Even before COVID-19 changed the business landscape, remote work was a growing trend. By February of 2020, remote work showed growth of 44% in the last five years. When COVID-19 made social distancing mandatory, many companies that had never considered working remotely made the leap as well.
If you’re someone who’s looking to live more sustainably and protect the environment, remote working is a great way to do it. Even after the pandemic dissipates, many businesses will continue to offer work-from-home positions.
Working remotely as a marketer is a great way to have a stable career while also living a sustainable lifestyle with a lower carbon footprint.
Here are the skills and tips you need.
What Careers are Best for Remote Work?
A lot of people daydream about having a two-minute commute to their home office, but the truth is that working remotely has some unique challenges. First, you need to find a field where working remotely makes sense. A career in marketing is ideal for a number of reasons — companies will always need to sell their products, and a lot of marketing work can be done online.
From a business perspective, there are a lot of tools that make having a remote marketing department much easier than it would have been in the past. For instance, you can use Zoom for face-to-face meetings, Slack for group communication, and other tools for project management.
A variety of marketing jobs can be done remotely, including customer service via phone or online, sales, social media strategy, administrative work, and more. The days of having to meet in person to make a sale are long gone, and most marketing is digital. An SEO expert can optimize webpages from home with nothing more than a computer and a strong internet connection. A blog post writer can create content online without leaving their home. And, of course, social media strategy and management can be done entirely online.
You can also work with a marketing team from home. Today’s technology allows you to use video to meet one-on-one or in groups. You can also share documents and discuss edits with project management tools that you can access remotely.
Marketing is a field that is uniquely suited for remote work. If you’re interested in improving the sustainability of your work life or your business, take advantage of the flexibility. With this flexibility comes the opportunity to save countless commutes to and from the office and significantly on the energy costs of maintaining lighting, computers, heating and cooling, and much more. You’re reducing the carbon footprint of your company and helping employees be more productive and creative in their own space.
Skills You Need for Remote Work
What does it take to succeed when you work remotely? It might surprise you that while many of the in-office work skills you have are helpful, you need additional abilities as well.
Many people rely on the camaraderie of an office environment and engagement with coworkers to keep them motivated throughout the day. When you are working remotely, there may be some online interaction, but the team atmosphere is much less pronounced. Thus, self-motivation is critical. At an office, you may work because you don’t want your boss to see you slacking off. When you work from home, there’s no direct oversight. Can you stay focused and get your work done on time when it’s easy to sneak in a “break” anytime you want? Can you avoid the distraction of other household concerns without the barrier of “being at work?”
Finally, you need excellent communication skills. Being able to communicate your ideas clearly is always helpful in business, but when you work remotely this skill is essential. You may have a limited number of phone or video meetings to get your point across, and you can’t simply wander by a colleague’s desk to talk things over.
Preparing to Work From Home
No matter which career field you choose, you’ll need to set up a home office to support your efforts. Be sure to buy sustainably sourced products, including recycled paper, a high-efficiency printer, and other ecologically kind choices. To set up an efficient home office, set up the following:
- A designated workspace
- Good lighting
- A secure internet connection as well
- A solid routine, including a set schedule
Make sure you get up at the same time every day, dress for work, eat nutritious meals, and set boundaries so others know that you are not available for household concerns during work time. Also, set a concrete stopping point so you can maintain a good work/life balance.
Working From Home Can Be a Big Step in Sustainability
There are so many things about “going to work” that are hard on both you and the environment. You have to drive to and from an office, wear clothes that may not fit your sustainability standards, and you can’t control the carbon footprint of the office.
Working from home can solve these problems while also giving you a chance to work in a great career field remotely. From marketing to administration, there are dozens of remote work options. Best of all, you can limit your travel and make direct decisions about the sustainability of the office products you use.
Don’t wait — start planning your remote work career today!
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