The work-from-home job force just got a huge boost from the latest global coronavirus pandemic, but just before COVID-19 became a factor, more and more people said goodbye to their onerous commute to work. Due to ever-evolving technology such as Skype, Facetime, Slack, Zoom, Google Hangouts, and cloud computing, not to mention text and email, it’s no longer important to be a successful member of the team in a full-time office. In fact, from a home office, several kinds of work can be done just as efficiently, if not more so.
1. How to Work From Home Effectively
It is important to make sure that you are set up to be successful whether you are working remotely one day a week or full-time by choice or because of a health scare or weather event. This involves providing a dedicated workspace with the right technology; ways to deal with children, pets, and other possible disruptions; and a schedule that allows for social interaction and relaxation that typically comes from working with others in the workplace. Here are techniques and tips for making a remote worker effective.
Know the basic rules
Does your boss demand a schedule of nine to five, or is there flexibility? You’re able to work on Wi-Fi in public? Which tech resources do you need, such as video conferencing Zoom, community chats Slack or Microsoft Teams, or project management Trello? When you’re working for someone else, it’s vital that your boss sets out the ground rules and guarantees you have the correct equipment, such as a laptop, network access, passcodes and remote login instructions, including two-factor authentication. Make sure you do trial runs and iron out any issues that could interrupt your iron. When you are operating on your own, you may need a lot of the same resources.
Get the internet speed
If you have children, their habits in FaceTiming and Xbox can slow down your link and download speeds. Getting as close to your Wi-Fi router as possible will help (distant devices appear to draw on bandwidth), or you could consider switching to Ethernet. You’ll also need a dongle because these days, laptops don’t have Ethernet ports, plus an Ethernet cable to connect your device to your router.
Use mobile apps
If your work includes making long-distance and/or foreign calls, on the cheap Google Hangouts, Whatsapp and Skype all let you call around the globe over the Internet. And if you are on the same service, and the person you call, the call will be safe.
Work from home jobs are
Work-at-home jobs are no longer confined to marketing firms at various tiers, such as Amway or Avon. Improved technologies and the desire to cut costs and/or keep turnover small have driven businesses of all sizes and in a number of fields to create more opportunities for work-from-home.
Here are some of the top fields and companies it has been finding over the past two years.
Computers and Information Technology (IT)
A less shocking group that is work-at-home oriented is computers and IT, known for its innovative approach to virtual offices. Many companies like Red Hat, Salesforce, and SAP offer top-tech sales job listings. Other job titles tech companies also try to fill roles such as project manager, web designer, software developer, power system engineer, and technical writer with remote staff.
Health and medical services
In the insurance sector, health care providers Aetna, Magellan Health, BroadPath Healthcare Solutions, Humana, CVS Health and UnitedHealth Group are among the leading organizations with work-at-home jobs. The job titles they tried to fill included computer-or phone-based positions such as account manager, actuarial analyst, business intelligence manager, case manager, medical researcher, patient-education or case advocates, revenue-integrity director, and sales representative. Some recent remote roles include the clinical care manager and the case manager for registered nurses.
Education and training
For example, some of the more unexpected opportunities found by FlexJobs are usually thought of in fields as requiring face-to-face communication education. The growth of online learning firms including Pearson, K12, Grand Canyon University, and Kaplan has led to more freelance and part-time job listings such as curriculum researcher, parent coach, SAT professor, science teacher, student-service coordinator, and tutor. Chinese online education company VIPKID gives young Chinese students an American educational experience and provides its teaching staff with a versatile, remote schedule of work.
Conclusion
It can be fun, rewarding and even lucrative to work from home if you are honest about the pros and cons. If you’re a freelancer, a part-time business, or a full-time employee who just isn’t hitting the office on some days, it’s a way to escape the daily grind. But obligations are added that come with independence, not to mention preparation, foresight, self-discipline, and concentration. Oh yeah, and endless hours of hard work.
