Hello, this is Katie.
I have recently started working as a Project Manager in Kansas City.
Feeling like a typical office person, I would like to share my experiences and maybe a few tips that I learn along the way.
Jobs of our time
Have you ever thought about how privileged we are? We don’t really need to be millionaires! I took a moment to contemplate this morning. I closed the door of my lovely new apartment and went to my second-hand, but functioning car to drive to my modern office where I am allowed to drink loads of coffee (I’ve been trying to cut this down) and eat fruits for free all day.
Well, isn’t that just great?
And not only all that, today I even went and asked my boss to regularly be able to work at my home office on Wednesdays. I must say I was a little nervous about what her answer would be!
A phenomenon not for everybody
Spending the day in your PJs and sipping coffee while having creative thoughts, lying around your living room with a laptop, that is what most people imagine when you say home office. Idyllic! However, a lot of them are happy to return back to the office!
Why?
A home office calls for loads of discipline and perfect time management. We easily procrastinate at home. Isolation can cause anxiety and if we don’t manage to create a good schedule, we can easily find ourselves working 24/7.
As for me, I have already tried this form of work previously and I wouldn’t like to do this every day. However, I can perfectly manage one day on my own doing a lot of work. In the evening, I will look forward to seeing people the next day!
The system in my workplace
It is common at my job for people not to get the opportunity to work from home right away. Firstly, you need to get familiar with the company processes and show your dedication. However, I have already been working here for some time, so I was confident when I talked about this to Margaret, my boss.
“Katie, I have absolutely no problem with you working from home once a week,” she smiled, a bit surprised.
“I have no reason to think you would abuse my trust. If this will make you happy, of course the company will stand behind you.”
Just like that! My colleague Bea, a little jealous, spit out: “Lucky you!“
Another colleague told me later that she once asked for something similar, but Margaret didn’t find her suitable to work from home. Well, I hope my little benefit will not create enemies in the workplace!
Janice starts job hunting!
Sadly, Janice wasn’t that lucky. Her intention was to explain to her boss how much constant overtime and working weekends are killing her personal life.
“We are only team players here who dedicate our lives to the company!” her boss shouted.
“None of us can decide about working hours when there is an emergency, the clients matter most!” he then added. However, Janice has told me that he spends every weekend at his vacation home in the Ozarks.
And what about Janice? She quit her job on the spot! We are sitting in a café at the moment, scrolling through some interesting job offers. Janice needs to relax a little before going to an interview. Three years at a place like this hasn’t exactly boosted her confidence! And we need to go to the mall for sure to pick up some clothes for the interview, too! Neither of us is super fashionable, so we will definitely read some advice first.
Yours,
Katie
