b'to not commuting, and as time went onBerklee College of Music in spring 2020, soTips forI really grew to prefer remote work, theshe was used to working virtually, having 28-year-old Bowie resident says. Its muchspent part of her last semester learningRemote Workersmore convenient and allows for a moreremotely and even graduating virtually.Seek out mentors. They can show general sense of freedom. And you get Remote work means shes notyou the ropes and help you getto see your pets more.socializing with co-workers outside to know the company. These advantages are among the manyof work and getting to know them. ForReach out to co-workers. Regular reasons that study after study has shownthose in a similar position as her, Rutkovitzmeetings, whether formal or that productivity is up among employeesrecommends new virtual employees goinformal, can get you more working from home.out of their way to meet with as many ingrained in the company. When people work remotely, theyco-workers as possible.Refine your skills. Make sure stay at jobs longer, retention is betterSimilarly, Cohn recommendsyoure up-to-date on the software and employees are more productive,employees schedule regular check-insyoull need to use to work said Lisa Cohn, an account representativewith supervisors and co-workers outsideremotely in your industry and utilize online resources to take and the remote work strategist at JCS.of regularly scheduled formal meetings courses and earn certificationsTheres more control over schedules andto further cement work relationships.to make you stand out. workflow, and you can more easily factorFor Rutkovitz, working virtuallyResearch the company. Any leg in things like kids, snow days and doctorsalso means that sales calls are morework you can do on your own appointments.impersonal.will make you more comfortable Its harder to build a relationship withcoming into a new work Unique Difficulties Aboundcustomers and clients through a screen,environment. While there are a plethora of benefitsshe says. I want to talk to people inSet boundaries. While there are in working from home, remote workperson and get to know themIm anmany perks of working from home, its important to makeposes challenges across the board, somesure work doesnt take awayuniversal, some generational and somefrom personal and family time. specific to industries.Lisa Cohn, the remote work strategist at JCS, recommends employees schedule regular check-ins The boundaries between work andwith co-workers to cement work relationships.home can get blurry, leading to longer work hours and cutting into family and personal time, Cohn says. Additionally, onboarding can bemore difficult when done remotely it means fewer or no interactions with certain co-workers and less exposure to company culture. Cohn recommends younger people early in their careers seek out a mentor to help them get to know their company and co-workers. Peri Rutkovitz, who grew up in Owings Mills, moved to New York City to pursue singing and acting, thanks to securing a remote sales position with Choice Cybersecurity, a company based in her hometown. She graduated from the associated.org 31'