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It's Time to Debunk the Myths of Remote Working While working from home is beneficial, it comes with its own challenges, which some people may find difficult to cope with

By Hira Saeed

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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Yes, I do remote jobs and there are so many people like me, who are increasingly embracing remote working. Of course, the benefits of working from anywhere and everywhere are immense and the thought of working from the comfort of your preferred space is definitely an exciting idea.

However, as remote working becomes more popular and diversified, the fallacies and misinterpretations affiliated to it increase as well. People who have never worked out of their workplace may not be able to differentiate between fiction and the facts of remote working. This blog shall delve deeper to demystify the myths associated with remote workers and their jobs.

Remote Working Doesn't Necessarily Mean Home-Jobs

While remote working may connote a home setting, it is important to note that it does not always have to mean a home set up. For me, it's a comfort set-up and while some people are more productive while working in the company of others, some love working alone. This does not mean that they spend their entire day locked up in their homes. Rather, they like to work on their own terms. Thankfully, many establishments such as restaurants and even libraries are perfect locations where remote workers like me can work and socialize while at it. They can even work from a park as long as they have access to internet coverage bonus for delivering quality work.

Remote Working Means No Time Management

Some people make the assumption that remote workers do not clock out. Choosing to work remotely does not change normal office working schedules. After all, businesses flourish on the basis of requirements and time limits of other people. Both in-office and remote workers have a similar work-life balance routine but remote workers need to take care of the time zones a little extra than a corporate worker. Additionally working remotely does not mean that I can substitute working hours to have fun. Just as it is in the office, every hour in remote working counts and I prefer to stay loyal with the deadlines assigned to me.

Remote Workers Do Not Have a Fixed Salary and This Is Bad

Yes, most of us do not get a guaranteed paycheck at the end of every month. For every success, there has to be an equal struggle. While many people would think remote workers do not have a stable income, they may never know the excitement that comes when you land a new client, close a new deal and even better get a bonus for delivering a quality work.

However, there is a lot of hard work that is involved with remote working. People who aspire to work from home remotely have to invest in worthwhile training. This enables them to master the skills. There are many challenges that remote workers face. They include bidding for numerous jobs yet landing none, working throughout the night, and getting fatigued. Beginners especially have it rough since many clients prefer hiring experienced workers. Just like in-office jobs, earning a stable income from remote working is highly dependent on how established, experienced, hardworking, and passionate one is.

Remote Working is So Easy That ANYONE Can Do It

This must be the commonest myth of remote working. There is a certain trend that is prevalent among many people. That of following what the multitudes is doing without laying down a strategy, or even contemplating on the same. Not everyone can thrive in remote working. While working from home is beneficial, it comes with its own challenges, which some people may find difficult to cope with. A company wishing to delve in remote working should implement a carefully planned strategy to prepare the employees and the company for prosperity.

Remote Workers Are Always Distracted and Less Productive

Some people may have the assumption that remote workers are susceptible to distractions in the absence of bosses. On the contrary, research showed that companies reported a notable increase in productivity after implementing remote working. Nevertheless, many remote workers may be reluctant to invest in comfortable desks from where they can work. As much as there may be an urge to work from the couch, it should not be used as a working area. The couch may be comfy, but it can promote bad sitting habits, hence causing back or neck injury.

Remote Working is Only For Women and Mostly Parent

The fact that many women would sacrifice anything for the sake of their children's welfare cannot be overemphasized. However, the belief that remote working is only a preserve of women is actually laughable. Whoever came up with this must have been thinking about the colonial times when women would stay at home and look after the children. I am a single, 25-year-old woman who chooses to do remote jobs because I want to and I don't have a baby or husband to look after.

That's not all! The remote working industry has immensely grown with input from both men and women. Many men today are leaving big corporate jobs to join remote working terming it as fulfilling. Recently, some of the most successful remote workers are men who are living their dream and pursuing their passion.

There is No Career Growth and Learning In Remote Jobs

There are so many options of remote work to choose from. Anyone who aspires to join the industry can carve their own niche depending on what they are passionate about. Every tackled and completed project in remote working is a learning experience. The lessons learned in this industry are the materials that hold the key to career development. Today, many successful remote workers are enjoying the fruits of persistence and patience in this industry. When interviewed, many of these individuals are quick to mention that they had stagnated in their in-office jobs. They agree that working remotely was the best decision they ever made. Indeed remote working can propel one's career development in unimaginable ways.

Conclusion

Embarking on remote working can be difficult at first. However, once one has mastered the art they can enjoy the independence, flexibility, and additional benefits that come with it. Just like everything else, working from home comes with various challenges. All in all the benefits outweigh the challenges. It is important to know that remote working is not for everybody. People who are passionate about working remotely have high prosperity chances.

Hira Saeed

Digital Marketing Consultant & Public Speaker

Hira Saeed is a Tech Geek Girl who is a writer by passion and Social media & PR consultant by profession. Her experience ranges from remote jobs, startup entrepreneurship and consultancy to event management and senior-level marketing positions. Hira is also a public speaker and columnist who shares her views on AI and chatbots on VentureBeat.
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