For a short stint over the holiday season last year, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to work remotely. Because my family moved from California to the Philippines during my sophomore year at Boston University, I only get to see my parents and siblings a few times a year – if at all.
Although the three months working remotely from Asia flew by quickly, in the end I definitely returned back to the United States with a vastly better understanding of myself and my work habits.
The gist of what I learned? Working remotely can be tough – and while it has many benefits (such as being able to work in your pajamas, or, if you’re like me, having the ability to spend more time with your little sister) I would never say it’s for everyone. In fact, working remotely can be a blessing for some and a downright curse for others.
I covered some advantages and disadvantages of working remotely in the past, but I’d love to expand on how my personal experience made me realize a few aspects of my character – as an individual and as a young professional navigating the marketing industry.
1. Whether you are a morning person or a night owl
If you haven’t learned this yet in college (who remembers running to catch the T at Packard’s station while cursing your past self for booking that 8 am lecture in Warren?) then the experience of working remotely will 100% do it. Luckily, working remotely allows you to have that flexibility. Are you more productive at 3 am? Being able to work from home means – for the majority of remote workers – they have the freedom to set their schedule in a way that optimizes their productivity.
2. Your degree of intrinsic motivation
When there’s nobody physically checking up on you, it can be a little bit harder to slough through that 40 hour workweek – especially if you lack the ability to motivate yourself. Like I said, working remotely is not at all for everybody. Those able to retain a high level of self-discipline and intrinsic motivation to continue working as a stellar employee will find themselves having an easier time than others when adjusting to remote work.
3. How much you rely on “office energy” for productivity
In a way, working remotely will show you how much of an introvert or extrovert you are – and help you see the way your preferences affects your productivity. While I am definitely consider myself an introvert, I still enjoy that sense of collaboration and feeding off of my coworkers’ “energy” levels; I find it keeps me more productive than compared to when I’m alone. It’s kind of similar to your study habits: were you the type of person who enjoyed studying at Mugar, alongside dozens of other students who (probably) were also studying just as hard? Or were you the type of student who needed total solitude and preferred to study at home or in a private room?
If you prefer to work alongside others, then working remotely could pose a big threat to your productivity levels: more often than not, you’re going to have to rely on yourself to keep your energy levels up, and you will have to learn how to stay efficient and hardworking when there’s nobody around but you.
4. Why tone of your writing matters even more
When the bulk of your communication with your coworkers and clients is going to be through emails or instant messaging, the tone of your writing is going to greatly impact how you are perceived. It’s easy to write a curt (but inoffensive) message to your work BFF, then run into them five minutes later at the break room where you two rehash last night’s episode of "The Handmaid's Tale." But without that benefit of spontaneous conversation and face-to-face interaction, it can be easy to misconstrue somebody as cold or angry when they’re totally fine. This phenomenon is exacerbated tenfold when you are a remote worker, and you’ll quickly learn that masterfully conveying a positive tone in your writing is crucial to establishing good relationships with your team and clients.
5. A better understanding of all full-time remote workers
At the end of time spent working remotely, one thing was evident: I had a much better understanding of the trials and tribulations that my other remote workers faced. It can be difficult (but not impossible) for somebody to adjust from a normal employee to a remote worker, and it’s definitely an experience that teaches you about your habits as an employee and as a person. Whether or not it is truly more efficient or not depends entirely on your own personality and preferences.
Are you thinking of working remotely? Is that an option your employer has offered you? Think long and hard about it before transitioning, and remember to assess yourself honestly: the truth is, many people aren’t cut out for working remotely, and that’s totally fine. Even though you may be totally convinced that your desk job is killing you, you should still be evaluating the many advantages that physically going into an office and interacting with others can bring you. As introverted as you may think you are, humans are still social creatures at the end of the day.
