If you’ve spent most of your career working in a typical office environment, working from home is going to be a big transition — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Change is good, after all, and working from home allows you the freedom and flexibility as an employee that working from an office can never quite fulfill.
Wondering if working remotely will come naturally to you? Well, there’s only one way to really know, and that means taking the plunge. However, if you want some serious foreshadowing about whether or not you’re made for remote working, we do have opinions on the matter.
You may just be perfect for remote working if the following five statements ring true to you.
1) You love your independence.
Does the idea of choosing where you’re going to work from excite you? Do you like having open options? Can you think outside of the box? Remote work is great for those who are natural leaders and independent thinkers.
As a remote employee, most of your work day is spent thinking for yourself and deciding your own next course of action (as opposed to being micromanaged). If you’re somebody who needs a higher-up constantly giving you your next task, remote working may not be your cup of tea. On the flip side, if you’re able to determine for yourself what needs to be done, you’re going to love the independence that remote working offers.
2) You have a strong work ethic.
Need somebody looking over your shoulder before you finally burst into action? That’s going to be a problem if you’re a remote worker. When working from home, you have to have a strong work ethic. Nobody is around to pressure you into getting things done (which is wonderful), but that also means that you have to pressure yourself into getting things done.
Those who know how to organize, approach, and complete their assigned projects on their own are going to be the ones who thrive as a remote workers.
3) You are a good communicator.
Just because you’re physically working alone doesn’t mean that you’re not digitally working alongside an entire team of coworkers and employers. That being said, being a good communicator is key in being a successful remote worker.
With independence comes responsibility, and as a remote employee, that responsibility includes keeping your team and employers in the loop when it comes to project updates and your completion of assignments.
4) You thrive in solitude.
Do you work best when you’re in a bustling office or alone in a quiet space? The answer to this may be the answer to whether or not working from home will come naturally to you. Most remote workers thrive in solitude, which is ideal, because they’re working in solitude from the comfort of their own homes.
However, if you’re the type of person who works well when you’re surrounded by productivity and other people, don’t count yourself out just yet. Many remote workers have taken to working from local coworking offices which simultaneously allow them the same freedom and flexibility of a remote worker while providing them with a social environment.
5) You’re not afraid of making decisions.
Last but not least, being a confident decision maker is crucial for those who want to succeed as remote workers. Going hand-in-hand with the fact that you’re working independently, making decisions is something that a remote employee will have to do time and time again.
While you can always reach out to your team of coworkers or employers for guidance, most of the time you’ll need to be able to make quick decisions on your own.
What traits do you think are invaluable to a remote worker? Let us know on Twitter!
This article was originally published on Remote.com