With such a promising future in store, the tech industry remains one of the most reliable and stable industries in our modern society. In fact, not only are these positions reliable, but, with over 40.5 million unemployed Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 in our society as of now, 4 million tech positions remain available, making it easy to always have a position in your field of expertise.
However, with countless young individuals hoping to make a name for themselves in the tech world, it can be difficult for this new workforce to be able to do just that all whilst balancing life, finances, and their higher education. After all, with this nation now far from its glory days of “one-job households” and “affordable living,” it can be nearly impossible for the youth of our society to make a living that isn’t completely eaten up by bills and college expenses.
Therefore, as an industry that not only remains one of the most stable and successful industries in our current society but also one of the most enticing industries to the millennial workforce, it is crucial that there are alternatives to the traditional ways of doing things which meet the new “quality of life” standards our nation has placed upon us. However, perhaps, the most important alternative can be seen in the way these young individuals work and where they are most productive.
In fact, despite many studies from the past saying otherwise, countless modern companies have found that telecommuting actually increased employee productivity and increased the business’ overall employee retention likewise. Therefore, in an industry that prides itself on setting the example and being at the forefront of advancement, it is about time the tech industry fully embraces telecommuting and sees the many ways that it can be helpful to the myriads of employees currently in the STEM field.
To begin, here are five extremely wonderful and unique ways that telecommuting opportunities can be utilized to an employee’s advantage. Although the big picture may be right in front of the tech industry’s face, it can often be easier to break down the situation and look at each benefit so as to make a clear and conscious decision. From there, we can transform young minds and provide a workplace that encourages creativity, education, travel, equal rights, and financial stability — one work-from-home day at a time.
1)Telecommuting Encourages Creativity
The Roman poet, Ovid, once said, “A field that has rested gives a beautiful crop.” With this in mind, it is no wonder why the same can be said about individuals that create their own schedules and are given the ability to work around their daily obstacles in life. In fact, according to a recent study, teleworkers are more productive — even when sick — and over 77 percent of teleworkers say they are more productive off site than they ever were in the office.
With an increase in productivity and the ability for employees to complete their work in a far more expedient manner, this allows employees to pursue other ventures and actually opens their minds up to creative solutions. For instance, some individuals may find solace in hobbies they didn’t know they enjoyed, such as geocaching or simple game app development. This ultimately allows the mind to expand and think in a different way than when at the workplace where you are burdened by deadlines which opens the mind up to new ideas and new ways of looking at current problems likewise.
For example, over 1 million geocaches are hidden around you at any given time. In order to find these geocaches, an individual would need to use critical thinking, various devices including metal detectors and GPS signal monitors, and be able to locate coordinates in order to find these hidden treasures. This enables parts of the brain that are often used in web development and IT and engages both an individual’s critical thinking and procedural portions of the mind.
Similarly, if an individual chose to focus on gaming app development in their spare time, this would allow them to work on code in various languages, create strings that function properly, and ultimately use their spare time to expand their current knowledge in the field of expertise. With this said, it is clear that the convenience of telecommuting does not lead to “laziness” but rather productiveness, creativity, and a better understanding of their careers through alternative forms of learning.
However, the ability to learn when still having a career you love in the tech industry is highly difficult, but telecommuting can help students to pursue their dreams before they even receive their degree and not lose that sense of financial stability in the process.
2) It Is Easier to Get an Online Education
According to a 2016 study on online enrollment, one in four students enrolled in online courses with over 5.8 million individuals enrolled online last year alone. The main reason for this is due to the fact that most students nowadays are unable to work, go to school and balance their lives all at once, which makes online classes a more flexible alternative. Similar to telework, online courses can also be done anywhere, which opens up various opportunities for young individuals and allows them to pursue their career while also proving their qualifications in the process.
In fact, a recent fact sheet released by the White House actually states that, by 2018, 51 percent of all Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) jobs will be in computer science-related fields. With this in mind, coupled with the average salary of nearly $75k as a computer scientist, it is no surprise why many young individuals are pursuing telework positions so as to focus on their online Masters of Computer Science and, ultimately, their future in the tech industry.
However, with the ability to focus on both work and education remotely, some people have chosen to explore the world rather than be stationary, which can be a wonderful way for a young individual to create new experiences and grow remotely while also saving money and creating a renter’s history that is far less risky in the process.
3) Allows for People to Travel
The open road in and of itself is a wonderful place for a young individual to grow and learn life lessons all too often not taught in school or in the workforce. The most important aspect of travel is the ability to meet other people, learn about various different cultures, and, ultimately, see a different world from your own. This knowledge can then be applied to your everyday life and within your tech profession to give you a different or more experienced approach at the same problems others in your profession may find difficult to solve.
