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Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
While many articles online like to go on and on about how wonderful working from home can be, it is not something just anyone can jump into—at least, not without a bit of an adjustment period. Working from home on your own time requires some very specific and specialized skills that not all individuals are immediately capable of. While many of the skills that flourish and improve in an office environment are applicable to an at-home employment position, there are also many skills and traits that at-home work requires differently. Working from home can be an extremely appealing endeavor. With the flexibility to work on your own time and the ability to work from almost any location, there’s a lot to lure you. However, it is important to realize before you enter a work from home position that it is still work and you will still find many of the struggles of a more traditional workplace. These three traits are must-haves for an individual hoping to be a truly successful at-home employee.
Self-Motivation
Significant self-motivation and personal determination is essential for an individual who makes their living from home. With so much flexibility, it can be easy to get caught up in the apparent ease of things. Many newbie work from home employees find themselves slacking off from their work and their professional responsibility without ever really realizing it. Working from home often means that in many ways you are your own boss. You have to be the one to make sure that you are on task and that you are using your work hours efficiently. This kind of self-imposed responsibility can be difficult to muster from scratch. Work to impose your deadlines, cut distraction, and be productive during your dedicated work hours. Self-motivation is a skill that can get you far in life within many different areas of life. While self-motivation is important within any workplace, it is essential for individuals who work in a non-traditional home office setting.
Strong Organizational Skills
In a more traditional work setting, organization and project planning usually fall upon the responsibility of the Project Manager or some specialized position. When you are a work from home employee many of the organizational aspects of your work often shift to your plate. You are the one ensuring that you stay on task, that your assignments and projects are properly lined up in your calendar, and that things are properly stored, saved, and submitted. While this isn’t necessarily difficult, these tasks are essential to keeping your work manageable and in order. As an at-home employee you will basically have to manage and uphold a microcosm of an entire traditional office in our own home. You become boss, manager, employee, and office manager. Carefully organizing and managing your home office is essential to ensuring that you create your best work and use your time as effectively as possible.
Ability to Communicate Easily
Strong communication is one of the most important skills any employee can exhibit. In today’s workforce, communication consists of written language, face-to-face interaction, and telecommunication. Each of these forms of communication requires a different set of skills and abilities. Employers seek individuals who can easily communicate what it is they need, what their ideas are, and any questions they may have clearly through any medium of communication. As an at-home employee, much of your communication is done either through the telephone or through the internet. Online communication is one area of the workforce that many people struggle with. Whether it is instant messaging or email, written communication between different people and different learning styles can be a challenge. As an at-home worker, you must be able to carefully and thoroughly communicate through text. Developing and composing careful thoughts, questions, concerns, and ideas with written word is essential to your success and growth as a work from home individual.
Jemima Lopez is a freelance blogger and writer who writes for Zen College Life, the directory of higher education, distance learning, and best online schools. She welcomes your comments at her email: lopezjemima562 @ gmail.com.