The Ideal Workspace is Found at Home

The ideal workspace is found at home
By MARKO FOJAS
January 26, 2010, 3:26pm

After accidentally rear-ending a taxi about five years ago, I knew a career shift was inevitable. Being a dead tired call center agent at the time, I nodded off for a few seconds behind the wheel. It was then that I decided to move out of the cubicle farm and into home-based work. Initially working as a call center representative at home, I eventually became a full-time writer for off-shore clients.

While outsourcing is hardly a new concept in the Philippines, companies abroad have gradually changed their approach to suit today’s economic climate. They’re now skipping the typical business model by directly hiring home-based workers to perform all sorts of tasks.

The online labor market is driven by various hiring portals which allow people to remotely work as a transcriber, virtual assistant, creative writer, programmer, graphic designer, or translator. However, there are even more positions available, so get ready to fire up the ever-reliable Google to sniff out the jobs you want.

Obviously, the very nature of this setup already implies the convenience that comes with the job. You no longer need to worry about what to wear, nor do you have to drive like a bat out of hell to get to the office on time. You’ll also cut down on food and transportation costs, and being in a comfortable environment can boost your productivity levels. While schedules depend on a given client, you have the flexibility to choose the hours that work best for you.

Like any other job however, there are several factors that you need to anticipate. Above all, discipline is indispensable. Kristoferson Jose, a web designer, says: “When I got into my current job, I already had a full understanding that working at home doesn’t mean I can play and work at the same time. This setup is very convenient for me, so the least I can do is to make sure that I’m always at my best.”

Since no one’s physically looking over your shoulder, working with integrity is a necessary habit if you want to stay hired. The benefit of added freedom can be a double-edged sword, so there’s a greater need to properly manage your personal and professional life.

For example, working moms need to ensure that someone is watching after the kids when they’re on the clock. For older children, it must be explained to them that you can only be disturbed during emergencies. After all, you need to take your livelihood seriously, regardless of where it’s done.

Kristoferson says, “Making my family aware of the nature of my work allows me to do my job efficiently.” He also adds that “setting up a defined work room at home helps differentiate my work life and private life.”

Therefore, your working space needs to be in a quiet, orderly place where you can fully concentrate and keep your mind in “work mode”. This is especially important for call center folks because it’s usually a big no-no for their callers to hear background noise (such as crying children or barking dogs).

Sites such as Lifehacker.com offer work-at-home professionals plenty of ideas on creating an uncluttered workspace. If your floor area is limited for instance (such as in my case), make use of the walls by mounting shelves which can be bought at DIY stores.

Also, you’ll need to invest in a reliable desktop or laptop since this is instrumental to earning your keep. Most employers are particular about machine specifications, so get a technically-savvy friend or relative to take you shopping if you need help picking out a computer.

The same goes for your Internet connection as this is what makes telecommuting possible in the first place. In the same breath, get ready to troubleshoot any computer and Internet-related issues you may run into, or have the same folks who took you shopping to help you out.

All in all, working at home definitely has advantages over going to a regular office. It’s just a matter of looking out for the inherent challenges that come with the territory and dealing with them appropriately. If properly managed, you’ll be left with a lot more time for other things aside from working all day – or crashing into unwary cabbies.