Remote work is a growing trend in the modern workplace. More and more companies are offering their employees the opportunity to work remotely, and many people have turned down traditional jobs in favor of working from home or working abroad. However, before you decide to take the plunge into a remote job, make sure you're aware of all of the facts and potential drawbacks.
1. Networking it harder.
If you're working remotely, it's vital to be more proactive in your networking. The networking and mentorship opportunities vital to professional development aren’t easy to access when working remotely. Remote employees miss out on the countless daily interactions that occur in office settings. These seemingly small social interactions play a significant role in building rapport with coworkers. This can also make it difficult for new hires and younger employees to form bonds with a company and its culture.
2. Promotions and growth within your company can be more challenging.
If you're working remotely, it's harder to get promoted because you are less likely to be in the same place as your manager and have that face-to-face time with them. You'll also have to make more of an effort to maintain those relationships throughout the year so that they know who you are and what you do, which makes it tough if they don't have time for what they see as small talk conversations.
You need to take charge of your career growth by networking with other people in similar roles as yourself or even just attending industry events where there will be other people from different companies looking for talent like yours. You’ll need to be proactive about improving yourself professionally because managers won't necessarily come knocking on your door asking for feedback when there is no face-to-face interaction happening regularly enough for them keep tabs on how well their employees are doing!
3. You don't feel as connected and you miss out on friendships.
When you’re not in the same office with your friends, you miss out on seeing them. You don’t get to go to the same events or meet up for coffee or lunch. You also can't talk as much, and sometimes you feel like you're missing out on their lives because they aren't there when you want them to be.
Though we've grown accustomed to being able to look into someone's eyes when we talk with them (and reading body language), it's not always possible when communicating from a distance via technology—and it makes us feel less connected than we'd like. We miss out on nonverbal cues that help us understand what someone else is thinking or feeling; instead of smiling at their jokes or frowning because they said something hurtful, we may just have blank stares on our screens because there was no way for us to convey those expressions properly!
4. It involves a lot of self direction and independent learning.
Let's get real: remote work is hard. No one wants to admit it, but there are plenty of challenges that come with working from home. You might not see your coworkers for days at a time and you may miss out on the camaraderie that comes from being around people all day long. You also have to learn how to manage your time without feeling like someone is breathing down your neck—and maybe even figure out how not to procrastinate if you're used to having an authority figure keeping tabs on what you're doing.
Another challenge? Learning new skills on your own! If you need help learning something or improving on your current skill set, there's no one else in the office who can give advice or answer questions when things aren't clear. This means that if you want better results at work, then self direction and independent learning will be key components in making progress towards achieving those results!
5. It is much more difficult than you originally think.
The first thing about remote work that no one tells you is that it's not easy. It takes a lot of work to get set up, and it also takes discipline—discipline to keep yourself organized, disciplined enough to manage your time well, and disciplined enough to be able to work independently.
So, let's be clear: remote work is awesome. But it's also not for everyone. We live in a world where we are constantly seeking out new ways to make our lives easier. When we find something that works well for us, we stick with it and do everything possible to maintain our lifestyle.
But when it comes down to working remotely full-time versus having a standard 9-5 job at an office with coworkers around every corner, there are some pros and cons that need weighing before making such an important decision about your professional life.
