As we all know, the pandemic impacted all of our lives in a myriad of ways. One major thing that changed globally was working in person. It suddenly, in a doomsday type of way, became dangerous to be around people of all things. So that meant closing stores, offices, schools and factories for almost 2 years in some cases. Now it’s finally looking like things are under control and people are being sent back to work in person.
I may or may not have mentioned before that I worked remotely for 8 long years before being laid-off during the pandemic. I worked in an administrative healthcare role that didn’t require much face-to-face interaction and even when it did we used WebEx. Looking back it was great. The flexibility that my job offered allowed me to travel wherever, whenever and work at the same time. Overall, I think we all understand and love the perks of remote work. I’ll name a few of my favorites. You spend less time commuting and more time at home doing the things that are important to you.You get to sleep longer in the morning instead of waking up hours before your work day starts. This extra time creates more opportunities for you to make healthier decisions like eating lunch at home instead of grabbing food from a near
eatery. And you save on gas and carfare expenses which is not only good for your pockets but also the environment. The list goes on but those were a few major benefits for me.
The flip-side of working from home
What I’ve learned from joining a new company that works full-time in the office has been priceless but I also think the pros depend on the type of industry you work in. In my experience I grew so comfortable being in my own bubble that I developed a bit of social anxiety. It’s not the same for everyone but for those who value relationship building and leveraging relationships, there’s value in working closely with mentors and peers in the workplace. I found that working at home allowed room for a certain level of complacency, career wise. It was too damn comfortable! Again, this depends on your industry. I just can’t emphasize enough how important it is for young professionals to immerse themselves into their industry of choice and to learn the ways of their work environment.
Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong perspective in this debate in my eyes but what’s important is that we as individuals work to ensure that we are where we want to be in our own careers. I hope that company leaders consider the benefits their employees gain when making these important decisions. I think there’s a sweet spot right in the middle.
