Working from home: How to climb the ladder, not the walls

Having successfully reduced the spread of COVID, the future is looking a little brighter for Victorian’s however, for the foreseeable future, many will still be working from home. 

Even though you might feel stuck at home, do you need to feel stuck in your career? Here are a few simple ways to keep your career moving forward and stop you climbing the walls while working from home.

Feedback

Having lost face to face contact, it can be hard to gauge how your manager or colleagues see your performance. To better understand how you are performing, ask for some feedback and check-in to ensure you are on the right track. You don’t have to Zoom, you can simply pick up the phone and ask how people would like to be briefed, because managers and colleagues can be struggling with this too.

Interaction

Communication online can be tricky. Some colleagues might like a casual chat before getting into the meeting, while others prefer to get right down to business. The line between home and work life has been blurred, so a little empathy and understanding goes a long way. If you’re in a video meeting, you don’t have to be the first to talk, but try to show you’re interested by offering some positive feedback.

Visability

Reduced interactions with managers, or colleagues can make us feel undervalued because we might not always be front of mind. To tackle this, volunteer for tasks outside your job description. Meeting new people in the business will not only help you gain new knowledge, but exposure across the business, increasing your value.

Skills

For some, working from home has meant more flexibility and being able to work your own hours. Use the time it would usually take to commute to and from work to upskill. There are plenty of online classes, video tutorials and other resources to learn. It might even be beneficial to take up some part-time study.

Goals

Having a goal within the business can help give you purpose. Even if you’re not sure the goal will pay off, a little drive will make you more visible and valuable to the business.