Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: work from home

  • How has technology changed your job?

    How has technology changed your job?

    Remote work has made it possible to work anywhere, anytime. This work setup is perfect for those who enjoy a flexible work schedule, instead of a rigid 9 to 5 with a set lunch break. You experience fewer distractions and you can work when you’re most alert. Technology is one of the main reasons my job has evolved to where it is today. Here are some of the ways technology has changed my job.

    Daily writing prompt
    How has technology changed your job?
    View all responses

    Remote work has made it possible to work anywhere, anytime. This work setup is perfect for those who enjoy a flexible work schedule, instead of a rigid 9 to 5 with a set lunch break. You experience fewer distractions and you can work when you’re most alert. Technology is one of the main reasons my job has evolved to where it is today. Here are some of the ways technology has changed my job.

    1 Increased productivity

    One of the best benefits of remote work is the elimination of the daily commute. I can start my day in a relaxed manner, checking work messages over morning tea. This uninterrupted focus allows me to dive into tasks without distractions, boosting my productivity. Additionally, the flexibility of remote work enables me to do other things during breaks, whether it’s attending to household chores or brainstorming project ideas while preparing lunch.

    2 Maximized work time

    Technology has revolutionized how we conduct meetings. With the click of a button, I can attend scheduled or impromptu meetings. I don’t need to gather up my papers to walk to another room or another floor in the office building. If I need feedback on a document that I am working on, I can send the document via email or messaging app to a colleague or colleagues.

    3 Coordinating work schedules

    Technology makes coordinating work schedules across different time zones easier. We can use 

    apps and electronic calendars to share our availability, including vacation times, office hours, and times when we are out of the office for a couple of hours a day.  

    4 Efficient file management

    Cloud-based platforms like Google Docs have made it easy to collaborate on documents and to share files. Version control of documents makes it easier to keep a history of changes made to a document. It is also easy to track comments made by team members and organize files in a cloud-based system.

    5 Enhanced communication

    We have a wide range of technology to communicate with each other, from emails to phone calls. Other examples include apps such as Slack, ClickUp, Notion, and to send typed messages, voice messages, and files to each other. We can also communicate about specific stages of projects.

    6 Advanced writing tools

    Grammar checkers and AI-powered writing assistants have transformed the writing process, offering feedback and suggestions. While these tools enhance accuracy and efficiency, they don’t yet replace human expertise. They are a wonderful helper and a second set of eyes on writing projects.

    Key Takeaways

    Technology has been key in making my current work set-up possible. Without it, there would be no remote work jobs. Technology has helped with productivity, collaboration, and efficiency, for individuals and teams in a digital world.  

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  • Work-Life Balance: Do you enjoy your job?

    Work-Life Balance: Do you enjoy your job?

    Those who love their job as if it were a hobby are lucky. This is even more true if their income is their ideal amount and their coworkers are great to be around. I certainly think of my job as something I could do even while on vacation and not consider myself as working. However, we need to draw the line somewhere–at what point is work intruding on personal time?

    Daily writing prompt
    Do you enjoy your job?
    View all responses

    Let’s weigh in on the question: What is work-life balance? How do you define it? Whether you have a work-life balance and whether you view clear boundaries between the two depends on how much you love your job. Here are some rare points of view to consider.

    Remote work has made it easier to blend home life and work life into one room (or house). Employers and clients may have the expectation that you’ll respond to messages or complete work tasks between 9 a.m. to … well, 9 a.m. the next morning. 

    As someone who manages projects, I’m answering work messages from morning til evening and on the weekends sometimes. Apps on smartphones have made it easier than ever to blur the lines between the office and personal time as we receive notifications even when away from the office.

    The constant plug-in to workplace communication and work tasks can be exhausting. People need a break from work to recharge and return to their tasks with fresh eyes. But is it bad to blend work and home life together?

    Some people love their career enough that working is as enjoyable as watching Netflix or playing video games. I’ve met some of these people (so they do exist).  

    If you enjoy your work as much as you’d enjoy a hobby, then is working extra hours synonymous with workaholicism or overachieving? Does it make a difference whether you’re designing a graphic for a client or painting a picture to hang on your wall?

