Some might think that entering the IT remote-work world would be easy, but it comes with
unique challenges. As long as you know what those are, you can overcome them. The following are some challenges you'll have to overcome if you're serious about starting an IT remote career.
Choosing the Right Education
One thing you need to deal with is education. When you apply for IT remote work, you'll get some training material, but you will be expected to know what you're doing from the get go. This makes it vital that you take the classes you need to be successful in this career.
The good thing is that there are a lot of options for you, especially through sites like Bootcamps.org as an example.
Fighting the Misconceptions
Getting the education you need isn't so hard. Most of the time, you don't even need a four-year degree or anything, but one thing that will be a little harder to deal with is all the misconceptions about IT remote work.
And one of the remote work myths is that you’ll always be able to create your own schedule.
While some can do that, most remote workers need to adhere to a consistent schedule.You can't just pick and go whenever you want because you're a remote worker. This is something your family and friends might have a hard time accepting.If you’re doing freelance work, you might feel tempted to go on vacations often, because, why not, right? You can just pause your offers on whatever freelance platform that you use, and return in a week or two. But you’ll soon realize that in order to pull (and keep) the best clients, you’ll have to be available and keep the show going.
Keeping to the Schedule
Scheduling is going to be challenging. Yes, you'll get a general schedule from your job, but keeping to that schedule will be all up to you. That part is going to be hard. No one is there to tell you it's time to take a break or stop working.
That could become an issue if you don't take precautions. A lot of remote workers have a hard time stopping because being at home makes it harder to separate your time and the company's time. Be careful to not overwork.
Learn to Manage Your Workload
A big challenge to overcome has to do with your workload. Now that you're going to be working from home, it's going to be hard to prioritize work. No one is going to be there to tell you anything.
On top of that, all your toys are next to you, such as your smartphone, tablet, and anything else that could distract you. You must prioritize your work first and foremost. It may feel great to tackle the hardest task first, but at least it will be done.
After that, you'll want to put all items away or lock yourself in a room where you won't see them. Make sure you don't take on too many tasks. Focus on the ones you can do and dedicate enough time to. The quality of your work matters more than the quantity.
Addressing People Distractions
You have to find a way to address other distractions.
A big challenge IT remote workers, well all remote workers have, has to do with family and friends. Most people have a hard time accepting that remote work is real work. They have a hard time respecting your time. They may pop up or try to talk to you if you don't take action.
It can be hard to teach kids that you're working. It's easier to just hire a babysitter or take them to a daycare center while you work.
Everyone else needs a good and stern talking to. You need to tell them what time you work and that you can't be bothered. This won't be an easy conversation, but it's a necessity to get work done. Setting up an office with a lock could be a big help.
Of course, if you can't get your family or friends to respect your time, you can always just rent a co-working space or hit a local library to work.
Now, you know what you need to overcome if you're going to be an IT remote worker. It's going to take some time to adjust to your new work life, but it can be done.
This article was written in cooperation with Philip Piletic