You are driven by different circumstances when you consider the work-from-home lifestyle. You might be looking for a career change, wanting to skip the struggles of a daily commute or looking to find more time to spend with the family. But whether or not a career or life changes drive your reason to work-from-home, you will need all the tips you can get from those who thrive on this work setup.
Since I launched my career from home, I have gathered helpful tips to start a career as a work-from-home professional.
Yes! I call it ‘work-from-home professional’ because just like any other careers working-from-home requires discipline, mastery and hard work to succeed in this work setup.
Ready to start your work-from-home career?
Tip # 1 Set deadlines for your goals
Setting a goal is the first step to starting your work-from-home career. And staying on top of your goals includes realistic deadlines to track your progress. It’s a smart way to combat the overwhelming feeling of having to start something that you have no prior background. Write down your main goal with a deadline in mind. The key here is to start immediately with a single goal so you won’t end up overwhelming yourself. Back when I part of an SEO company, my coworkers and I would take quick huddle sessions with our boss. He would then ask us of our goals through a point A and point B system. It’s a way to help you transition from your current reality to your main goal. We would concentrate on one goal and work our way until we reach our set goal on a specific deadline.
“ A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Tip # 2 It’s okay to start with a basic device
Guess what you don’t need the fanciest equipment to work on projects from home. There are work-from-home jobs that require a set of basic device. For my location independent business like my digital marketing consultancy and social media services, I use the essential equipment. It includes a laptop, a computer mouse and a pair of earphones for taking calls, podcasts and some white noise while I write blogs. Believe it or not, these devices which I’ve been using for years are still working well to this day.
Tip # 3 Get a reliable Internet provider
The success of your work-from-home career is determined by how well you communicate with a client. And to be able to communicate with your overseas client effectively, a reliable Internet provider is critical. Without a stable connection, video interviews are impossible to happen. Crappy connection at home is a massive turnoff to clients. It’s hard to function well on your job if you can’t do your research, talk to clients online and submit your work to clients. Skip making excuses and get yourself a useful Internet. It will also help if you have a backup mobile data plan for an emergency. So, the money you save from getting the latest device must go to paying for a good Internet provider.
Tip # 4 Your time is your most valuable asset
Setting your home office a few feet away from the living room with a TV is a huge temptation. It will get you off track from your priorities so as those dishes that’s been sitting waiting for you to wash them! Solve the itch of distractions by having specific time slots for work and other things that you have to do at home. You could also try my home and work routine to have a smooth system while you work-from-home.
We have tons of resources online, so any excuse that you don’t know a skill or software is a red flag to a client.
Tip # 5 Treat the process of getting jobs similar to an office-based work
The truth is you have to prepare to sell yourself! Just like in regular office-based employment, you have to bring your A-game in writing your CV or resumé and during your Skype interview. Prepare for the meeting as early as possible! Sometimes the most straightforward matter like getting a nice and quiet corner in your house to a ready headset gets in the way only because you didn’t set them up early on! But that’s just the basic stuff. How about the skill requirement for the online job? Were you able to prepare for the questions related to what you have applied for? As you make your CV with your goal in mind, you will have an idea on what to learn before your interview. Learn a thing or two about it or update your skills if you happen to have a background. We have tons of resources online, so any excuse that you don’t know a skill or software is a red flag to a client.
Tip # 6 Be creative in your new workplace
If you enjoy having people around your cubicle when you were a full-time employee in an office, chances are the first few months of your work-from-home experience will give you the feeling of isolation from the world. The drastic change in your work environment, especially when working in a quiet environment, will drive you nuts. Luckily, I found ways to remedy the lonely feeling from working-from-home. You can take your work outside the comforts of your home by spending an hour or two in a friendly coffee shop or find restaurants that have few people in it but be sure to order some food during your stay. The change of environment will give you a fresh outlook on your whole new work set-up.
Tip # 7 Keep learning
Sometimes working for yourself or working in the comforts of your home will give you less exposure to essential career training that usual office-based employment would provide you. But in the age of the Internet, this problem had solved itself a long time ago. In my downtime or while I take care of the house chores, I would typically watch tutorial videos, listen to podcast or audiobooks. By doing this, you’ll feel that you are still in the loop and continuously growing while you earn from the comforts of your own home.
Tip # 8 Practice self-care
Practising self-care would be the easiest to neglect when I started working-from-home. As soon as I wake up, I would be sitting in front of my laptop working on my projects. It didn’t take long until I felt the back pains from sitting for long hours. And only after a few months, I could feel that I’m wearing myself out. You can avoid this situation by including you in your work routine. Spend your 30-minute break by doing workouts from home or taking a walk or a drive in the city. My favourite evening routine includes night strolls at the nearest bookstore or afternoon movies with my daughter.
Whether you are a newbie in the work-from-home lifestyle or only looking for ways to earn extra, the key here is to prepare yourself to the work set-up while keeping track of your progress.
If you’re looking for more tips and guidelines on the work-from-home lifestyle, feel free to reach out through the comments section below or visit my official Facebook page.
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