Heidi Cuevas | Staff Writer
For many of us, finding any job nowadays can feel like we won the lottery, so it tends not to matter whether or not the position is remote. Because of this, we don’t realize what we could be giving up choosing to work remotely instead of in-person.
Working from home can seem like the best idea possible. Not only are we working from the comfort of our home, but we’re able to avoid the cost of working in-person like commuting or investing in a new business wardrobe. And in a post-COVID world, working remotely became the new— and often preferred— normal.
However, the perks of working remotely doesn’t compensate for the advantages of working in-person.
For one, networking in-person is easier compared to doing so online. Being able to meet people in-person in the office allows us to put a face to our name and work to build our professional relationships with others. Though it might feel time-consuming and the commute can be dreadful, the potential professional relationships that could be built from routinely walking into an office is worth it in the long run.
Specifically, it can help us find or secure our next job. Most times I hear about open positions from other coworkers or people I meet at webinars, workshops, or the office. And as college students, getting a letter of recommendation or having references can help us secure our next professional position. But to do so, we need to build a rapport with our coworkers and supervisors in real life.
There is also the dire need for us to separate our home and work life, mentally and physically.
In my experience, working online meant my phone was constantly blowing up with new messages, emails filled up my inbox, and I had multiple virtual meetings scheduled on a weekly basis. Though the benefit of working remotely is that I could work from almost anywhere, it also meant that my work life followed me everywhere.
I would find myself reading emails before bed or responding to messages while I was mid-conversation with friends or family. And it was nearly impossible to take a break from my phone for longer than an hour because I could miss out on timely messages.
As a result, mental health tends to suffer if we do not separate our home life from our professional work. The stress of balancing school and work is overwhelming already. The inability to get answers to questions in a timely manner, feeling isolated, the physical strain of staring at multiple devices, and the blurred line between personal and work time can cause burnout, anxiety, or even depression in students.
Working in-person is a different story. Though there are considerable disadvantages like working long hours or less flexibility in my day, I was able to build a routine, create stability, and have a space to decompress from work. Having a physical separation from my work and my home made it easier to be productive at work while having a space to take care of my mental health at home.
It can be easy to get caught up in the glamorization of remote work, but it also means sacrificing fundamental skills, professional relationships, and sometimes our mental health. Whether we are working online or in-person, we should prioritize taking care of ourselves and separating these two lives from one another. To do so the most effectively, it might mean going back to in-person positions rather than sticking to online ones.
Read the other side of the column here on PantherNOW.
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The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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