We are all working remotely in the midst of the COVID- 19 outbreak and the resulting quarantine. The truth is, many of us have never worked from home before and are finding it surprisingly difficult. Those who used to make fun of remote jobs and freelancers are now appreciating remote working skills for their value.

So while you think about taking a serious interest in becoming a remote worker yourself as long-distance jobs are the future of the world, perhaps we can interest you in a few pointers about how you can improve your remote working skills right now. 

Thanks to technology and the digital world you can work from home even if you are already a senior citizen. These online jobs mostly do not care how old you are as long as you are able to deliver results. However, you need to keep in mind that you need to be online during work hours and even when you are on the go. A bonus tip for senior citizens would be to purchase a cell phone for seniors which are specially designed to be user-friendly and easy to use. By having a phone you can communicate with your client or employee even when you are away from your keyboard.

Here is a list of simple but important tips that freelancers follow all over the world to work from home and provide results. 

1. Bold is Good

When you are working from home, being polite and shy will not get you anywhere. You are not sitting in an office so that you can drop by later. There will be moments that you will not understand anything at all, but it is crucial that you express yourself.

Your work is important and people are relying on you to do your job. If you are to follow affiliate marketing tips from Affiliate Marketing Monks but are unclear about your instructions then ask someone sitting beside you. But make sure that you ask and work accordingly. 

1. Flexibility is Good:

No one can do a 9-5 from home, you will have to go out to get groceries sometime or use personal Finance Software for budgeting, and other times you will be working through the night. Working with your family around is not too simple. But it has to be done.

So a simple solution to that is to have a flexible timings schedule so that you can always work throughout the day. Flexible schedules get out of control really fast so you have to be focused on making sure that your schedule stays in line. 

A good solution is to work small portions in the middle when you get a small amount of time. If you break down your work into smaller pieces, it will be much easier for you to deliver your work on time. 

1. Be ready for work:

Make sure that you do not miss a meeting as that is a big no-no. Make sure that you show up every day and coordinate with your coworkers on the tasks that need to be done. That will also allow you to stay updated on the activities and you will be less likely to miss things.

In remote working conditions, many times very competent employees are also let go of simply because they are not always available. You have to find a way to stay available at odd times and technology like Asana, Slack, and Skype are good ways to find the right communication method.

1. The organization is Key:

We are not asking you to make an office in your home or turn your library into your work station. We know you do not have a library and if you lock a door for five hours, your family will become worried. 

The fact is that your family needs to understand that working from home needs to have a schedule. So be honest about how much work you will have to finish in the day. Now ask them what your chores are for the day.

If there is an immediate need to do any chores, then do them before you start working. Once you start working, you can only focus on your work and your routine should be balanced. But do find a silent place where you can work long hours, we know, attic or basement, the choice is yours!

1. Always Include Your Work Mates:

When you are working from home, you have to make sure that every person who is a part of the project is included in the updates. There are group chats and separate messages, either way, you have to make sure that you regularly update all the relevant team members.

If you leave a person out of an update and that disbalances the system of the project then that will be on you. Again it is unusual because in an office you will simply update everyone in the meeting. But it is crucial to good workplace etiquette. 

1. Balance Trusting and Accountability:

It is a simple fact that working from home requires a balance of trust and accountability from the employees. You need to be accountable for your own actions and you have to trust that others will be able to deliver on their own promises. 

But the truth is that it is a delicate cycle and you are best advised to find a way to manage situations where expectations are not met. A lot of office impressions are made or broken when someone does not deliver things on time.

Be polite but also make sure that you are getting your message across. If you are not able to manage your workforce then your workforce will be less inclined to work with you. 

1. Creativity for Life:

When it comes to working from home, spontaneity and odd hours are the rules of the land. If you and the person who has to deliver are both online than it doesn’t matter what time it is. Most of the remote jobs have employees from all over the world.

It is hard for people from so many different locations to come online at the same time every day. Whenever you do get their attention, you will be well advised to avail it and make sure that you get all the information and have all the discussions that you need for that day. 

All in all, remote working is the future of the modern world as more people will opt out of going to offices when they can do all of that work at home as well. It is a great skill to know and it is a good way to make sure that you are ready for the world we are fast walking towards. Best of luck with quarantine!

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Paul Petersen

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