How to Make Working from Home Work for You

With Covid19 forcing us to reimagine and restructure the way we think, feel and move about our lives in ways we were not prepared, we can choose to see this disruption as an opportunity instead of how things fell apart.

I haven’t worked in an office full-time or at all in over ten years, so I’m not feeling the impact as deeply as my friends, colleagues, and the rest of the brick-and-mortar working world. While I haven’t spent much of this time working remotely for someone else, I wanted to offer a different perspective on what’s possible than this #JTTalksJobs newsletter on working from home shared.

There are plenty of work from home jobs that pay six-figures.

Flexjobs.com actually published an article listing ten flexible jobs with a six-figure salary back in June of 2018, but if you type in $100,000 in the advanced search box, you’ll pull up 42 listings posted within the last two months paying $100K+.

Flexjobs isn’t the only job listings site for remote work. 

Remote.co, WeWorkRemotely.com, TheMuse.com and even our very own Linkedin has listings for remote work that pays six-figures, but one of the problems with job listings in general is that they rarely disclose the salary. If you already know which industries and professions pay six-figures, you can run an advanced search for them.

If you're really interested in working from home, you can negotiate that as part of your acceptance package for any job. It's highly likely that an employer just hadn't considered it (because no one asked!). So make your case and see what happens.

Working from home can stunt your career growth, but only if you let it.

Here are three ways to keep this from happening:

1. Use videoconferencing, workflow apps, and social media. If you’re working from home, you should be using these resources anyway to connect with your employer, coworkers, and team members socially as well as to track your productivity. You can reach out to your employer independently of scheduled work and team meetings via email or request an appointment to meet via video conferencing.
2. Stay committed to your professional growth. While there are ways to keep your skill set fresh and up-to-date, the onus should not be solely on you as the employee to keep up with professional training and development. Your employer is equally responsible for your on-the-job training and growth. Just as you can risk losing your job not keeping your skills up-to-date, your employer can risk losing you to another company after they’ve invested in you. That said, there are several online professional training and skills development courses from companies such as Coursera, Teachable, and Mashable. Even your library card can get you access to online professional courses.
3. Working from home doesn’t mean staying at home. Covid19 notwithstanding, you actually don’t have to work from home. Coworking spaces are not just for freelancers, solopreneurs, and startups. Their part-time memberships and day passes are open to all professionals looking to work in an office setting with the additional opportunity to make new connections and collaborate with colleagues. Your employer may even be willing to cover the cost of a coworking space. Once we’re in the clear, take a tour of the coworking spaces near you. In the meantime, video conferencing is a great way to meet and connect with colleagues and prospects. Isn’t that what you’re doing on Linkedin anyway, making new connections and inviting them to virtual coffee meetings?

Working from home is not for everyone, and it can be especially challenging when your spouse and/or kids are also home. But you can make it work by

• maintaining similar routines and schedules, such as getting dressed for work the same as you would if you were heading into the office
• having set working hours
• creating boundaries with family, especially with kids and around household tasks
• having a separate place to work (closets make fantastic workspaces if they’re big enough!)
• scheduling time for lunch, physical activity, and mindfulness practices
• scheduling virtual and in-person meetings (once we’re free and clear to do so) with your boss, coworkers, and colleagues
• downloading and using productivity apps

It can be easy to fall into the negativity trap, especially when we're overwhelmed and unfamiliar with what we have to adapt to. But we can all be more creative if we let go of what should be and make space for what is and what's possible.

I’ve been working from home as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, meeting clients virtually and in-person (but not at home!) since 2005 in addition to coordinating special projects in food, farming, fitness, and wellness. You can learn more about my training over here. If you’d like to learn more about my work, feel free to connect with me here.