The JobSync Blog
Is a Virtual Job Just Around the Virtual Corner?
October 5, 2011
Recently, U.S. News & World Reports featured a blog discussing the growing popularity of virtual jobs for employees. With companies under greater pressure to cut costs, telecommuting employees offer businesses savings on rent, power, absenteeism, and turnover. And there are plenty of benefits for employees, too, namely:
1. A short commute. The average American worker spends 25 minutes traveling to work one way. For the day, this comes out to almost an hour. Would you rather spend that time with family and friends or with strangers on a road?
2. A relaxed work environment. Assuming your home is not filled with screaming babies, working out of the house offers comforts and conveniences such as no dress code, a well-stocked pantry with all your favorites, and a place to lie down when you need a break.
3. Increased productivity. It is estimated that working from home can increase national productivity by 5.5 million man-years each year ($235 billion worth of work).
4. Environmental benefits. With fewer cars, buses and trains on the road, this can annually save more than 280 million barrels of oil (roughly $23 billion). Telecommuting can also decrease greenhouse gases by 53 million tons each year.
Telecommuting isn’t for everyone, however. It requires discipline to avoid the distractions of home. Being a virtual employee can also be very isolating, especially for someone who is a people person. Just like any other job environment, one has to be a good fit for a home office. And if someone isn’t, both the employee and employer will lose out.
So is telecommuting for you? Regardless of whether it is or not, job seekers must remain open to the possibility that working from home may be an employer’s only option – perhaps not today, but in the future. Which is why job hunters must remain open to any virtuality.
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