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WORKING FROM HOME
SHOULD I TELECOMMUTE
At first glance, working
from home seems to be the best of both worlds and most are interested
and excited about securing a telecommuting position. However, as with most things,
there are pros and cons with working from home. Before jumping into
the world of telecommuting there are some questions that you must answer:
- Am I focused?
- What skills or experience do I have and can they work in a teleworking environment?
- Do I have an area for an office and equipment in my home?
- Am I motivated or do I get frustrated and give up?
- Can I work without supervision?
- Can I manage my time well?
- Do I listen to instructions and can I follow them easily?
- Can I meet deadlines?
- Do I have strong communication skills?
- Do I have a strong work ethic?
- Will I be able to remain focused? (What times will I be able to work undistracted?)
- Am I comfortable of being judged by my results only?
- Am I technically inclined, able to
maintain my computer and other software?
If you answered
YES to all the questions above, there are still other considerations
such as will your family be able to accept your work from home
structure? How much time will be needed to adjust to your new job responsibilities.
It is highly recommended that if it is your first time telecommuting that you start
out moderately, working a few hours, and building up to a full time
position. Pioneer offers different opportunities that encompasses full-time, part-time, project based and on-call. Read
all job descriptions to determine which position will work best for you.
As you consider telecommuting you will find
several advantages of working from home which includes:
- Less time commuting and sitting in traffic
- Less office politics and office distractions
- More face time with family
- Great cost savings (most people will experience a raise, while making the same pay, just from working at home and saving on commuting expenses). Check out our Work From Home Savings Calculator
- Healthier environment, away from viruses
and office bugs
However,
there are also disadvantages of working from home, such as:
- Feeling of isolation
- Some loss of office camaraderie
- Being judged solely by your results
- Loss of outward motivators
Typically, if the only exisiting social network is co-workers and
work colleagues, a person may feel extremely isolated and miss the
face to face, adult contact. It is important that lunches and
interfaces be planned and incorporated into the lifestyle in order
to avoid the feeling of isolation.
Hopefully,
this information serves as a guide to determine if a telecommuting position is right for you. Feel
free to discuss any concerns you may have with our Human Resources Department.
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