The frustrations of working from home
People tend to romanticize the term “working from home.” Sure, you get to sit in your PJs while you work, TV on the background, in the comfort of your own home, but there’s one thing that working from home does not permit you to do.
And that is working in the office.
After I accepted the position of Social Media intern, Lindsey had asked me if it would be possible for me to come into the office twice a week to learn the ropes. Since I work full-time during the breaks, I told her I wouldn’t be able to but I would be able to work from home.
Lindsey was fine with it, and for the first two weeks of working from home it was nice – I got to learn the tone REACT took with their accounts, write interesting blog posts and was still able to work.
However, Lindsey has left on vacation, and now my correspondence is with Dahlia, one of the heads of the company. Incredibly sweet and pleasant, it’s hard to read tone via email, which is challenging, especially for someone who has just started.
There’s something that is lost with modern technology – while the convenience of being able to answer and respond to emails through cellphones is remarkable, I do not have the ability to read a face through email. I cannot tell a tone of a message through hits font. And the same goes for my superiors. Lindsey and I had worked together before, though briefly, we had an established relationship in-person. It’s a connection that no amount of 🙂 or !!! can re-create.
I’m excited to start for real on Jan. 22, to go back into the office and really meet the names of the numerous contacts that are piling in my inbox.
That, and my pajamas are becoming rather uncomfortable, and there’s nothing good on TV.
