A good old saying is that “Not all that glitters is gold.” This is the exact scenario I’d like to phrase what I’m about to tell you here. The idea of writing this whole article and making a comparison between working on a 9 to 5 job vs. a home-based career all came to me when things like this began trending on LinkedIn.
If you don’t know a lot about LinkedIn, it’s a social media platform dedicated to helping professionals find connections, or you can call it a professional network.
People give their inputs on various subject matters, but of course, on professional lanes, and when I was scrolling through, a meme just popped up, and below is its saying in quotes.
“I ran away from my 9 to 5 job, only to find myself working from home 24/7 online”.
You might have been peddled to online home-based work, the Boss life, all this while, and your whole perspective might have been reshaped to standing firm on this concept and looking forward to attaining career freedom.
Now the question is, are home-based careers worthwhile?
That’s what we’ll be looking at in this article, and to help clear the air, let’s look at some of the work from home pros and cons.
Starting from the good sides of things below are the advantages of working from home and online followed by the disadvantages.
PROS
1. Striking a work-life balance
Most remote jobs run on flexible schedules that allow you to manage your personal life.
This extends from dressing the kids and driving them to school, performing your home chores, attending social events, and more.
2. It Is Independent of Your Location
All that matters is staying close to your computer; besides, your location doesn’t count when it comes to working remotely.
It can be that you’re lodging in a hotel during a trip, in the coffee shop drinking, taking a sip from your cup, or at home with kids, as they play around or keep you company; you can work everywhere you are.
The thing is that if you are in a place that is free of distractions, you can work and earn money from the people you work for online.
3. Gives You Peace of Mind
Prince EA is one of my favorite influencers, and in one of his videos, he poses and instantly answers this question.
Q: When do you think you are likely to die?
A: it is on a Monday
The working week starts on Monday, and anxiety on that particular day is at its peak.
Even though you may not be as active as you must be, you have to fake it so you can go by the day, working.
Well, most people working online don’t care about Mondays.
Some are even as reluctant to remember what day of the week today is; all they can think of is today, I have so, so and so work to do, and then, they’re on it.
If Prince EA was right about that, I’m confident that working online will eliminate the Monday syndrome and help you live longer?
CONS
1. Risk of Being Unproductive
Reports reveal that working from home attracts productivity, so this should undoubtedly be an advantage I haven’t included in the Pros section.
Well, that’s intentional, as come to think of it as; what if the reverse is the case?
With all the distractions around, you can decide to stand up from your working-from-home desk and watch a series on Netflix, play that favorite video game of yours, or concentrate on what the kids are doing.
Instead of being more productive, it may make you less focused and counterproductive.
2. Lack of Motivation
It takes motivation to stay enthusiastic about the work environment and feel active at work.
You can pick habits from co-workers, your ex-boss, or your upbringing.
Of course, your boss may be angry and be responsive to any of the slightest provocations, and your co-workers may also be sassy and disgusting in their characters, but they are what keep you motivated.
3. Can be Exhausting
Working on flexible schedules is one advantage of home-based careers, but if you are not careful, you can end up working on projects that tie you up to the neck.
Working to meet deadlines on specific projects can exhaust you, and rather than striking your work-life balance, you may end up feeling disoriented.
There you go, three work from home pros and cons; this makes things even.
Considering the facts above, is working from home online really worthwhile?
As you can see, each benefit comes with its downside, and while online home-based work has some cons, you can still employ particular productivity and career hacks to get things going well.
Most digital marketers, Internet entrepreneurs, and freelancers who are all experts in their home-based careers gave their opinion on online work instead of a 9-5 job.
Many of them feel miserable, disorganized, shortsighted, etc., in their previous jobs, but working full-time online makes them realize that they are unstoppable.
So based on that, it indicates that people see positive outcomes from their online home-based work.
Final Thoughts
I am a strong advocate for working online, and if you ask me which is the best, I will always recommend you work at your own pace, i.e., at home.
However, there is a significant individual difference that plays a role.
If you are somebody who behaves better under supervision, requires motivation, does not like to stay at home, and cannot withstand sleepless nights of in-depth research from time to time, working at home may not be suitable for you.
You must get to know yourself, what makes you feel good, and what you want.
In addition, think of your future, which will guide you in choosing whether to be your boss or be in the workplace.
With all the above facts in mind, do you feel comfortable working from home, or do you prefer to remain at your day job?
Read Also: 3 Types Of Ecommerce Products To Make Online Sales From