    Some self-employed people live in their business. They are always reading or watching videos for self-improvement, or brainstorming new ways to increase their income or expand their products and services. Would this be considered overworking? It depends.

    Everyone should be learning new things, whether it is a new hobby, new skill, or general-interest knowledge. People challenge themselves with fitness goals, reading goals, or social goals. How is investing more time in your career or business any different, if you love what you do, and if you still have time for friends and family?

    If you enjoy what you do, then perhaps a job or business is no different than investing time and energy in a hobby or pastime. With this perspective, would work-life balance be… “balanced”? 

    Of course, whether you have a spouse or children affects how much time you need away from work. If you enjoy traveling or socializing with friends, these interests also affect how much time you need to recharge from work. And of course, if you’re an introvert who prefers more “me time” away from your work and coworkers, that’s important too.

    What are your thoughts on work-life balance if you have a job or career that you love?

  • Remote Work and Office Humor

    Remote Work and Office Humor

    This time of year, one of two things happens: work slows down as people prepare for the holidays, or work speeds up as people cram in projects before it’s time to leave work for the holidays.

    Recently, it’s been incredibly busy for me, so I think a good laugh about work is overdue. Humor helps the time pass more quickly as we count down the days until the holiday break.

    Here is some random humor that I was sent recently. Please credit these jokes if you know who created them.

    Ten Random Jokes to Make Your Workday

    1. My memory has gotten so bad it has actually caused me to lose my job. I’m still employed, I just can’t remember where.
    2. How do you make an employee smile at work? Compliment their work.
    3. Why did the scarecrow get promoted? Because he was outstanding in his field!
    4. During a business meeting yesterday, someone asked me about my background. So I told him about my education, career, family, hopes and dreams. Turns out he was asking about what was behind me on our Zoom call.
    5. The new “Reply All” button is unmuting your mic during a Zoom call.
    6. My favorite conference call game is “Guess the Background Noise.”
    7. Why did the pen get promoted at work? It had the write skills.
    8. Why did the employee bring a map to work? To navigate through the workday.
    9. What makes a spider such a good computer programmer? It knows all about the web.
    10. How do you make a manager laugh during a meeting? Tell them you finished all your work early.

    And one more….

    1. Working from home is all fun and games until your chair and bed start merging into one.

  • 5 Reasons to Hate Remote Work

    5 Reasons to Hate Remote Work

    If you’ve been following these blog posts, you know I’m a strong advocate of remote work, but it’s not a perfect lifestyle. Like any work situation, there are days when remote work is irritating or totally stressful. So for the moment, at least, let’s look at five reasons to hate remote work.

    1 Getting locked out of the office

    The number one reason to hate remote work is a complete percent reliance on the internet. When your internet is down, it’s like getting locked out of the office and being left in the hallway with nothing to do, especially if your work files are saved on a cloud. You can’t ask the IT person to fix your tech issues – if you work from home, you are the tech person. Tech issues can also make meetings miserable. Your screen can freeze if the internet is slow and you miss out on what someone has just said. Your mic can stop working and you’re speed-typing your thoughts in the group chat. Bad tech = a crappy work day.

    2  Communication issues and isolation

    Remote work is like being locked in a room by yourself. You can’t just wander over to your coworker’s desk for a quick chat. You need to schedule or request a meeting, or message your coworker. In addition, direct messaging creates modern-day office paranoia. Say you just sent a message but your coworker doesn’t reply right away. Are they ignoring you? If hours pass, are they out-of-office or still ignoring you? 

    A whole social aspect of working in an office is missing, such as a festival or special food day. It’s a treat to report to the company cafeteria to celebrate (insert occasion) with (insert special food). If you work from home and want a special lunch, you need to make it yourself (which isn’t as special).

    3 Office furniture and office

    You live where you work, especially if you work in your kitchen. You get the furniture yourself, and pay for it or expense it, but it’s done on your own time, unlike at an office, where you ask and a desk or chair is delivered free to you. It’s the same with stationery. You can’t just raid the supply cupboard. You build up the supply yourself. If the room is too hot or too cold, you’ve got to fix it yourself.

