If you want to jump into remote work with both feet, it’s really important to ask yourself if the pros outweigh the cons.
It’s a reasonable question, landing a remote job is not easy. Getting a remote job can actually be great for testing your way into self-employment—seeing how well you'd manage your time, stay motivated and productive working from home, coffee shops or a co-working space. Today, countless people are landing remote jobs for these reasons (and more).
Not so fast, there are some downsides to working remotely:
It’s a reasonable question, landing a remote job is not easy. Getting a remote job can actually be great for testing your way into self-employment—seeing how well you'd manage your time, stay motivated and productive working from home, coffee shops or a co-working space. Today, countless people are landing remote jobs for these reasons (and more).
- No commute: your once dreaded commute is over, no more traffic or annoying rush hour subway rides
- Your own schedule: Nobody is watching. Want to watch Netflix at 11:00 a.m. on a Monday? Go ahead, no one will know. Depending on your job function, you can work when you want to.
- Work anywhere: you can work literally anywhere. I work on my back deck when it’s nice out, but some people choose to work in a different country every few months.
- Family time: If you have kids you’ll have more time to hang with them. Obviously, you don’t want them to invade your workspace, but work flexibility allows for more family (or dog) time.
- Costs: Commute costs are nil. You can also say goodbye to expensive lunch and say hello to the supermarket for a cheaper breakfast and lunch.
- Office stress and distractions: No one is stopping by your desk and distracting you from work. No office drama with remote work.
Not so fast, there are some downsides to working remotely: