Pros and cons of living as a remote worker (in 2020)
So, the final couple of months in a year like no other! It’s hardly going to be predictable, I’m sure!
While I’ve joked about autumnal content checklists and enjoyed challenging myself to travel local in a ‘grammable way, I do want to begin actually creating some sort of new plan. Life is obviously not going to go back to the yearly routine we’ve been used to for the last few decades, so it’s time to create a fresh one.
Inadvertently, I’ve been enjoying the remote working life for years. From putting together dissertation notes on a plane to São Paulo to conducting paid research on the then up and coming ‘digital nomad’ trend back in 2016. I’ve always felt drawn to and loved having a flexible work base.
After reading Gloria Steinem’s “My Life On The Road”, I figured that home for me was wherever my laptop is and so this made it incredibly easy to feel at home anywhere - as long as I could be digitally connected in some way.
As much as it’s been glamourised on Instagram however, it’s really not a lifestyle that’s for everyone and these are my reasons for saying so.
PROS OF BEING A REMOTE WORKER
You choose where you work: want to stay in your pyjamas? At least until you have a Zoom call - sometimes you just want to slouch around the house or stay tucked up in bed while you get lost in creating some long form content or editing a YouTube video. And for the majority of remote workers - except for those with clients who expect you in once or twice a week. Want to work from Berlin? Go for it!
You choose how you work: similar to above, you can choose the amount of hours and which hours you work. Want to check out Bali without taking holiday time? If you can handle working until midnight, then this lifestyle’s for you.
You choose who you work with: whether it’s a full time longer term contract or a few days, you can pick and choose the type of people you want to work with. Whether you want to work with someone in the country you’re visiting or pick up a client online. The world is your oyster!
You can make as much as you like: while you can of course make some extra out of full time work, as a remote worker your schedule tends to be just that bit more flexible. Plus you can also set your own rates - and your actual worth, which tends to be more than your average full time position. Plus, there’s always the option to diversify your income and create other streams.
You are your own manager: you get to design all the above and whether you want to learn more. You are your own promoter and the only person you have to prove to is yourself and your clients.
Remote working in 2020: one silver lining to the pandemic is there are more remote positions and job openings than ever due to the pandemic. And the uncertainty of returning to offices. Now companies have had an opportunity to assess the benefits of remote working - both financially and for wellbeing - they are becoming much more open to the idea long term and there is much more opportunity for it.
CONS OF BEING A REMOTE WORKER
You can get lonely: unless you have a community are a part of or are comfortable taking the initiative to meet more people in similar work.
You are your own manager: you have to motivate yourself, you are your own cheerleader and you cannot run from anything. You must learn how to file tax returns and any other lovely paperwork. (It’s the side that I took a little while to get used to for sure but love it now).
People don’t always get it: it’s likely that if you’ve posted a pic of your set up in a cute cafe or the travels you get to have (if you want it) and so consequently to many, it all looks incredibly glamorous and effortless. It’s not that isn’t sometimes (and I definitely wouldn’t change it) but it’s hard to live with certain reactions when you’ve likely worked harder than you ever did in a 9-5.
Remote working in 2020: suddenly there are more and more people without jobs and turning to online work. So there is much more competition on the original go-to places for job openings. In the last few weeks, I’ve certainly had to up my game and get creative with my pitches. At times it has definitely felt disheartening, and with the number of redundancies supposedly set to increase, I imagine it’s going to potentially get tougher. It takes a certain attitude to keep going when you’re receiving rejection after rejection or no response at all.
All in all however, I wouldn’t change my situation for the world! While I’ve had it drilled into me to always be in work and in credit, these are still such strange times. In the past I’ve been able to secure work very swiftly, but my usual methods just aren’t working.
But instead of feeling sorry for myself, I’ve chosen to pivot, get creative and keep going, securing new forms of work that I would never have thought of. This is not a time for being picky or shutting out new methods of creating money - quite the opposite - and so it’s been interesting trying out different things. From paid speaking opportunities to office temp work. It’s still flexible and remote. And you never know who you may bump into with an opportunity next.
How have you found working remotely this year?
Han x
