Newsletter · May 24, 2018
The Grass is Always Greener
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You can roll out of bed in your pajamas, don't have to worry about fighting traffic, throw in a load of laundry while you are checking your email...
May 24, 2018 Click here to read this newsletter in your web browser.
Everyone dreams of getting to work remotely. You can roll out of bed in your pajamas, don't have to worry about fighting traffic, throw in a load of laundry while you are checking your email... It all sounds great right? Working remotely has a lot of advantages, but I hate to break it to you, its got its challenges too. Let me give you my personal top 3 and then maybe I can share some lists from other virtual rangers out there!
1. Working remotely can be ISOLATING (It is called REMOTE after all) When you are used to working side by side with a team of hardworking Soldiers to get the job done it can feel lonely when it is just you and your computer. And I am an introvert! I couldn’t wait to have some peace and quiet to get my work done, and then I realized I missed finding images of a bored extra duty Soldier’s face accidentally left in the copier tray from his shenanigans the night before. I also actually miss the idle chit chat in the hallways. I never understood why people go to coffee shops to work until I started working from home. There is just something about being around other people who are trying to get work done that makes you feel connected and a part of something a little bit bigger. I think this is why more and more co-working spaces like WeWork are popping up as well.
2. People think you don’t have a job. Sometimes… (ok often) I feel like my friends and family don’t think I have a job because I work from home. At first, my husband didn’t understand why I hadn’t cleaned the whole house, fixed dinner and put away all the laundry before he got home from work… I mean I work from home so I have time right?? Guess what, just because I don’t drive into an office every day doesn’t mean that I don’t have work to do. However, I STILL have friends that ask me if I am currently working. You have to be very comfortable with your self worth when you are working remotely because people sometimes assume you have it easy or your time isn’t as valuable because you don’t have to drive to work.
3. Work time and personal time are harder to separate. It was easier for me to focus when I had an in office job. When you are at work there is no chance for you to do anything else but work (and peruse your Instagram feed). When you are working remotely you wonder if maybe you should really be cleaning out all that rotten fruit in the fridge drawer right now (it has been sitting in there a few days). On the other hand you may work from 6am to 10pm because there is no one around to tell you to go home because you ARE at home! You could always do just a little bit more, and you want to prove you work just as hard as your in-office colleagues. It’s up to you to create your “in office” hours and your break times. It sounds easy enough but it is a real transition, plus you have to manage the expectations of your significant other so they aren’t disappointed that you didn’t take 30 mins out of your work day to clean out that dirty crisper drawer.
I hope the lessons I have learned working remotely can better prepare those of you who are looking to take the plunge. Once you navigate and adjust to the challenges of working remotely it can be absolutely wonderful but I just wanted my in office colleagues to know that the grass is always greener on the other side!
If you have made the transition into working remotely let me know your challenges and ways you overcame them and maybe I will share them in our next newsletter!
Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to chatting with everyone again soon.
P.S. I would be remised if I didn’t state that my husband is super understanding of my remote job now and does everything he can to support me, including cleaning out the crisper drawer.
-Ann Cardona& The Hiring America Teamann.cardona@hiringamerica.net
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The Grass is Always Greener
Good afternoon,Everyone dreams of getting to work remotely. You can roll out of bed in your pajamas, don't have to worry about fighting traffic, throw in a load of laundry while you are checking your email... It all sounds great right? Working remotely has a lot of advantages, but I hate to break it to you, its got its challenges too. Let me give you my personal top 3 and then maybe I can share some lists from other virtual rangers out there!
1. Working remotely can be ISOLATING (It is called REMOTE after all) When you are used to working side by side with a team of hardworking Soldiers to get the job done it can feel lonely when it is just you and your computer. And I am an introvert! I couldn’t wait to have some peace and quiet to get my work done, and then I realized I missed finding images of a bored extra duty Soldier’s face accidentally left in the copier tray from his shenanigans the night before. I also actually miss the idle chit chat in the hallways. I never understood why people go to coffee shops to work until I started working from home. There is just something about being around other people who are trying to get work done that makes you feel connected and a part of something a little bit bigger. I think this is why more and more co-working spaces like WeWork are popping up as well.
2. People think you don’t have a job. Sometimes… (ok often) I feel like my friends and family don’t think I have a job because I work from home. At first, my husband didn’t understand why I hadn’t cleaned the whole house, fixed dinner and put away all the laundry before he got home from work… I mean I work from home so I have time right?? Guess what, just because I don’t drive into an office every day doesn’t mean that I don’t have work to do. However, I STILL have friends that ask me if I am currently working. You have to be very comfortable with your self worth when you are working remotely because people sometimes assume you have it easy or your time isn’t as valuable because you don’t have to drive to work.
3. Work time and personal time are harder to separate. It was easier for me to focus when I had an in office job. When you are at work there is no chance for you to do anything else but work (and peruse your Instagram feed). When you are working remotely you wonder if maybe you should really be cleaning out all that rotten fruit in the fridge drawer right now (it has been sitting in there a few days). On the other hand you may work from 6am to 10pm because there is no one around to tell you to go home because you ARE at home! You could always do just a little bit more, and you want to prove you work just as hard as your in-office colleagues. It’s up to you to create your “in office” hours and your break times. It sounds easy enough but it is a real transition, plus you have to manage the expectations of your significant other so they aren’t disappointed that you didn’t take 30 mins out of your work day to clean out that dirty crisper drawer.
I hope the lessons I have learned working remotely can better prepare those of you who are looking to take the plunge. Once you navigate and adjust to the challenges of working remotely it can be absolutely wonderful but I just wanted my in office colleagues to know that the grass is always greener on the other side!
If you have made the transition into working remotely let me know your challenges and ways you overcame them and maybe I will share them in our next newsletter!
Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to chatting with everyone again soon.
P.S. I would be remised if I didn’t state that my husband is super understanding of my remote job now and does everything he can to support me, including cleaning out the crisper drawer.
-Ann Cardona& The Hiring America Teamann.cardona@hiringamerica.net
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This issue was originally sent on May 24, 2018. View the original email.