Picture this: you wake up, grab your laptop, and boom—your office is wherever you want it to be. That’s the beauty of the digital age, where online careers are breaking down traditional office walls and giving us a whole new way to work.
Freedom. That’s a word everyone associates with an online career. With an online gig, you’re the boss of your own schedule. No more clocking in at 9 and out at 5. You want to work from your favorite coffee joint? Go for it. Prefer to type away with your toes in the sand? Totally doable. The virtual workspace lets you call the shots.
But reality is different from the dream. Having an online career means opening the door to new challenges that didn’t exist in the traditional workspace. Motivation, isolation, competition, health – these are just a few of the problems you might encounter when you shift to an online career.
Motivation
When you’re always at home it will be a bit hard to stay motivated. Let’s not sugarcoat it. Balancing work and play can get tricky when your office is just a few steps away from your bed. You can easily get lazy and distracted when you don’t have officemates keeping an eye on you. Not to mention, being at home makes you all too susceptible to be asked by your family to do chores because why not? You’re just “at home” anyway.
To conquer this challenge, it is important for you to clearly establish boundaries. Set a strict schedule with yourself to avoid those “lazy breaks”. Set clear goals for the day – write down what needs to be accomplished and break them down to manageable, realistic tasks. Communicate your working hours to your client, and let your family know that you’re at home to work.
Isolation
If you think about it, working in an actual office can definitely have its perks. Gossip you get from the office can make your day a bit more giddy and fun, you can pass a knowing glance to your office beshie to share an inside joke during a boring meeting, and you can peep into the next cubicle to get a clue on how to write a certain report.
Working online means you’re physically isolated from your team. You can’t just ask a desk mate for help when you encounter a problem with your tasks, you have to send emails or chat with them online, which, compared to face-to-face transactions, will definitely take a while.
Communication delay is a problem unique to online careers. But this can be easily resolved by setting a common time with your client or teammates to be online. This way, you can communicate all problems and issues with little delay.
Wellness
Time to get to work? Just plop open your laptop and you’re good to go. Gone is the need to walk 10 minutes to get to the office. Gone is the need to grunt through three flights of stairs because the elevator broke down. Now you’re at home, and all you need is to move from the bed to your desk and you’re ready for the day.
Next thing you know, you’ve gained a few pounds from inactivity. Maybe a few more pounds from all the take-out you’ve ordered in. It’s the reality of the online career that maintaining a healthy physical lifestyle becomes a challenge. But this is where the flexibility of working from home comes as an advantage.
As easy as it is to just plop on the bed all day, it is also just as easy to squeeze in a 10 minute exercise. You don’t know how to begin? Check out workout videos online. Missing the sun? Start the day with a quick run in the neighborhood. With an online career, you are the master of your schedule, and you can always craft a productive schedule that works both for you.
Competition
Almost everyone has heard of the advantages of the online career. Because of this competition for online positions is fierce. It is important to stand out against other applicants – and the best way to do so is by upskilling.
What better way to beat competitors than to outskill them? Thankfully there are now a lot of resources online to help you upgrade your skills. Open universities and short online programs are now accessible with a click of a mouse. Build the resume you want to get the career you dream of!
Setting boundaries
Last but not least, let’s chat about staying sane in the online hustle. It’s easy to get caught up in the grind and forget about taking care of yourself. But trust me, burnout is no joke. So, remember to set those boundaries, practice mindfulness, and take time to recharge. Your mental and physical health are just as important as your workload.
Slaying the game
In the end, an online career is a double edged sword – it has a lot of pro’s, but it also has its fair share of cons. To tackle these hurdles, you gotta set boundaries, take regular breaks, and make sure you’ve got your squad of virtual work buddies to keep you sane.
So, there you have it—the lowdown on online careers. From the freedom to work wherever you please to the importance of keeping your sanity intact, it’s a wild ride. But with a bit of flexibility, a dash of hustle, and a whole lot of self-care, you can thrive in the virtual workspace and carve out a career that’s as fulfilling as it is flexible.