The First 3 Steps to Take Once You Decide to Go Remote

Like most things in life, deciding to change your job to a remote work scenario requires some careful thought and preparation. While the perks of working away from a traditional office setting are many, it’s not always the easiest transition to make, and some people may be better suited for that type of work than others. If you’ve decided that you would like to work remotely, use the following three steps to help ensure you’ve reached the right conclusion and that your remote work transition and overall experience will go smoothly.

Try these three steps for a smooth remote transition once you decide to go remote:

1. Make sure your reason for wanting to work from home is legit.

There are plenty of good reasons to crave a work-from-home situation, but there are probably just as many bad reasons. People who decide to switch to remote working for some of the good reasons (their commute is unbearable, they have an illness that makes working outside of the home more difficult, they have kids and need more flexibility, etc.) are more likely to thrive under that type of scenario. On the other hand, people who want to work from home for some of the not-so-good reasons might not.

For example, an employee who wants to work from home in order to avoid contact with co-workers or their boss might be surprised to learn that working from home still requires just as much—if not more—contact with people in the office in order to ensure that things stay running smoothly. People who think working in their pajamas all day sounds appealing might quickly discover that a big part of working from home is staying motivated, which often involves putting proper working guidelines in place, including dressing for the part.

2. Get your current employer on board.

If you’ve been at your company for a while you probably have a good sense of whether or not the culture is flexible and allows for a work-from-home possibility. Assuming you enjoy your current job, the best-case scenario would be getting your company to agree to allow you to work from home, at least for a certain number of days a week. Don’t be discouraged if no one has approached the topic before, either. By doing a little research you can help aid your request. Figure out how to answer why you want to work remotely when your boss inevitably asks. And determine what you need to work from home successfully, so that you can put those systems in place before approaching your boss, to help show how serious you are about making the transition a positive one for everyone involved.

3. Find the right remote work scenario for you.

Maybe you’re in the market for a new job, or maybe your current company simply won’t budge on a remote work option and it’s something that you really need right now. In either of those cases, it’s important to get on the right track to find the job that matches your skill-set with the chance to work from home. Luckily, Remote.co can help with its curated job board of fully remote jobs.

Working remotely is a great perk for any employee who can handle the intricacies that come with working from home. By following the three steps above you’ll be on your way not only to working from the comfort of your own home, but also to ensuring that you’re as ready for success as you can be going into the big change.