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Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

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Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#101

Post by WimLeers »

ozim wrote: post #77
draw_down wrote: post #36

Yes, but I mean, how much money does a person need? Why do I need to advance up the ladder? I just don’t see the point. I like living my life how I want. If I could do that without a job at all, I would. Don’t get me wrong, it has its downsides other than the career advancement thing. But commuting and sitting in an open office with no privacy does too. On balance I prefer it. If you’re lonely, get a dog.

If you plan to live up to 80 and take account of all health issues you might have by then I would say there is no upper limit on amount of money you need. So it is about the choice, life circumstances and some people like to advance, you don't have to.

There are countries where health care is guaranteed.

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#103

Post by deckard1 »

avip wrote: post #55

The noticeable career effect for me was (and is) severe job opportunities pool shrinkage. I can't mentally go back to 9-5 @office - that translates to ~95% of jobs off the table.

Same here. I love working remote, and have been doing it for nearly 5 years now.

The idea of getting up early, getting into a car, driving an hour, and sitting at a table with 20 other people surrounding you in one of those open offices that are all the rage today... just kill me now.

This may sound trivial, but being able to take a dump in total privacy and comfort any time of the day is amazing.

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#104

Post by draw_down »

ozim wrote: post #77
draw_down wrote: post #36

Yes, but I mean, how much money does a person need? Why do I need to advance up the ladder? I just don’t see the point. I like living my life how I want. If I could do that without a job at all, I would. Don’t get me wrong, it has its downsides other than the career advancement thing. But commuting and sitting in an open office with no privacy does too. On balance I prefer it. If you’re lonely, get a dog.

If you plan to live up to 80 and take account of all health issues you might have by then I would say there is no upper limit on amount of money you need. So it is about the choice, life circumstances and some people like to advance, you don't have to.

I might live till then. I also might get hit by a bus.

I’m big on the idea of 80/20. Could I work twice as hard for significantly less than twice as much money, plus commute, plus stress myself out more? I could, but that sounds bad to me.

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#105

Post by cyberferret »

isostatic wrote: post #96
cyberferret wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After working for myself for > 30 years, and the last 10 remote - I think I am basically unemployable now. In the sense that, similar to yourself, I don't think I could ever work for someone again. All the niggly details about office work in a big organisation now horrifies me. I had to assist a colleague with a government tender he was submitting last month, and even after one meeting with a government committee, I…

You're lucky. My office is upstairs, meaning the commute is downstairs to the kettle, then back upstairs to the desk, twice as long as yours!

Haha - My kettle is upstairs!! But then again, my wife (who also works part time from home) brings me my cups of tea...

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#106

Post by adventured »

cyberferret wrote: post #88
PerfectElement wrote: post #54

Working remotely and having more control over my schedule (they don't always come together) allowed me to work on my side project until it was making enough money to cover my living expenses. The only problem is that now, after running my own business for a few years, I cannot phantom the idea of going back to a regular job. In that sense, my career as an employee is over.

After working for myself for > 30 years, and the last 10 remote - I think I am basically unemployable now. In the sense that, similar to yourself, I don't think I could ever work for someone again. All the niggly details about office work in a big organisation now horrifies me. I had to assist a colleague with a government tender he was submitting last month, and even after one meeting with a government committee, I…

> I have friends that still regularly commute 2 hours each way every day for work. ... and wonder about all the lost creative time they could be spending doing something with.

Or at least getting well compensated for the 1 or 2 hour commute each way. That's a lot of time-money value for a freelancer in a given month. Save on destroying your vehicle, save on gas, save the time, save the hassle & brain numbing commute, live slightly further out and save a lot on real-estate, etc.

It's funny, just seven to ten years ago telecommuting in most of the US was still largely a fantasy premise. Often talked up, but the opportunities were scarce at best for most people. It's finally starting to deliver on the potential.

