I spent several years working from home and really appreciated the opportunity to be with my kids while they were going through the difficult middle to high school years. Working for major software companies where WFH was a way of life was also very opportune, allowing me to continue to develop skills in my second career (I used to be an investment banker) and still have a normal life.
Staying connected with other folks, not counting the umpteen weekly web meetings or conference calls, was a matter of a group of us meeting at the office a couple of times per week, or getting together at a coffee shop where we could get free wi-fi and a decent meal while working on a project.
The downside for me was that the majority of my social connection was work-related, the nature of the beast, I suppose. Even the fun chats online were work-related, as I worked part-time in the evenings for another online community and had a large team to manage. I am on Twitter and a couple of other social networking sites where some colleagues and I can stay in touch. But, I'm really bad about updating my stuff, lol!
I've always felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the world around here, largely because I live so far from town. Nonetheless, I do miss working from home and haven't really totally made the mental, let alone physical, adjustment to commuting to the client site at the crack of dawn. I also find that I get less done on site, as I tend to work much more efficiently and quickly at home. Go figure. :))
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Great question!
I spent several years working from home and really appreciated the opportunity to be with my kids while they were going through the difficult middle to high school years. Working for major software companies where WFH was a way of life was also very opportune, allowing me to continue to develop skills in my second career (I used to be an investment banker) and still have a normal life.
Staying connected with other folks, not counting the umpteen weekly web meetings or conference calls, was a matter of a group of us meeting at the office a couple of times per week, or getting together at a coffee shop where we could get free wi-fi and a decent meal while working on a project.
The downside for me was that the majority of my social connection was work-related, the nature of the beast, I suppose. Even the fun chats online were work-related, as I worked part-time in the evenings for another online community and had a large team to manage. I am on Twitter and a couple of other social networking sites where some colleagues and I can stay in touch. But, I'm really bad about updating my stuff, lol!
I've always felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the world around here, largely because I live so far from town. Nonetheless, I do miss working from home and haven't really totally made the mental, let alone physical, adjustment to commuting to the client site at the crack of dawn. I also find that I get less done on site, as I tend to work much more efficiently and quickly at home. Go figure. :))
December 30, 2008 - 5:23pmThis Comment
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