If you have been following this blog, you are a brave soul who has ventured into the work from home world. As you may know, working remotely is not for the faint of the heart. Technical hiccups are a major challenge that remote workers will face. But believe me I am going to give you some great tips for how to be tech savvy while working from home. None of us are perfect. I certainly was not born to be a technical wizard but with some patience and key pointers, we all can make sure we are on top of our basic tech game so we can be successful and productive remote workers.
A bumpy road to connectivity
Over the past several years, I have had my share of technical glitches, and I have learned to adapt to a remote work environment. First, I live in Vermont, way out in the country and our internet service options are limited. I had slow satellite internet which was the only option and speed I could get. I transitioned to working at home during the COVID pandemic like many people in 2020, but I was also trying to move. This ended up being a nightmare, but when I was ready to move to a new house on a quaint backroad, I went to set up my new internet service and I was told that there was a shortage of workers, and they couldn’t hook me up for 2 months. Well, this was a PROBLEM! I couldn’t go into the office because of the pandemic but I still needed a job!!
I had to learn to be flexible and adaptable. These are traits that will carry you far in the remote work world and will help you build resilience.
So, I had to work from my parent’s house until they were able to hook up my internet. I learned it’s good to have a backup plan. What do you do if the power goes out? Or you can’t connect to the internet? It is good to have an alternative work location or a plan to use leave if you must. I am lucky and I can go into a local office but this isn’t an option for everyone so it’s good to be prepared by saving up some vacation time due to severe weather or other emergencies.
For example, my outside internet cable was accidentally run over two years in a row by the lawn mower until the day we got fiber internet!! I had a satellite pole connected to a very long cord that was partially buried in the yard and then connected to the house. This resulted me in calling my internet provider to do repairs. Also, I learned this was not the ideal set up for my remote routine, but it was my only option. Thankfully, my town stepped into the 21st century and got fiber (cable) internet in 2023!! When they were finally able to install my new, fancy HIGH SPEED internet, the difference was like day and night. I no longer had to fear if the lawn mower was going to destroy my cable, and I was able to connect and get to work in seconds! It was wonderful.
The Moral of this story
When you are working from home it is important to plan ahead for tech issues like power outages or if your computer breaks. I have learned that being flexible and adapting to negative situations will help you get through the tough days. You have to have a growth mindset and learn to be resilient if you want to work at home.
I have added some key tips below that you will find helpful adding to your remote work routine:
WFH Tech Essentials💻
· Good internet connectivity, strong software and malware protection
· Good lighting/electric connection
· Number to tech support on speed dial
· Internet provider’s phone number
· Phone number or way to contact supervisor or coworker if tech issues arise
· Power surge connection to protect your equipment
· Flexibility and building your personal resilience when things go wrong
Also, get your FREE REMOTE Work poster here to hang up in your office. 🎁
Thanks for reading. I’d love to hear from you. Please connect via email barnell@remoteworkrevive.com or IG at @remotework_revive.
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