7 Myths about Remote Work

When I say “remote work”, what is the first thing that comes to mind?  For many people, the phrase brings out eye rolls, grunts of disdain and even a glimpse of agitation as they replay the latest interaction they have had with a telemarketer or “political poll” groups. My own family still has a hard time grasping what remote work actually is. Given the technological nature of remote work, we can’t be entirely surprised that many people, particularly those in generations prior to Generation X are a bit hesitant when it comes to the credibility of remote work.

For decades Americans have spent their days traveling to and from an office, putting in the 9-5 hours, sitting in business meetings, crunching numbers in their cubicles and fighting the “cake in the break room” syndrome that inevitably occurs after spending countless hours staring at the same walls, doing the same things. No doubt it’s going to take time, information and a bit of open-mindedness for Tom, Dick and Harry that have spent the last 40 years in an office to accept remote work for the legitimate career that it can be. So, let’s start that right now.

1.  “Working on the computer is a scam”.  While I’ll be the first to admit that there are plenty of scammers out there, there are also plenty of legitimate work opportunities. Check out some of the freelancing platforms out there that connect Freelancers with clients. Sites like Upwork handle payment for you, so you never have to worry about handing out your bank account information to clients or cashing a bad check.  As usual, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is, so you still have to use some common sense in accepting a contract.

2. “You work from home? So you’re one of those **** telemarketers that calls me 50 times a day?!?” No. No. No. The world of remote work has grown so incredibly far beyond telemarketing. While there are still many people employed in such positions (and power to you for having a job, telemarketers!), there is so much more out there. In my time as a freelancer, I have worked as business manager for a marketing firm, head of sales and marketing for a clothing company, associate consultant for a consulting and recruiting firm and a social media specialist along with a few other small, one-time gigs ALL from my couch!

3. “You’ve got a college degree, you should get a real job.”. Oh, contraire! Especially for people in tiny little towns like me, the opportunities available online reach so far beyond what is available onsite in my area. I use knowledge from my schooling every day with my online jobs and I get the opportunity to work with people across the country and even throughout the world!

4. “You can’t make a full time salary from the computer”.  When I left my job in the city to move to this little boondock town with my husband, I took a $16,000 cut to my annual salary. Now, after only one year of freelancing, I’m back at the salary I was making in the city. Take into account the extra bonus that I don’t have to pay for gas to commute, fancy clothes for the office or full time childcare, I’m pretty happy with where I’m sitting financially.

5. “I’m not a tech-savvy person, I can’t work online”. Nonsense. I would be lying if I told you I knew one bit of javascript, pixel composition, SEO or really anything beyond Microsoft Office and Gmail prior to getting my first job online. All you really need is the drive to find a job that fits your specific skills, the self-discipline to complete the job to do it well without someone hovering over your shoulder and the willingness to LEARN.

6. “I could never spend all day just sitting around in my house”. That’s the beauty of laptops and Wi-Fi (or 3G, 4G, hotspots, etc), my friends. You can work from where ever you want as long as you have a computer and access to the internet. Feel like heading to the coffee shop? Go for it! Want to go on vacation? Do it! Love feeling the summer breeze through your hair? Head outside! The empowerment you feel from the freedom of mobility will amaze you.

7. “It’s impossible to find a long term position online, it’s all just bouncing around hoping to keep work”. Wrong. I have had the same job since the very first day I started freelancing and neither my client, nor I have any plans to change that at any time in the near future. There are tons of people looking for short, one time jobs. But, there’s also a ton of people looking to find someone skilled, trustworthy and dedicated to growing with their organization. The key is in selecting the right contract for what you are looking for.

I’m 100% sure this is not an exhaustive list of all the stigmas that are constantly thrown around about remote work, but these are the most common ones that I have been hearing lately. If you’re interested in remote work, know someone who works remotely or are one of the people continuously throwing out statements like the ones listed above, I encourage to you make notes of these and open your mind to the beautiful reality that is remote work.