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Tips for remote work

Aaron McCollum on March 23, 2024

Remote work is all the rage these days. Especially after the Covid pandemic and companies embracing a lot of video technology and security applicat...
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Fatemeh Paghar

In my opinion, It's really important to set up a specific place in your home just for work. This spot should be quiet and free from distractions. Make sure it's well-lit and comfortable, with a good chair and desk setup. Having a dedicated workspace helps you mentally separate work time from personal time. When you enter this area, you're in work mode, and when you leave, you're off-duty. This can help you focus better and maintain a healthy balance between work and home life.

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gokayburuc.dev

Personally i use headphones and music player to work. Noise cut featured headphones and a good music player ( i don't suggest smartphone because of notifications which has distract your work focus. ) And for me a big desk countdown timer is essential. Every 15 minutes i am giving breakes. Sometimes being old school makes difference 😎

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Aaron McCollum

These are both good ideas as well. My WFH setup isn't quite removed from everything else, but I try to keep the music set to Lofi to help focus.

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Kathleen Simpson

Something I would add in there is do not depend upon your company to get you a decent display, chair, desk, etc. I have really good displays that I paid for because I want to be able to easily see everything. Since I am at home, theft and/or the company forgetting who actually purchased it is not a worry. At one of my contracts, I literally asked, "Do you mind if I use my own equipment. I have better displays."

Also, do NOT use your work computer for personal stuff. Have a computer that is YOURS. I've seen many people use their work computer for personal stuff. You wind up with the company can see your stuff (don't kid yourself, if you are remote they are watching) or if you leave the company for what ever reason, you lose your info on the system.

You can get a computer pretty cheap these days take a look at the Dell Refurbs if necessary. I've picked up some decent equipment there for $200 and less. Their coupons are great and apply to the price you see which is usually discounted also.
dellrefurbished.com

I picked up a laptop with low specs and no OS (which is what I wanted) for $79. I bought the RAM & NVMe to upgrade and installed Linux as I planned. I spent less than $150 on the system full and complete.

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Aaron McCollum

1000% agree - don't use your company computer for personal things. It's just not a good idea, unless it's your only option temporarily (while you look for a personal option). If you do use your company computer, don't do anything you wouldn't want your parents seeing lol.

If your job offers you free hardware, desks, chairs, definitely take it if you have the space. But yeah, don't count on it. Sometimes businesses will give you a budget to spend on your own choices for work stuff, but make sure you get to keep it after you leave your job. Kinda a bummer to buy things you like then have to give it back.

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pg312

Thanks for these tips. I have been working remotely for 4 years and can't agree more with the points you mentioned here. One more point I would like to add, start your stand-up time with teams on a personal note, it could be as simple as how was your weekend, how is your day so far, etc.. It sets the pace for team and follow-up conversations.

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Aaron McCollum

That’s a really good idea

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Kathleen Simpson

I love having a few good memes on hand for Slack. I would "announce" my good mornings with an amusing meme for the day. It starts the day a bit brighter.

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Kathleen Simpson

Oh, and another thing - get a decent chair. I've been remote / hybrid for well over a decade and I have no qualms on getting myself a decent chair. Actually, I think one of my fears of going into a regular office setting is that I will have to use their crappy chairs. Right now, my hybrid is teaching so I do not sit much when I am on campus.

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Aaron McCollum

A chair can make a lot of difference. It's worth it, if you can, to spend on a quality chair. I prefer gaming chairs, as they look cool and they cost just as much (sometimes less) than a normal office chair.

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Anjan Shomodder

The big problem I face is time management in remote work. Doesn't matter what I do I end up working more hours.

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Aaron McCollum

It's a challenge for sure. Do you find that your time management is better in the office vs. remote?

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Anjan Shomodder

I have never worked in an office.
despite of time management problem, I would still prefer remote work.

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Stipe Grbić

Very nice post! I completely agree with all you wrote, but still sometimes strugle with a few of the points. Especially #2 and #5 (I have three small kids just a wall away 😁). It’s great to have this list of tips and I’m going to use it in the future 👍

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Aaron McCollum

Thanks! Yeah I didn't mean you have to do all of these points - if you do some of these, I think you'll still be fine. As a fantastic movie once said, "the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules." haha

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Denisa

I agree. Also, I would add that it's really important to make sure that you make up for the lack of social contact. It's easy to get too comfortable at home and end up just never leaving and never socializing. Especially for more introverted personality types. Extroverts will probably have enough connections and social activities outside of their office life. Introverts on the other hand, usually prefer to relax on their own after work. When they switch to WFH, it may bring a level of isolation that can become a problem over time. They don't have the socialization at the office, and neither they socialize anywhere else, because it doesn't come so naturally to pro-actively seek social activities. It's important to push yourself and get that coffee outside, join some hobby class or schedule regular meet ups with friends. I might write a blog post about this haha 🤔 I feel like not enough people talk about this.

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Aaron McCollum

This! I'm an extrovert, and I find myself getting lonely occasionally during longer stretches of working from home if I don't get out. Especially in the winter months when it's cold and overcast outside.

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Assis Zang

Good tips 👏, for me the essential thing is to write messages clearly, I recently saw a colleague get fired due to poor communication with other people on the team 😞

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Aaron McCollum

Whoa! They got fired for poor communication? Dang.

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Florian

Thanks for these tips! I'm not in a remote position right now, but the tip about being visible and involved is in my eyes the biggest game changer. But the need for such tips also shows how valuable even short conversations at the coffee machine can be for productivity at work

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Aaron McCollum

Thanks! It definitely can be a difference maker. In the office or out, it’s good to do good work and have a good reputation with management and company leadership.

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Andreas

Thank you Aaron for sharing those tips!

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Aaron McCollum

Welcome ☺️

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Abdel Kader Maguiraga

i coudn't agree more, thanks very much

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Ricardo Campos

Being visible! My peers need to read this

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Michelle Sanseverino

Amazing tips! I'm mainly working remotely and these tips are the most important to make sure we have a goor relationship with work.

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Aaron McCollum

Thank you! Agreed. I need to re-read these about once a week. I'm easily distracted especially (thanks Twitch).

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tian

amazing! hopefully I am able to have opportunity for Work From Home as Software Engineer

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Aaron McCollum

Good luck!

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Ender Ahmet Yurt

Great post, thank you. I began remote work during the pandemic, a concept I previously found unimaginable. This is particularly beneficial for developers. One crucial aspect to consider is the workspace. If possible, dedicate a separate room in your home as your office. This room should be reserved solely for work. While some may enjoy working from a coffee shop, I prefer a quiet space. An alternative could be renting a table at a co-working space. In short, your work environment is crucial when working remotely.

Another point to consider is maintaining an active lifestyle. Working from home often eliminates daily commuting activities like walking or taking the bus. It's important to stay active, even when working from home. Incorporate physical activities into your routine, such as exercising, going for walks, or hitting the gym. This will ensure a balanced lifestyle while working remotely.

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Arun Prakash Pandey

This was a nice post. But, will be applicable after getting a remote job.
Could you please make a post on how to get an entry level job in frontend, or where to find it etc.