Furthermore, many young individuals find it rather difficult to find their first apartment after leaving college or their parents’ home and, therefore, this serves as an easy way to build up a renter’s history without running the risk of being evicted simply due to age bias. Although age bias may seem like a fabricated thing, it is, in fact, quite real. Many property managers have a jaded view of what the younger generation is like and will even avoid renting to millennials due to the possibilities and liabilities they believe are involved.
However, when on the road, KOAs and other RV rental sites will not look into an individual’s renter’s history and will typically be more than happy to also be used as a reference when this person finally settles down. This means that these young individuals will not only be saving a tremendous amount of money renting out RV campsites but will also be able to explore the world and have a strong renter’s history at the end of it all.
Lastly, for many young individuals it can also be difficult to find apartments that allow pets. For some, this can be a complete and total nightmare due to the fact that emotional support animals, which are extremely common for people on the Autism spectrum or with severe anxiety, are not considered service dogs in many states. With this in mind, perhaps, travel is a way for these people to keep their beloved pets and still have a home to call their own. In fact, it has become extremely common for young individuals to travel in an RV with their pets to the point that many RV campsites now openly accept pets, which only makes the idea of full-time travel all the more enticing for these young minds hoping to explore the world before settling down in the tech industry.
However, although there are convenient ways for people to deal with their disabilities on the road through emotional support animals, some young individuals find solace in other forms, and telework is an excellent way for them to still accomplish their dreams without being hindered by their disabilities.
4) Makes Life Easier For Disabled Individuals
For some people, the military was a way for them to be given the college education they desired and have experience in a field of their choice before ever doing their chosen position outside of the military. However, with 3.8 million disabled veterans in America as of 2014, it is no surprise that many young soldiers now suffer from disabilities that can never be cured but only numbed. For someone in the tech industry, telecommuting provides them the ability to still succeed in their field without being limited by their disability. On top of this, by saving money and traveling, these disabled individuals are able to put money aside in order to get a VA loan for when their career finally picks up and they are ready to settle down in a nice home near their company.
Furthermore, if an individual suffers from severe pain due to their disability, it can often be hard for them to find and legally use the drugs that help them to feel better. For instance, with more research than ever before on the amazing effects cannabis oil has for seizures, severe pain, Parkinson’s, and various other illnesses and disabilities, it can be frustrating to individuals that they are not allowed to have the medication that makes them feel better.
Therefore, tying back into travel, a recent alternative vaping experience popped up near Coachella which incorporated cannabis oil into the vape. With this said, telecommuting would ultimately allow individuals the opportunity to move to states which currently have legalized cannabis oil to live a happier life. In turn, this would ultimately make these individuals more productive and also prove that appearance is certainly not everything. In fact, perhaps one of the most prolific things that telecommuting leads to is the hiring of individuals based on skill rather than personality or physical appearance.
5) Eliminates the Judgement of Anything Other Than Skill
When you think of the old song, “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the Buggles, you may be thinking of the numerous famous musicians that, before the popularization of television, reigned supreme, such as Roy Orbison or even Jim Croce. When listening to their voices, you would never be able to guess that they actually look the way they do. In fact, you may be enthralled by their music and find yourself doubting it to an extent after simply seeing them for the first time.
Although it is an unfortunate truth, we as a society judge people quite frequently based on their personality and appearances. However, in the tech industry, neither of these really matter as it is your brain and your expertise that will actually be utilized on a daily basis. With this said, telecommuting completely takes away a company’s opportunity to judge someone based on their appearance or personality.
This makes these positions far more accessible as people who may be poor and unable to afford a nice outfit for a meeting may also be the same people that know multiple languages and are highly talented in the tech field. Furthermore, people that are socially awkward or suffer from syndromes such as Asperger’s all too often get rejected solely due to their inability to talk in an efficient manner with others. However, these individuals also happen to be quite intelligent and vocal on the inside. With telecommuting eliminating a recruiter’s ability to judge individuals based on trivial aspects of their being, this means that more positions will be filled by adequate individuals that are not only intelligent but also qualified in the right ways.
In the end, telecommuting is a wonderful way for young minds to expand even further and be more productive and happy in the process. Although not all companies provide this work alternative currently, it is quite possible that there will be no such thing as office spaces in far less time than you think. In turn, not only would we create a more eco-friendly world, but we would also create a jobforce that feels respected, loved, motivated, and engaged at all times. With this said, perhaps, the answer to a successful life is a focus on life itself rather than the tiny details that make it up normally. Perhaps, the wonder of life lies within those tiny details, and it is our job to retrieve them one obstacle at a time.