Everything You Need To Know To Become A Work-From-Home Pro

Are you ready to become a work-from-home pro?

Ten years ago, hardly anyone worked from home. It just wasn’t possible. The word “cloud” was hardly ever mentioned. 

However, since then, things changed a little. At first, a few fringe industries began offering services via the cloud. Then, over time, more and more companies jumped on the bandwagon. Eventually, the pandemic hit, and working arrangements changed forever. 

But working from home isn’t a walk in the park. It’s actually a skill – and one that many employees never had the chance to develop before. 

In this post, we cover everything you need to know about becoming a work-from-home pro. Check out our strategies below. 

Find A Great Desk

Don’t work at the beach or the kitchen table. Not only does it lead to distractions, but it could also potentially cause harm or injury. 

Instead, invest in a good desk that actually meets your needs. Standing desks are all the rage right now because they help keep blood moving during the day, even if you’re sedentary.

The best examples of these come with pads that you put on the floor which force your body to micro-balance you all the time, preventing annoying side effects, such as blood pooling around your ankles. 

Sort Out Your Old Phone

Being a work-from-home pro also relies on being in communication with other team members throughout the day. It’s a good idea, therefore, to solve any issues with your old phone now instead of waiting for them to crop up in the future.

Learn how to clear other storage on iPhone handsets (besides what you are using for photos and videos). Use apps that delete annoying temporary files and analyze which apps are hogging system resources. 

Remember, you may need to use your phone while in the field. But if it’s gummed up with digital junk, it’ll run slowly, leading to frustration. 

Buy A Widescreen Monitor

Widescreen monitors were first introduced for gamers to give them a wide-aspect resolution. However, soon freelancers and other professionals discovered that they could use them to enhance their productivity. 

If you’re a writer or you do any kind of work that requires multiple tabs, then 34-inch widescreen monitors are a godsend. You can arrange three windows side by side comfortably without having to flick through tabs. 

Get A Mount

Another idea is to get a mount for your monitor. Wall-mounted arms are a great way to save space and make your home office less cluttered. Monitor stands are sometimes enormous, particularly if you’re using a large monitor – such as the 34-inch one mentioned above. 

Use A Quiet Keyboard

Over the last several years, mechanical keyboards have come back into fashion. Everyone wants that rich tactile sensation that harks back to the 1980s. 

However, while it might be fun for regular entertainment in the evenings, loud keystrokes actually get quite annoying when you are working all day – if not for you, then the people around you. 

Fortunately, you can now get quiet keyboards that hardly make a noise when you press the keys. These are ideal for anyone sending emails all day or writing documents. 

Upgrade Your Webcam

You’ll also want to ask whether your webcam is up to the task. 

Most webcams are actually quite poor. The industry standard is still to use low-resolution, fuzzy cameras that don’t really allow other people to see you clearly. While this might be okay for chatting with colleagues you already know, it’s not so great if you have a customer-facing role.

Webcams built into laptops tend to be quite good, so if you’re in a bind, you can use them. You can also buy freestanding ones that provide even higher quality and multiple options. These definitely make you look like a work-from-home pro.

Set A Routine

No matter what your work-from-home circumstances are, it is critical to set a routine. You need to train your body to get into “work mode” just as you might during your morning commute to the office. 

But how do you do this? The trick is to arrange your day, in the same way, every day. You get up at a certain time, eat breakfast at a set hour and then work until your lunch break. 

It might sound weird bringing the rules of the office home, but it works. People who work for themselves long-term invariably get into a similar routine as their office coworkers. It’s the only way to succeed. 

So there you have it: everything you need to know about becoming a work-from-home pro. To move ahead in your career, you need to have the right ergonomics, technology, and mindset.