Spring Break
Bunny slippers, but no water cooler; working from home has benefits
Larry Burge
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: News
Twenty-first century office employees can work from almost anywhere, from home or a houseboat - dressed in housecoat and slippers, casual to business suit or for best comfort. These rewards come with telecommuting as a virtual employee.
For more than two years, Lynn Howard, of Gravette, Ark., has worked as a virtual transcriptionist and medical copy editor.
"I had been doing medical transcription for 13 years at a local office," Howard said. "I made the decision to move, and applied to a national company to work from home two and a half years ago. Advantages are that I don't have to drive, don't have to buy clothes for the office or deal with office situations."
There are also disadvantages to virtual world telecommuting.
"One must be extremely self-disciplined," Howard said. "That's the big, big thing. It's difficult not to answer the phone when it rings, even though it may be only a five-minute conversation. You have five calls of five-minute conversations you have almost a half-hour of your work time that has been misapplied."
As with most jobs, there is an enjoyable and not so pleasant side to telecommuting.
"There are pros and cons of telecommuting," she said. "The flipside of not having to deal with office situations is that you never see anybody. And it's too easy to get up and get a cup of tea, use the bathroom, throw a load of laundry in the washer and pick up this and that on your way. When I worked in an office, I took a 10-minute break mid-morning, lunch break usually at my work desk and another 10-minute break in the afternoon."
But telecommuting can be a fantastic employment opportunity, a win-win solution for almost anybody who is creative, organized and able to structure work around family, friends, community and the perception that others can interrupt the work at anytime just because the person is handy.
Working from home has as many drawbacks as it does advantages. However, by applying self-discipline, a persistent work ethic and skills learned in the college classroom, many determined college graduates could master telecommuting.
For more than two years, Lynn Howard, of Gravette, Ark., has worked as a virtual transcriptionist and medical copy editor.
"I had been doing medical transcription for 13 years at a local office," Howard said. "I made the decision to move, and applied to a national company to work from home two and a half years ago. Advantages are that I don't have to drive, don't have to buy clothes for the office or deal with office situations."
There are also disadvantages to virtual world telecommuting.
"One must be extremely self-disciplined," Howard said. "That's the big, big thing. It's difficult not to answer the phone when it rings, even though it may be only a five-minute conversation. You have five calls of five-minute conversations you have almost a half-hour of your work time that has been misapplied."
As with most jobs, there is an enjoyable and not so pleasant side to telecommuting.
"There are pros and cons of telecommuting," she said. "The flipside of not having to deal with office situations is that you never see anybody. And it's too easy to get up and get a cup of tea, use the bathroom, throw a load of laundry in the washer and pick up this and that on your way. When I worked in an office, I took a 10-minute break mid-morning, lunch break usually at my work desk and another 10-minute break in the afternoon."
But telecommuting can be a fantastic employment opportunity, a win-win solution for almost anybody who is creative, organized and able to structure work around family, friends, community and the perception that others can interrupt the work at anytime just because the person is handy.
Working from home has as many drawbacks as it does advantages. However, by applying self-discipline, a persistent work ethic and skills learned in the college classroom, many determined college graduates could master telecommuting.
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