Jason Stephens's Page
Jason Stephens's Groups
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Teleworking
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DITA for Help
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Madcap Flare Group
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Writing for Reuse
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Jason Stephens's discussions
Profile
- Job Title:
- Technical Communications Professional
- Company Name:
- Herb Cottage Partners
- About Me:
- Writer and Content developer with a software background.
Living and working in Northern New South Wales, Australia.
Working on: Developing single-sourcing solutions with a focus on online helps.
Learning about: Rich content management and DITA compliance.
Background: Software development and MIS.
Studied: Modern Languages at UCL London and Bologna University.
- Website:
- http://jason.stephens.name
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I went to Heythrop to do Psychology & Philosophy; I found it a lovely atmosphere to learn in mainly because of its size, and it didn't feel too impersonal.
Good luck with starting the MA - such things are nerve-wracking! I'm worrying about the PhD at the moment; it's suffered a bit lately due to the influx of work from other places, but I'm spending this week trying to get everything under control again (that's right Scarlett, by spending your time blogging on TCW...)
Better get on, I suppose!
I've worked "from home" from time to time for a number of years starting in the late '80s.
I really, really like it. It's quiet if I want (which I usually like), the temperature is just perfect, and I can wear comfy clothes.
What some people would consider drawbacks, I think are benefits.
No one hanging over me telling me to work--Yay! Honestly, I am pretty driven when I'm working and don't need much reminding.
No socializing at work--Double Yay! (Sorry, don't miss the obligatory parties, baby showers, and so on). Really, I do like my co-workers, but I don't usually socialize with folks from work. I"ve been a "lone writer" for a several years, so I don't have other technical communicators to pal around with at work anyway. I have a lot in common with fellow TC's but the others at work, not so much. I have been working in, shall we say, rather conservative workplaces (finance, government), which is not my point of view at all.
Drawbacks: cats running across the keyboard, people selling things coming to the door, and having a tendency to work too much rather than not enough. Also, I have to occasionally remind some other people around here that "I am working right now."
I look forward to other folks comments about telecommunting, working from home, etc. I may be working with a remotely distributed team soon, and that is always a challenge.
I have telecommuted as a permanent employee for 12 years due to a stronger desire to stay put rather than move all over the east coast (or west) in order to stay in my field. Most times when I tell people that I work in a home office, they say "Oh, I'd love to do that!" But they do not realize the disadvantages to overcome to do so.
First, there's the physical isolation. Notice that I said "physical" because, over time, one learns to adapt to phone, email, blogging, and other internet amenities to substitute for the face-to-face contact. However, it also means that one has to become VERY careful about what they write in emails and other internet venues! It might-and can very well become a permanent record stored somewhere!
Second: Your social life will be dependent on other social activities, rather than work-related social activities.
Third challenge: the discipline of working with no one physically standing over you (or occasionally stopping by the cubicle as in the office environment) and prodding you to get a certain project done. (But! There's nothing to say they can't bombard you with emails and call you on the phone! And I might add that nothing is more distracting and cost you more of your precious time when you are in a crunch to get something out!)
Disadvantage 1: no face time with the boss ... which means one can get passed over at promotion time. It's pretty easy for them to overlook you when they don't have to look you in the eye and explain where your promotion went. Telecommuters may want to consider traveling to the home office once every 3 months or so just for this reason. Also travel to the office at the annual review time, so that they have to confront you personnally at this time.
Disadvantage 2: You may be expected to work overtime, but the "home office" personnel most often get to go home at the regular time because: they have kids to pick up at day care, the weather is getting bad, the traffic is worse after 5PM, the dog will wet the carpet if not let out, etc. The office personnel also have inclimate days when they do not work at all (also days that they come in late because of traffic problems or personal problems/business), also get time off for company dinners and other activities, and the working time is not made up in any way. The remote personnel are not usually awarded any time off approximating this time away from work that office personnel "enjoy" and are paid for.
There is more, but this is a start... maybe some others will chime in with their experiences!
Susan
Nimbin. Lovely spot, sniggers not withstanding. Got a couple of acquaintances living there.
Baby in December? Boy or girl? And where are the pics?
As for the web site pointer, there's too much to say in a short space, and I'm all ego, really, so it makes sense to have a web site to point people to, no matter how out of date it is. :-)
So you're becoming a telecommuter? Or you are a telecommuter? Leaving Mincom for a company I've never heard of. What do they do?