Working from home has great advantages. It can improve your health, your monthly commute bills, and your job satisfaction. Over 80% of people working at home say they have lower stress levels. Remote work is a godsend for working mothers and people caring for sick family members.
If you would like to join the group of people working from home, you are definitely wondering how to do it. Find out about 4 ways you can work from home.
WHY WORK FROM HOME?
Where to start looking for work from home?
Start with the most important thing, which is why do you want to work from home? It is important that the reason is related to the needs that are important to you, because then you will be more motivated to look for a new job.
The most common reason is simply to spend more time with your family. If this is your main motivator, then make sure remote work makes it possible. Sometimes working from home is so absorbing that it can even disturb the work-life balance.
Unfortunately, working at home will not be an ideal solution for everyone. I know a lot of people who don’t like working from home. There are people who lack contact with people, are overwhelmed by the amount of distractions at home and lack a clear boundary between work and private life.
Think about your preferred working conditions and whether working from home will meet them. Working from home requires good organization, independence and self-discipline. If you lack these skills, remote working can be frustrating for you.
CHOOSE THE FORM OF EMPLOYMENT BEST FOR YOU
When working remotely, you have different employment options. You can be employed under an employment contract, orders or settle accounts by issuing an invoice if you have your own company. Most often this is a full-time job, although there are also part-time job advertisements.
Some companies offer the option of remote work, but you have to come to office 2-3 times a month or quarter.
Remote work is most often offered as part of specific projects. Such a project may last from a few weeks to several months, often renewable.
Think about what form of employment will be best for you. You will definitely find a job faster, having a flexible approach to the form of work. Combining work for several principals may be difficult at first, but you will have greater financial security. You will make a good name faster and collect recommendations from satisfied customers who will recommend you to others.
WORKING AT HOME – WHAT YOU CAN DO?
What can you do when working from home? Most often these are tasks related to remote customer service, recruitment, sales, planning and organization of meetings, writing, telemarketing. There are many remote job offers in the IT industry – almost every function can be performed remotely.
In general, working remotely requires the same skills as working in an office. Only the workplace changes and not necessarily a more comfortable one. What I mean here is that we do not always have the right armchair, desk and peace of mind for work from home.
Most people start working from home, using the so-called “home office” option of their current employer. You do exactly the same tasks as in the office, only at home. All you need is a company computer, appropriate applications, internet connection and you basically have a home office.
If you’ve never worked remotely before, trying to work from home while working full-time is the safest option. You can check if working at home will suit you at all.
WORKING AT HOME: 4 WAYS TO GET STARTED
If you already know that working from home is the best solution for you, now it’s time to take the next steps. Below you can read about 4 ways you can start working at home.
1. TELECOMMUNICATION / REMOTE WORK FOR CURRENT EMPLOYER
If you work full-time, first check if your employer offers the opportunity to work from home. Take a look at your duties in the position – check what part of them can be performed remotely.
It will certainly be much easier to convince the current boss to this form of work than to convince the new boss. Your current boss knows how you work, trusts you, and can rely on you, so he’ll agree to work outside his control zone faster. It’s best to do this gradually – starting with one day a month and slowly increasing the number of days you work from home. This way you will check how you work in this mode and how the company approaches it.
2. NEW REMOTE JOB
However, if your employer does not yet offer work from home opportunities, it is time to look outside your current company. Start by asking your friends if they can work remotely. Find out how it works in practice. Some companies offer remote work, but only on certain days, or have a fixed percentage of the work that can be done from home each week.
Pick a few companies in the industry that interests you the most and see if they offer work from home in similar positions to yours. By choosing well-known and proven companies, you will avoid the risk of finding a suspicious offer.
You can find job offers by typing in the search engine: “work at home”, “remote work”, “freelance”. Also, check the job advertisement portals and try to filter out remote job offers.
You can also find job offers at home on Facebook groups. By the way, you will be able to quickly verify the credibility of the offer. You can quickly ask the person who published the offer for details or ask people in the group for their opinion about the company.
3. FREELANCE
Another option to switch to a form of working from home is to become a freelancer. Make a summary of your knowledge, skills and experience. Consider whether you could offer other companies in the form of consultations what you are currently doing full-time.
Before doing this, however, make sure that it is in line with the policy of the company you work for. Performing services for competitors or clients of the current company is usually not allowed.
However, if there is no conflict of interest, it’s worth a try. You can start with small assignments such as translating, tutoring, maintaining social media accounts or organizing meetings. Winning new orders requires a lot of proactivity. However, if you like this form of work, being proactive will be great for growing your own business.
4. OWN BUSINESS
Working from home requires self-discipline, independent work and good organization. These are skills that are great for running your own business. Working in your own company can give you more freedom than a full-time job in choosing the place and time of work. Unfortunately, it is associated with high risk and often requires additional costs.
However, if you think this is the best option for you, why not look for a good business idea? You don’t have to build an empire right away – you can start with something small, e.g. selling cosmetics among friends. You can also buy a ready-made and proven idea by taking advantage of franchising.
WORK AT HOME WITHOUT YOUR OWN CONTRIBUTION
Unfortunately, there are a lot of dubious job ads on the web, so be more careful than usual when looking for work from home. Since there are so many dubious offers, it is better if you always assume that each ad is a dishonest offer. Apply only when you are absolutely sure that it is a legal job. Check the company and the people who work for it well.
All kinds of payment requests should definitely be an alarm signal. The employer has no right to charge you money when you are employed. Employment agencies, such as job search websites, are not allowed to charge money. So never put any money in exchange for getting a job.
WORK FROM HOME – IS IT WORTH IT?
Is it really possible to find legal and paid work that can be done 100% at home? Definitely yes! Of course, you have to be very careful when looking for a job from home, but it is possible to find one.
Looking at the trends in working from home, we can assume that there will be more and more remote work offers. Most large companies already offer the possibility of working from home and flexible working time. In a moment, employers who do not provide this option will be in the minority, which may have a negative impact on finding candidates for work.
Working from home saves commuting costs. These costs are not only money but also time, stress and risk associated with increasing traffic on the roads. For many people, working at home provides the most comfortable working conditions – the environment itself can reduce the level of stress. Remote work gives you the opportunity to spend more time with loved ones. If working from home will meet your needs, then it is definitely worth looking for a job like this.
