working from wherever
TRANSCRIPT
WHO I AM
➤ Aaron Douglas
➤ Milwaukee, WI USA
➤ Mobile Maker for Automattic (WordPress.com)
➤ Remote full time 3+ years
➤ @astralbodies
YOU WANT TO WORK REMOTE
You’ve decided to be in this talk because you are working remote or want to.[SHOW OF HANDS] How many work remote already[SHOW OF HANDS] How many want to work remoteWhat type of remote? Maybe you want to work remote where you are? Or find a remote job?
CONVINCE THE BOSS
First step is to convince the bossShow them they get more productivity & happier employeesOne day a week like Fridays
CONVINCE YOUR COWORKERS
They need to support the ideaI never wanted to be “that guy” where everyone had to pick up my slack
DON’T BECOME SECOND CLASS
The real key is to not let yourself become second classThere’s a great quote from Jason Fried
“Feeling like a second-class worker doesn’t take much. Case in point: a roomful of local people and a shitty intercom system that makes it hard for the remote worker to hear what’s going on and even harder to participate. There’s also the annoyance of having every debate end with “John and I talked about this in the office yesterday and decided that your idea isn’t going to work.” F*** that. – from Remote by Jason Fried
REMOTE AT A NEW PLACE
Sometimes its easier to just find a new jobEven if they don’t have a remote program it can be part of a job offerBut how do you find a good remote job?
WHY WORK REMOTELY?
Maybe you’re not entirely convinced remote work is for you.There are a lot of benefits
LOCATION / RELOCATION
Why get up and move your home for a job that may not work outMake the job come to you
REDUCE DISTRACTIONS
Have more control over your environment - you work how you want toRemote quote: When everyone is sitting in the same office, it’s easy to fall into the habit of bothering anyone for anything at any time, with no regard for personal productivity.
COMMUTING
1 hour each direction, 260 days out of the year, over 21 DAYS worth of commutingReduce gas, car maintenance, parking, stressMention the power of 5 minutes idea
HOME
Make your office what you want it to beSeparate room if possible try not to use the room for non work
ATTENTION
While some distractions are eliminated, you have nothing but yourself to tend toOoh shinyFacebook, Twitter, email, IM, phone calls
COMMUNICATION
It is the foundation of remote workingAdvances in technology and Internet speeds make this possibleSeveral types or channels of communication that have to be in place to be successful
ASYNCHRONOUS
There are times where you can’t pay attention to chatterE-mail, Forums, BlogsTicketing - GitHub, JIRA
VIRTUAL WATERCOOLER
Need to have a way to gabAnimated GIFs, cat picturesWHAT THIS ALL COMES DOWN TO is when the communication is good your brain will start forming memories about conversations with coworkers; you’ll have a hard time distinguishing the difference.
LOOK AT NEW OPTIONS
Standing Desks, Treadmill DesksNobody is watching, so be active - dance at your desk!
COMBATTING LONELINESS
You will discover more about yourself than you ever expectedIt’s great to be alone for a few months then you need human input
COFFEE SHOPS
Easiest way to get out is to just work at a coffee shopBring Internet with :) - One guy works out of their RV
CO-WORKING SPACES
Work with other people remotely, not together but aroundSome coworking spaces are subject-orientedSITES
LIBRARIES
Some of the best spaces to work are librariesLimited on carry-ins but great for focusSmell of books
HEALTH
Both physical and mental health are importantIt’s easy to sit on your assIt’s also easy to eat everything in your house.
FOOD
Buy groceries and keep healthy things in the houseBrain food - nuts, cheese, high protein, healthy snacksPeapod, other delivery services
WEBSITES
➤Remote Jobs List - https://github.com/jessicard/remote-jobs
➤WorkFrom - Coworking Places - https://workfrom.co
➤We Work Remotely (job board) - https://weworkremotely.com
➤The Dangling Pointer (my blog) - https://astralbodi.es
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