Jump Back
So, it looks like the virtual office is here to stay for the time being, and that a semi-permanent home office for a lot of us is on the cards for the future. The virtual working world was definitely on the agenda for a lot of companies pre-2020, however most companies were forced into working remotely practically overnight – lucky we live in a digital age!
Here in Barden, we understand starting a new job can be stressful, and the added complexity of starting a new job remotely can put people off making a job move.
Is starting a job remotely different to starting a job in the office? Well, the short answer is yes. However, starting a job remotely shouldn’t be a more stressful experience and it’s more about adjusting your on-boarding experience to help you settle in to your new ‘home’.
Over the next few blogs, we will catch up with a few professionals, who we helped to secure a new role over the last 12 months, to see how they found the virtual on-boarding experience…
First up we chat with Lorraine who recently joined Barden as an Associate with our Technology team. Thanks to technology we have been able to get to know Lorraine over the past few weeks over countless Zoom calls, but we are definitely looking forward to the next get together with her 🙂
Lorraine O’Leary | Associate | Technology | Barden
How have you found starting a job remotely?
I’ve been one of the lucky ones I think, my remote start has been really positive. I completed my final year exams from home and virtually graduated back in November so why not add starting my first real job from home too! I guess I count myself as lucky as so many people had already experienced working remotely so there was plenty of tips and articles out there already.
Top tips for WFH
It’s so important to communicate. There can definitely be a sense of disconnect if you’re miles away from everyone else and have never met them in person. In my first week I actually remember feeling like I was back in online college, it just didn’t feel real. But the more conversations and virtual coffees I had, the more real it became.
I would definitely recommend having your desk in a room where you can close the door at the end of the day. I had my desk in my bedroom when I first started and I found the lines really blurred between work and sleep, I was spending my whole day and night in the same room. Since moving my desk to another room, it has been easier to draw the line between work and home.
Would you recommend starting a job remotely?
Definitely, there were so many positives. During my first few days I didn’t have to worry about the small things that I would have if I was starting in normal circumstances. I didn’t have to waste time worrying about what to wear, where I would park, who I would eat lunch with; all of these things would probably have overtaken the more important aspects of starting a new job.
I also think I have learned more and been exposed to much more than I would have in normal circumstances. Instead of popping down to my managers desk to ask a simple question, taking a few minutes to figure it out for myself has been of huge benefit to me and my work. It has given me the opportunity to do things myself and learn from my mistakes instead of watching it be done by someone else.
Did you feel nervous about starting a job remotely?
There was a sense of nervous excitement I think as it was so nice to be starting a role after graduating into such an uncertain time. There were definitely so many new unknowns to throw into the mix though; like if my laptop got lost in the post, if my Wi-Fi would crack under the pressure and if I would have any awkward video calls etc. But throughout the interview process I had video calls with different people in Barden so there was less nervousness having already had some face-to-face interactions.
Keep an eye out for the next edition of this blog series…