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#107

Post by cyberferret »

adventured wrote: post #106
cyberferret wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

After working for myself for > 30 years, and the last 10 remote - I think I am basically unemployable now. In the sense that, similar to yourself, I don't think I could ever work for someone again. All the niggly details about office work in a big organisation now horrifies me. I had to assist a colleague with a government tender he was submitting last month, and even after one meeting with a government committee, I…

> I have friends that still regularly commute 2 hours each way every day for work. ... and wonder about all the lost creative time they could be spending doing something with. Or at least getting well compensated for the 1 or 2 hour commute each way. That's a lot of time-money value for a freelancer in a given month. Save on destroying your vehicle, save on gas, save the time, save the hassle & brain numbing commute,…

Yes, I am surprised that telecommuting seems to have taken so long to become mainstream. I remember when I started doing it nearly 15 years ago, a lot of my family and colleagues thought I was crazy.

But for me, even a 25 minute commute (at the time) was too much for me. I know a lot of people who take public transport say they spend the time listening to music, reading a book or taking in podcasts - and that is great.

But for me, if I walk downstairs to my office first thing in the morning and I am not feeling it, I am glad I can reach back and pick up my guitar and play some scales or noodle away to get my brain into focus.

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#108

Post by paulmooreparks »

I've just taken a new position which is interesting in this regard. I work out of an office in Singapore, but my team is distributed all over the Asia-Pacific region, separated by thousands of miles. Even when I'm in the office, I'm effectively working remotely from my team. Consequently, I'm slowly visiting all of the local offices where they're based just to build a face-to-face relationship and the invaluable rapport that comes with that interaction. Even the senior executive in the office, the president of sales for the region, works remotely and rarely comes into the office. Sometimes, it's just the nature of the role. Still, nothing replaces face-to-face communication, so if you have the opportunity, be sure to engage in it every chance you get.

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#109

Post by scarface74 »

escanda wrote: post #59
prepend wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? 5 years seems really long to me. A university is only 4 years. Changing companies every few years helps to expand networks and learn new skills.

Not really. Beware you can be easily replaced in your new company without any compensation. Risk is often not accounted for. If you're a twenty something it's ok, but imagine you're a parent of 3 and you have to switch jobs every two years: unbearable.

You can easily be replaced at any company without compensation. Like one on my coworkers said, always keep your running shoes around your neck.

I'm prepared to change jobs st a moments notice. My resume stays up to date. I keep my PluralSight account and my network current.

Also keep a savings account with enough in it to cover your expenses until you can get another job. In my neck of the woods (not on the west coast) for the last 20 years it's been about a month at most.

Re: Ask HN: Has working remotely harmed your career growth?

#110

Post by adventured »

WimLeers wrote: post #101
ozim wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you plan to live up to 80 and take account of all health issues you might have by then I would say there is no upper limit on amount of money you need. So it is about the choice, life circumstances and some people like to advance, you don't have to.

There are countries where health care is guaranteed.

It's a pretty safe bet that it will be in the US in the next 15-20 years as well (I know that's a sad time frame; the US has to reshape a ~$4 trillion entrenched market, which will take time). I say that based on the trends in the healthcare market. Insurers are being squeezed out of the bottom 2/3 of the market. It ultimately leaves only government coverage as the viable option for most people. About half of all people in the US currently receive some variation of government health coverage. Government-based coverage will continue to gradually walk its way up the income ladder by necessity due to costs.

Republicans were entirely unable to end the ACA, despite majorities & the Presidency. Its latest enrollment period saw a massive sign-up. The likely scenario coming up near-term, is Democrats take the Senate & possibly the Presidency (not the House). Healthcare will see gradual stapled on improvements that basically guarantees everyone coverage. Each time the Democrats acquire majorities, they'll put more pieces into place. It's most likely to start out as guaranteed catastrophic coverage for the middle & lower middle class (poor people already have free healthcare), that's the next logical step from the components the ACA put into place. It'll be a messy process, that will ultimately end in guaranteed coverage (most of the top 1/4 will keep variations of employer coverage that provide various perks). As each of these pieces get put into place, Republicans will find it nearly impossible to take them back away from people (as we just witnessed, it was wildly unpopular when Republicans tried to get rid of denial of coverage protections for pre-existing conditions).

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