworthy people who can manage themselves and heavily consider your personality and passion for work.
Top Sites to Find Remote Work
Getting a remote job means figuring out how to start looking for one. There are many websites that exist just to advertise remote work.
Here are some of the best websites to find remote positions: