It’s official – you just read the company email stating that employees are going to start returning to work in person, with a few exceptions.
 
Should one of those exceptions, be you?
 
You’ve found the perfect fuzzy socks or slippers, or maybe you’re a flip flop kind of person? Perfected the dressing from the neck up (short notice Zoom call anyone) and mastered the quick commute to your new Work from Home location. Maybe you even took some time to ‘deck out’ your office, chose furniture, wallpaper, and décor for your cozy Work Remotely corner.
 
Now, it’s time to make a decision (if you’ve been given a choice) – about going back to the office.
 
Here are some things to consider before you decide to stay in your work from home bubble.
 
Do you want to work from home permanently?
Have you considered a hybrid schedule where you go into the office a day or two per week?
 
If you stay at home…
 
1.     Will you be the ONLY employee to do so? If most of the staff goes back into the office, you may begin to feel left out of the daily professional and social circles. Does this matter to you? Are you part of a team that needs you to be present – or may resent you for not being there? And if you are the ONLY one at home, might you be the first to be let go if budget cuts come along?
 
How to navigate this: Consider going into the office when you know there is going to be a highly visible or important meeting and to collaborate with colleagues on team projects. Every meeting may not be delivered via Zoom. Talk to your team members about your decision to stay home and how you will continue to contribute.
 
2.     Will you have the same promotion opportunities and recognition as everyone else? You might get overlooked (literally and figuratively) for promotions, career enhancing projects, and recognition. If most of the office (or your team) is visible during the daily grind - and you are not – you become less visible and may struggle not to become invisible.
 
How to navigate this: Keep in consistent contact with supervisors and team members. You may have to overcommunicate until everyone has a greater comfort level with your work ethic, performance, and deliverables.  Document everything that you accomplish in a Google doc or spiral binder (old school always works) – this is only for your reference. Include bullet points about how you have improved, capture any feedback or kudos you receive. Send your accomplishments to your Manager at an agreed upon benchmark time. 
 
3.     Will you miss interacting with coworkers, inside jokes, and office banter? Are you a social person who craves interaction and conversation? If you live alone and work alone, you may need more connection. Or maybe you have a house full of people and need to get away for a little while.
 
How to navigate this: Keep in contact with colleagues, team members, and supervisors. Ask to be invited for after hour cocktails, parties, work lunches, or in office get-togethers.
 
There are many positives to working from home: No commute, extra expenses for wardrobe, gas, or transport costs, less financial output for daily lunches. Daycare may be easier to manage (or not). You may be able to work when and where you feel most productive (any fellow night owls out there)?
 
If you decide to stay at home, here are a few tips to help navigate the challenges.
 
* Set a routine and a schedule that you are able to commit to each day.
* Make sure you have a separate space that is just for work.
* Develop a written agreement and schedule with your Manager to garner feedback, ask questions, or review projects. Ask for a check in time once a week or a few times a month.
* If you are a leader and manage employees make sure to create standard operating procedures for them to communicate and turn in work.
* Consider having an ‘inside colleague’ to touch base with and talk through ideas or challenges with.
*Ask for written feedback from your Supervisor so you know areas where you may need to improve and can capture positive feedback to reference when evaluation time comes. Companies are moving away from conducting ‘formal’ evaluations, so this could be imperative to getting a raise or promotion in the future.
* Don’t stay sedentary - get up and walk around periodically or consider a standing desk option. Get outside during the day (maybe during your lunch to grab some Vitamin D) and provide a change of scenery.
* Make sure you have a plan in place in case one of kids, roommate, or significant other gets quarantined while you are working from home.
* If you haven’t already, decorate your ‘office’ so that it is somewhere you enjoy going every day, working and that enables you to be your most productive.
 
Working remotely has gained more acceptance than ever before. The stigma has been lifted!
There are even some stats that say remote workers are often more productive.

