What do you not like about remote work?
Interview with Vernon, a freelance technical writer
There are really only two aspects of remote freelancing work that I don't like. And those would be the lack of a steady income and lonesomeness.
Being a freelance remote worker is like being any other entrepreneur. You're building a business.
Building a business takes time. It takes time to learn the ropes, to build your reputation and your brand, to learn about the industry and to tweak your product into something that the industry can find useful or valuable.
I have full confidence that the more I work at these things and the better I get at marketing myself and networking the more my income will improve and become more reliable.
Working remote freelance is nothing like working in a local office or for a local company. You don't have coworkers you can discuss projects with face to face or converse with by the coffee machine.
You won't have the same opportunities for after-work hangouts (granted, as a freelancer you can still try to arrange something like that but it's more complicated).
And you won't be surrounded by the hustle, bustle, and energy of a typical office environment (unless you're working in a shared space or coworking space) which some people can feed off of or be inspired by.
Having said that, for me, these positive characteristics of the typical work environment are easily sacrificed for the benefits of remote freelancing.
Vernon is a freelance software technical writer that uses lists to organize his hectic freelance schedule—see how he maximizes his time throughout the workday.
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Interview with Deborah, a remote entrepreneur changing perceptions about remote work
That the word 'remote' has too many negative associations which colour people's perceptions and judgments... and that there's a minority out there who abuse it and give the rest of us a bad reputation.
Deborah has traveled the world sharing her research about the pros of remote work. See how she is helping companies and clients understand the importance of location independence.
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Interview with Cecilia, a content writer managing her remote career in Dubai
The only thing I don't like about it is that working from home often means blurring the lines between personal time and work time. It's a lot harder to disconnect when your office is at home.
Cecilia got her start translating blog posts, and in 2018 she went fully remote. See her tips for managing an international remote work career.
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Interview with Pola, a Paris-based content writer
Sometimes you may feel isolated like it’s only you and the laptop.
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. - John Donne, scholar, and poet
A job ad in an online group led Pola to find her ideal career as a content writer—see her remote work & job seeking takeaways.
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Interview with Mehmet, a nomadic digital maker and entrepreneur
Less concentrated physical time together. We try to conduct company retreats but they are rare. Often we get too excited about some ideas and I find myself thinking, "oh man, only if we were together so we would pull a hackathon, or weekend trip together to just design and code for some fun project and have a good time together as a team."
Logistically, it becomes hard to bring the team together.
We’re a small team and not making tons of profits, but whenever we do a large project and have some budget, team retreats are the very very first thing we try to plan.
Mehmet has embraced his remote team leadership style. Hear about his most helpful productivity trick and why he has "quiet" days for his staff.
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Interview with Lauren, a content marketing team lead and hybrid remote worker
Lack of human interaction. Though I love my dog, he can’t always give me the deep conversations a human could. And I actually love my office and my coworkers, so I wouldn’t ever want to stay away TOO often.
For Lauren, remote work was a non-negotiable arrangement—see how she manages a hybrid remote work situation and her tips for those on the remote job search.
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Interview with John, an international business writer sharing 15 years of insights
Firstly, the absence of in-person networking in your industry except at occasional conferences.
Day-to-day networking is vital for career progression, and that is, for the most part, lost when remote.
Another challenge that many cite is the isolation that occurs when working remotely. I agree that isolation is a big challenge.
The third challenge I see is being overlooked by clients for additional work opportunities to some degree. For example, in the case of a writer who works remotely, frequently onsite writers will be selected for additional work or more senior roles within an organization.
Sometimes internal resources expand in growing organizations, and your role becomes something that is performed wholly internally and onsite, effectively eliminating it. This situation would not occur if you were onsite.
For over a decade, John has worked as an international business writer. See his insights on the state of remote work, freelancing, and attracting clients who are the right fit.
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Interview with Alyssa, a copywriter and content strategist
Communication can be tough. As much as we all like to believe we're more connected than ever, sometimes it can take a while to get the information you need. Remote workers can't just walk into someone's office and ask a question; we rely on messaging tools and email.
Alyssa has found her rhythm as a freelancer and founder of the blog, Freelancing Flow—see her tips for keeping it all running smoothly.
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Interview with Phil Strazzulla, an entrepreneur enjoying the health benefits of remote work
Once in awhile, I'll realize I haven't left the house all day, and it's 10 PM. That is sometimes a bit of a depressing realization. Also, once in a while it does get a bit lonely, and I find myself going to get a cup of coffee just for the human interaction.
The only other downside for me is that I'm a personal person, and I don't love how most of my meetings share the insides of my apartment via Zoom calls.
A curiosity for remote work led Phil to make it a primary work arrangement. Hear how it has helped to improve his health and impacted his approach to rest.
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Interview with Kati, a co-founder shares her tips for juggling multiple side hustles
I've worked with companies that insist on daily meetings/stand-ups, check-ins, and daily lists of work accomplished. One of the reasons I like remote work is the autonomy and fewer interruptions because having to stop working to check-in isn't my favorite thing to do. Also, it makes people feel like they can't be trusted.
Kati has made a career at using the internet and gig economy to her advantage—see how she successfully manages multiple side hustles and a business.
Read full interview from Interview with Kati, a co-founder shares her tips for juggling multiple side hustles.