PhreeZone 20 #1 March 28, 2005 Alright all you people out there that work from home or have had a job that you worked from home in the past let me know all the nitty gritty about it. I'm considering a job offer with a very stable company as a field support engineer that will have me working out of my house full time and I'm not quite sure what to expect. Any thoughts, comments, compaints or success stories out there?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Islandcool 0 #2 March 28, 2005 I started doing field work and have been working from a home office for about 8 months now. There are 2 things I dislike about it. 1. I get easily distracted. 2. Fricken lonely. It takes a lot for me to stay focused. I really have to set myself to work mode. That mean getting up at a specific time, shaving, getting dressed, and actually closing my home office door. There is so much non-work related stuff to do that sometimes I fall behind and play catch up later at night. I miss the everyday interaction with people in the office. I moved a few hours away from the main office so I never rarley get to go in anymore. The main benefit is the freedom to be flexible with your time if you can regulate yourself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frenchy68 0 #3 March 28, 2005 I used to years ago. I would strongly recommend against it. Before you know it, the line between work and personal life gets blurred out, and you end up living at work. "For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 7 #4 March 28, 2005 If you are disciplined it's great. A few suggestions... set aside a room specifically designated as your 'work space' and don't have anything in there that you wouldn't have at work. Keep outside- non work related distractions to a minimum...I don't even answer the 'house phone' when I'm 'working'. Set daily-weekly-monthly goals and stick to them no matter what. It's easy to get behind and the the work suffers because you're rushed. Keep good records...everything is deductable, including the 'room' in your place. You'll be skocked at how long office supplies last when YOU pay for them! Phone calls...fax machine...paper and staples, keep track of it all. YOU are now a BUSINESS...be able to prove a profit margin above working elsewhere. Give yourself an HONEST performance review every two weeks. Knowing you only from here as I do Phree...I would think you would be well suited to work at home and would do well. ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #5 March 28, 2005 Nice thing is the copany sends me a laptop with the internet locked down on it. DZ.com would'nt be a distraction like it was at my old job. I'm still not really sure and all this advice is really helping so keep it coming!!Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Foggy 0 #6 March 28, 2005 Hi Eric been doing the field service engineer thing for the past 14 years working on scientific instrumentation. Disadvantages: Isolated from corporate HQ (my boss fired me over the phone last Sept! just got rehired by a competitor in the same field). Advantages: Isolated from corporate HQ Minimises office "politics". I am actually rarely in my home office so I find I work longer hours due to travel, working on a customer site then doing paperwork after regular office hours. It requires self discipline to stay on top of the mundane admin, expenses etc. Having said that, I enjoy the independence from the whole cubicle thing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vallerina 2 #7 March 28, 2005 I'm glad that I did it once so that I know to never ever do it again. It's no big shock that I'm a "people person." I like working around people. Yes, it was great that I could wake up at nine, roll out of bed and start "working." It gets old fast. I could have kept my last job if I had wanted to and worked from home 3 or 4 days a week, but I declined because it was just that bad. I like my current job where they're considering letting me work from home if I need to. I hate having to call of work if I'm sick if I can work from home. I will never work at home again if I don't have to.There's a thin line between Saturday night and Sunday morning Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #8 March 28, 2005 You'll get a lot more done. The general distractions will be gone. Phone calls, walk-ins, pointless meetings. Make sure you send a status each week. The most important parts are pro-active work and problem resolution. The problem resolution doc will remind them that their lives would suck without you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumpjunkie2004 0 #9 March 28, 2005 1. Set up regular office hours. 2. Don't snack while you're working 3. Don't answer the work phone after hours. 4. Make sure your office has decent lighting 5. Don't let your employer take advantage of you because you work at home. 6. Go out to lunch 7. Don't put your office in the basement 8. Don't do it unless you are a self-starter. I have a degree in accounting and I worked for a "family" with numerous domestic and foreign businesses. As long as I was productive, they were happy. However, the thought they could call me anytime of the day. Good luck.Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChasingBlueSky 0 #10 March 28, 2005 QuoteNice thing is the copany sends me a laptop with the internet locked down on it. DZ.com would'nt be a distraction like it was at my old job. I'm still not really sure and all this advice is really helping so keep it coming!! Because you couldn't use any of the other computers in the house?_________________________________________ you can burn the land and boil the sea, but you can't take the sky from me.... I WILL fly again..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WFFC 1 #11 March 28, 2005 QuoteIf you are disciplined it's great. A few suggestions... set aside a room specifically designated as your 'work space' and don't have anything in there that you wouldn't have at work. Keep outside- non work related distractions to a minimum...I don't even answer the 'house phone' when I'm 'working'. Set daily-weekly-monthly goals and stick to them no matter what. It's easy to get behind and the the work suffers because you're rushed. Keep good records...everything is deductable, including the 'room' in your place. You'll be skocked at how long office supplies last when YOU pay for them! Phone calls...fax machine...paper and staples, keep track of it all. YOU are now a BUSINESS...be able to prove a profit margin above working elsewhere. Give yourself an HONEST performance review every two weeks. Knowing you only from here as I do Phree...I would think you would be well suited to work at home and would do well. Hmmm...this sounds a bunch like the conversation you and I had on Friday... ----- ~~~Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #12 March 28, 2005 Everything they said. Excellent info in this thread. I was the only one with dialup access a couple jobs and 10 years ago. Management took advantage of it - ie stuff they didn't finish by quitting time landed on my desk at 5:00 to do that evening. Office politics dominates my current job. I would only consider working from home now if I kept my office space and at least one day a week there to remain visible and know what's going on. You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heidihagen 0 #13 March 28, 2005 i second that. excellent thread! > If you are disciplined it's great. i'm disciplined but it's so hard with friendster and dz.com just soaking up my time!!!!!!!! ok, yeah i'm not disciplined at all. GOOD! i have a separate laptop w/o inet that i use for work... nice and smart of them to do that!!!as long as you keep to a schedule, you should be fine. i tried to designate a separate room, but i worked better in my regular office where all my stuff is already set up & well lit. i keep a white board with my goals & schedule on it. if i'm feeling really organized and on top of things, i'll write in "laundry", "call blah blah", or "DZ DAY!!!! YAY!!!!!" if pretty out. i might do that too much tho goodluck phree!i didn't lose my mind, i sold it on ebay. .:need a container to fit 5'4", 110 lb. cypres ready & able to fit a 170 main (or slightly smaller):.[/ce Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildblue 7 #14 March 28, 2005 Can I get the name and number of someone there to talk to? You know, to get a better understanding of the job and its duties, so I can give you a well-formed opinion. it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
