Re: Need working-at-home advice

[Jane Bergen <jbergen1 -at- EARTHLINK -dot- NET>]

Shawn,

I just came off an assignment (and a little benchtime) in which I
worked at home for the first time. I found I loved it! I live alone
(except for a dog and cat) and at first I felt kind of like an
astronaut whose cord had broken. I was floating and very alone.... but
then I really loved it.

A few tips:

* Stay in touch with your company through phone and/or regular
meetings whenever possible. When we stay at home, we tend to lose our
"presence"  in the office. The old "out of sight, out of mind"
syndrome.

* Work on your tech writer network. We have (in North Dallas, Texas,
USA) a group that meets once per month for lunch. A few of the bunch
are also home workers.

* Stay disciplined. The temptation is to hit the frig, tv, flower bed,
or whatever, but try to maintain a routine and boundaries. Then you'll
feel more like working. I didn't get dressed up every day, but I did
wear clothes (versus bathrobes and slippers!), fix my hair, etc. and
tried to work more or less regular hours. I also faithfully recorded
my starting and stopping times (it helps you realize if you're taking
too many breaks) and kept a work diary so that I could show anyone
(including myself) what I'd been accomplishing.

I think some people are more social than others. I found I was quite
happy with solitude (in fact, I miss it now...terribly) once I got
over the initial shock. If you are really social, you might want to
consider other opportunities besides telecommuting. We're just
fortunate to have a profession that allows work for all kinds of
people!

Jane Bergen

----- Original Message -----
From: Shawn Wilson <shawn -dot- wilson -at- IDSNET -dot- COM>
To: <TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU>
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 1999 11:30 AM
Subject: Re: Need working-at-home advice


>I also have a question about working at home.  (This is just
hypothetical,
>boss.  Seriously.)
>
>What if you don't have a family at home?  How do you handle the
solitude,
>especially considering that you probably don't see your friends
during the
>week?
>
>Shawn Wilson
>Technical Writer
>310-478-4015 x289

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