Article: 4 Strengths of Family-Friendly Work Cultures
Click Here for Article Link
How Can Working From Home Strengthen Your Family Culture?
Instead of allowing working from home and the pandemic cause you and your family stress it also has the ability to strengthen your family to the core. You can build a routine, a schedule, and come together as a team to get through the challenging times. Use this time to be an example for those that are watching you.


Remember to give yourself grace and others patience. Take advantage of this time and spend those little moments that you can with your children if you have them home. Take that extra time to dive into those home projects that have been getting put off or just relax and allow yourself to take a deep breath and close your eyes.


Working from home has the ability to bring you closer to your family, friends, and loved ones. Be open minded and allow yourself to seek out the opportunities that you normally wouldn't have.


Make sure to grab your FREE Resume Biz Planning Guide Here
https://kara-varner.mykajabi.com/Guide

Job Search Tips for the Holidays
 
There is a myth out there that says that companies don’t hire during the holidays. But it’s just that…a myth. Just ask the jobseeker who was invited in for a second interview two days before Christmas.
 
Putting your job search on hold between Thanksgiving and New Year’s isn’t just a bad idea — it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Like hockey great Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” If you’re not looking for a job during the holidays, you’re not going to find one.
 
Employers hire all 12 months of the year. In fact, many new positions are funded to start with a new budget year — which often coincides with a new calendar year. Other hiring managers have hiring budgets that must be spent before the end of the year — “use it or lose it.” Both of these scenarios offer opportunities for jobseekers in December.
 
The holidays also offer some organic opportunities to network at company parties, social gatherings, end-of-the-year professional association events, and even Christmas cards and letters.
 
Working on your job search during the holidays may also mean less competition from other candidates who put their job search on hold. Many people wait until January — making it a New Year’s Resolution — to look for a new job. If you wait until January 2nd to start your job search, you’ll have more competition.
 
Even if you aren’t offered a job in December, you can lay a lot of the groundwork by making connections before the end of the year, making it more likely that you’ll be hired quickly in the New Year.
 
10 Ideas for Job Searching During the Holidays
Here are some specific strategies you can use in your holiday job search.

1. Accept all invitations you receive for holiday parties and get-togethers. Whether it’s a social or charity event, use these opportunities to reacquaint yourself with people who might be useful in your job search, and make new connections. Be sure to follow-up.

 

1. Re-connect with old friends and colleagues. Get back in touch with previous co-workers and supervisors, people from high school and college, and former neighbors, during the holidays.

 

1. Host your own holiday party. It doesn’t have to be anything formal or elaborate. Hosting your own holiday open house, dinner party, or get-together can help jumpstart your job search. Extending an invitation is a great excuse to reach out and talk with someone you haven’t spoken to in a while! 
2. Volunteer. There are many opportunities during the holidays to give your time to charities and organizations. Some of these opportunities might also help you build your network, make new connections, and bolster your résumé.

 

1. Create a business networking card. Develop a business card that lists your contact information and social media links — especially to your LinkedIn profile. You can use this in lieu of your normal business card — or instead of it, if you’re unemployed.

 

1. Update your social media presence. If you don’t yet have a LinkedIn profile, now is the time to create yours. If you have one, give it a fresh look. Is it time to update it? Can you increase your number of Connections — or solicit additional Recommendations?

 

1. Look for opportunities to get your foot in the door. If you’re currently unemployed, look for temporary or seasonal jobs that may lead to full-time positions.

 

1. Connect with recruiters. Many are trying to reach year-end recruiting goals at this time of the year, and you may have just the skills they are looking for.

 
 
While applying for jobs, don’t be surprised if you do not hear anything back right away. Many people use their accumulated vacation time before the end of the year, so you may find yourself waiting a bit longer than usual for a response to your résumé or job interview. Be patient, but persistent.
 
If it’s your goal to find a new job in the New Year, don’t put off your job search just because it’s the holiday season. A job search that starts in December gives you the opportunity to get hired before the end of the year — or to have momentum and a head start on other candidates once the calendar turns over on January 1.