Telecommuting and Jobs Tutorial - Part 3 - Do you have to find a ‘new’ job or can you make it work where you are.
 

Once you’ve decided that telecommuting is in your future you have a decision to make. Stay where you are or look for a new job? There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Let’s explore the options:


Advantages of staying where you are:

You know the drill. Staying with a current employer means you understand not only the personalities you’re working with, you’re also familiar with the policies, procedures, and what the job requires.

Trust is already established with your current employer so the need to “prove yourself” will be significantly less.

Your work style and communication style are already established which will make the transition from an on site employee to a telecommuter significantly easier.

You already have a paycheck coming in so there won’t be any down time. You’ll still be drawing a paycheck. Also, in the event that telecommuting doesn’t work out, you will have a job to go back to.

Your current employer is already invested in you. They know you’re qualified, they know your personality, and they’re much more likely to support you.

Advantages of finding a new job:

Occasionally, one of the motivators to working from home is unhappiness with the current employer. That unhappiness isn’t likely to go away as a telecommuter. If you don’t like what you’re doing or who you’re working with, it may be time to find a new job.

If your present position isn’t suited for telecommuting then it may be time to find a job that is better suited for working from home.

Here’s how to decide if your present position is suited for telecommuting:

Make a list of the tasks you spend your day accomplishing. Are they tasks you generally perform from your computer or telephone? Are they tasks that you generally handle on your own or are you part of a team? A team situation doesn’t rule out telecommuting, however it will take special consideration and cooperation from your co-workers.

If your position requires you to interact with people, make house calls, or work with machinery then it isn’t suited for teleworking.

Not to worry, there are many employers who are open to and looking for telecommuting employees and we’ll talk about how to find those positions in section number five. Next, we’ll look at how to approach your current boss about the possibility of telecommuting – gulp! No worries, we’ll break it down so you can be prepared for possible objections and present your position in the best possible light.

Telecommuting Tutorial Part 4 - Approaching your employer about telecommute.