I am at the moment a mixture of nerves and excitement. My fiancé recently received a job offer in D.C. A really good one, for a good firm that is going to give him a lot of great learning opportunities.
That pretty much means I have to go with him. (happily, I swear I am going happily) Being anxious to get out into the workforce he wants to start in mid-June, which means we are moving soon. We are also getting married soon. So, I was in sort of a conundrum. New city, new life, new job? That is a lot of new.
Luckily, I work for a very generous company that has figured out a way to work beyond geographical boundaries. So instead of having an entirely new job I just get a new working lifestyle.
I will be joining the ranks of telecommuters. A few of those comrades have already bestowed some wisdom:
- Have a separate room for your office, with a door (says my dad and uncle) to shut work out at the end of the day
- Get dressed, no PJs although slippers are acceptable (says an SVP)
- Set boundaries and don’t let friends/family interrupt you during working hours
What are some of the other tips you have for me as I begin my new journey as a telecommuter?Anything in particular that will make the transition easier?
Get familiar with Skype and video chat applications. They’ll help you with face-to-face meetings.
Denise,
Thank you so much for the suggestions! I will def checkout WWPR and take you up on that CSA. If you have any recommendations on additional people I should connect with on Twitter I would appreciate that too!
You’ll love DC–I’ve been here 20 years and it’s the perfect mix of small city with big-city perks.
A few telecommuting tips:
- Join and get active in a face-to-face networking group like Washington Women in Public Relations (wwpr.org)
- Take advantage of Twitter as an easy way to break into DC circles
- Get out in other ways. Running is a perfect lunch or morning break so you’re outside the four walls of your office, and we have the best places to run with great scenery. Also get to know Rock Creek Park, a national park in the middle of the city with trails and running/bike paths
- Do keep those boundaries! That’s wise advice.
- Holler if you want in on a good local CSA for the veggies.