You may or may not realize this, but sometimes it's better
to consider taking your existing job home with you rather
than perform an all out search for a new telecommuting job.
Your existing employer knows your work ethic and this can
be to your advantage when attempting to convince them to allow
you to telecommute.
However, not all jobs are suitable for telecommuting. And
this issue will focus on that. Distinguishing what jobs are
suitable for telecommuting will help you determine if your
current job is a prime candidate for this type of work environment.
How many hours out of your workday are spent working
on projects alone? If you perform a type of job where
you are trapped in one area for an extended period, this could
be a job for taking home. That's why typing, computer programming,
designing, reporting, writing, data entry, engineering, designing
are all decent candidates for teleworking arrangements.
But even if your job involves this type of work, you must
consider whether the position requires large amounts of interaction
with other employees or your employer. While, everyday technology
is advancing to make this less and less of a concern, it should
be taken into consideration.
Video conferencing and other methods of distance communication
our advancing so everyone can easily take advantage. Right
now, the necessary hardware, software, and connection speeds
to do this efficiently aren't available to everyone at a reasonable
price.
In the near future, you can expect telepresence to break
down this barrier of required communication with employers
and colleagues. Making telecommuting a much easier proposition
for employees in this current dilemma of needing to have constant
contact with their fellow workers.
If you are not familiar with telepresence, it's basically,
a method of communication where your holographic image can
be seen by someone communicating with you...just as if they
were right next to you sitting in a chair and vice versa.
Sounds kind of freaky. But believe it or not, our communication
lines are set up for allowing this. The communication speed
and line capacity is there and we can expect this technology
to become common in the future.
Now, just the opposite, if your current job involves interacting
with others outside your organization then this can easily
be done from elsewhere. Telephone customer service and telephone
sales are all good candidates for telecommuting.
Do you work at a physical plant, construction site,
retail store? If this is the case, then it will be
a lot harder, if not impossible, to convert that job into
a telecommuting position. That is, unless your job involves
large amounts of phone or computer work within these settings.
Do you need to be available at a moment's notice?
If so, telecommuting may not be a good choice for you. If
you are the main point person when people need problems solved
right on the spot, being at home may not cut it. Do you manage
other peoples' computers, the company network, office equipment,
etc.? If you do, you may find it hard to convince your boss
your services can be performed from home.
These are just a few things to consider to determine if your
present job is suitable for telecommuting. If your job can't
allow this type of work environment and you still want to
work from home, you need to consider finding another job that
does.
If your job isn't suitable for telecommuting, you may need
to find one that is. And this could mean needing to learn
some new skills. You can go to the "skills
development" page on this website to find links to
some places that offer good online skills training.
If you can't presently work from home, you can definitely
learn the skills you'll need for a future telecommuting job
from the comfort of your home.
If your job happens to be suitable for telecommuting and
you want to stay with this employer, your next step would
be to find out if your company has any telecommuting policies
in force. Then you would need to discuss your telecommuting
desire with your employer and then convince him or her it's
right for you and the company.
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