    4 Dealing with misconceptions

    Remote work and work from home allows you more flexibility in your schedule, which is a great benefit. However, people who don’t work from home have misconceptions. Relatives assume that since I’m “home,” it’s okay to interrupt me to have a social conversation or ask if I can run an errand. At a party, a stranger assumed that since I worked from home and I could “work whenever I wanted,” I worked the bare minimum hours. He said that when I realized I had bills to pay, I would start working more hours like regular people. 

    5 Legal and long-lasting implications

    When you work remotely, you communicate with coworkers online through emails or texts. You can’t walk over to your coworker or pick up the phone to chat. In these work set-ups, you join a huddle or have a virtual chat for longer conversations. You send texts for shorter conversations, meaning your communication has a record. You must carefully word your message in case the wrong tone is inferred. Emojis help to show you’re joking or add politeness to a request. But if you’re angry, you need to take a moment and think about what you’ll say because after you calm down, you can’t take your words back.

    Key Takeaways

    Remote work is not for everyone. People who love to socialize may find remote work very isolating. Similarly, people who love collaboration or need a mentor may dislike remote work. Technology can also create frustrations, and some think remote workers don’t work as hard. On the upside, if you enjoy remote work, then you know that these frustrations can be overcome.

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  • 5 Reasons to Love Remote Work

    5 Reasons to Love Remote Work

    Remote work has made it possible to work anywhere, anytime. This work setup is perfect for those who enjoy a flexible work schedule, instead of a rigid 9 to 5 with a set lunch break. You have fewer distractions and you can work when you’re most alert. These aren’t the only reasons to love working from home. Here are five reasons to love working remotely.

    1 Seeing a different side of your coworkers

    You see a whole different side of your coworkers that you wouldn’t if you worked in a traditional office. These virtual meetings can be a great conversation starter with coworkers: What are those books on their bookshelf? How long have they had a cat? Why are there apples in a box for peaches? You also catch some awkward moments, such as talking to your coworker when her arm shoots out to block her husband in his shorts before he walks past the webcam. (True story.) You learn to carry on with the meeting like it’s business as usual.

    2 Increasing your productivity

    Assuming you have an optimal work situation at home, without family members or roommates to distract you at inopportune moments, working from home increases your productivity. You won’t have coworkers wandering past your cubicle to have an unexpected conversation about something you’re not interested in when you’re focused on a task. Instead, conversations with coworkers are scheduled as virtual meetings with set start and end times. During breaks, you can take a few minutes to throw a load of laundry in the wash or vacuum the floor while you brainstorm project ideas.

    3 Maximizing your time and schedule

    Your commute time is just a few minutes, so you’re maximizing your billable hours at work. Compare this schedule to a one-and-a-half-hour, one-way commute to work without pay. Remote work situations may also offer flexible schedules so you can leave work to pick up your kids from school or work on a Saturday so you can go to a medical appointment on a Wednesday morning.  

    4 Relaxing your dress code

    Working from home will save you money on clothes. If you don’t have a meeting that day, you can wear whatever you like, including mismatched clothes or clothes to lounge around the house. You don’t need to plan a business casual outfit or put on your makeup. However, you might dress up for one-to-one meetings or company meetings. Even for an on-screen company meeting, you only need to worry about your appearance from the waist up. (So a crisp shirt with jogging pants and slippers is totally fine.)

    5 Choosing your office location 

    Your remote work office is wherever you want it to be as long as you have a stable internet connection and can concentrate on your work. It can be a home office, kitchen table, corner at a coffee shop, table in your garden, or a hotel room while you’re on a business trip. 

    Key Takeaways 

    Remote work offers many advantages compared to working in person at an office. Five reasons to love remote working include seeing a personal side of your coworkers, decreasing your distractions so you get more accomplished, having a schedule that works for you and your coworkers, a comfortable dress code, and more options for your desk location. Remote work is a trend that started when technology made it possible and will continue for as long as people enjoy the work-from-home lifestyle.

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