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What I don’t like about working at a remote job

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Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#61

Some people just aren't up to working remotely permanently. Those who need to be social with colleagues and this author says that when they mention they want colleagues to be friends. Not me. I want colleagues to be just that. I don't need to tell them what I did at the weekend as it's my business and I don't care what they did. Willpower is a learned skill that you can fine-tune so you are focused on your work. You…

+1 on the coworker thing, with traditional office jobs you’re friends with those guys and you’re close and then you or they change jobs and you never hear from them again. All along it was just being in close proximity and seeing each other every day that kept you together. That’s not friendship.

I still talk to at least 2 coworkers from my previous job. Many people make friends from jobs.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#62
These all sound like good problems to have. Seems like the first time the op has a chance to figure them self out and learn a bit about who they really are without work forcing it self to be their identify.

Probably jarring because our whole lives are so structured, from school, to college to our job on schedule. It's odd to break free mostly.

Embrace it, keep dabbling and trying and thinking. The rest will come.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#63
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems strange to me. hey, I'm going to spent 40hrs a week with others, let's make sure I don't give a shit about them..... Vs, wow, I'm going to hang out with friends 40hrs a week. Sounds fun! I'd pick the 2nd always. 3 of my best friends in the world are ex-coworkers and 1 more was a friend before but we started a company together at one point so we're we were co-workers. Another close friend I got managed to c…

But I'm not going to spend 40 hours a week with you. I'm working for an employer and might intersect with you a few times a day. I'm there to do work not to do the social scene.

Okay but I'd argue your take on this is an outlier, and not how people commonly view a workspace. Especially when people spend so much time in their jobs. It does seem to me you've left a lot of potential meaningful relationships on the table with your approach, but that's your choice.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#64

I applaud the author on being honest with herself about the downsides of WFH. I've worked from home a lot over the past 10 years. There's definite benefits and it helped me sometimes knock some shit out. In my experience, doing it day in day out is so difficult that very few people can do it well. I get why people want it, but like others pointed out here, it causes depression. There's no real boundaries, it's ground…

*herself - just in case that perspective matters.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#65
post #27

Working from home, or remotely is not for everyone - neither is being in an office. Some folks thrive in an office environment, they value the things it provides - a schedule, a time, a reason to get up and out, socialising with others, being out in the world. It comes at a cost of time and a bit of freedom; you don't really get to choose the hours or where this happens, neither the folks you interact with. Others pr…

> Working from home, or remotely is not for everyone - neither is being in an office.

Upper management has always been wfo or wfh as it suits them.

The 2 groups (wfo and wfh) of mid-low tier "office workers" are far from equal in size.

The majority rather be remote. Most of the wfo people realize their limited value is less visible remotely, as is their opportunities for getting opportunistically involved in processes and projects. Professionally, this a compelling reason to claim wfo is for them as it's part of their act, which doubles the insult (inefficient+predatory people in an organization, waving the WFO banner).

Yes, I believe this wholeheartedly.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#66
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OP needs an external factor to force them to decide on a location and presumably unhappy with their current choice.

Quoted post unavailable.

Should they not have those opinions, or just not post them on the internet?

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#67
post #62

These all sound like good problems to have. Seems like the first time the op has a chance to figure them self out and learn a bit about who they really are without work forcing it self to be their identify. Probably jarring because our whole lives are so structured, from school, to college to our job on schedule. It's odd to break free mostly. Embrace it, keep dabbling and trying and thinking. The rest will come.

Thank you for this comment. You’re right. I had an extremely busy job before this one and now is the first time I have this much free time. Your comment makes me feel better! Thanks again!

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#68

I applaud the author on being honest with herself about the downsides of WFH. I've worked from home a lot over the past 10 years. There's definite benefits and it helped me sometimes knock some shit out. In my experience, doing it day in day out is so difficult that very few people can do it well. I get why people want it, but like others pointed out here, it causes depression. There's no real boundaries, it's ground…

*herself - just in case that perspective matters.

Thank you!

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#69

Remote works best for people who already have their lives stuffed with meaning and structure and don't need any help from the office on those fronts. OP might have resonated with me a decade ago, but now I have a wife and kids. I don't need office socialization to give my life meaning. I have my eight hours of work to do and then I have my life to get back to. I definitely don't need to lose two hours a day commuting…

I agree with this. I think there would have been a much higher chance of failure if I was remote a decade ago.

I look back and I don’t even know how commuting fit into my schedule. In between work obligations, wife, 3 kids (one in college), dogs, home maintenance, and musical aspirations, I have zero problems with getting my work done and getting back to my life.

If you know what you’re doing, you can get all of your obligations done and then carry on with whatever. It normally doesn’t take me a full 40.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#70

The problem I’m seeing is the people who see work as: * completing tasks vs * who see work as a piece of their life People _need_ social interaction (this is an indisputable fact of being human) and remote work divorces the social from the productive for the first time in history (there are jobs where you are isolated for periods like oil rig workers, but this is on a completely new scale). There aren’t any proven me…

People can still be social when working remotely.

People can be satisfied working remotely without having social reserves and social skills/circle.

I definitely consider myself closer to someone who sees work as a piece of their life than someone who completes tasks for money. I love working remotely.

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