平特五不中

GETTING READY TO WORK FROM HOME

Working your campus job from home is different than being on campus. There are definitely perks, like zero commute time, but there are also challenges. Even if you鈥檙e working 鈥渙ff campus鈥� right now, our hope is that your 平特五不中 work experience equips you with the skills and confidence you need to succeed in your future careers 鈥� regardless of the work environment, you find yourself in.

Get in work mode

This is a workday鈥� just at your home instead of on campus, so try to keep a routine and:

• Shower and get dressed as you would for school
• Make time for lunch and breaks 鈥� preschedule meal times, so you stick to a schedule
• Find balance between school and work tasks 鈥� plan your time to juggle these tasks according to the urgency of the priorities

Accountability is one of the toughest things remote workers struggle with. Setting daily goals can help with holding yourself accountable

• This may mean communicating your goals to your supervisor at the beginning of each day and sending an update on what you have accomplished at the end of the workday
• If you need extra motivation, try setting small rewards for yourself 鈥� get through the morning without distractions. Treat yourself with some chocolate!

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Self-care is key to maintaining productivity

• Exercise in the form of a walk will help clear your mind, work more efficiently, and decompress after being home all-day
• Exposure to fresh air and sunlight are听excellent mood-lifting听tricks that also prevent听us from going stir crazy
• Limit your intake of social media

In a remote setting, where in-person interactions are less common, it鈥檚 easier to feel isolated. Even though you will not physically see your co-workers, that doesn鈥檛 mean you shouldn鈥檛 call on them when you need support. For more info on the services you have access to remotely and in-person, visit Student Services.

Set up your workspace

• Designate an uncluttered and comfortable workspace to do your work
• Limit distractions as much as possible by finding a quiet area and setting your phone to silent.

Good ergonomics allow for a comfortable work environment

• Don鈥檛 work from your couch or bed. Instead, use a desk or table 鈥� Your posture will thank you!
• If you have one, connect to a monitor at eye level. Working for extended periods on a screen can be bad for your posture
• Follow the 20/20/20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something that is 20 feet away from you, for at least 20 seconds

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Gain secure access to files you need

To ensure that you can , you will need to connect to 平特五不中鈥檚 Virtual Private Network (VPN). Click 听for VPN activation instructions, and contact IT Services for setup听support.

For secure cloud-based file storage and sharing Use .听Cloud-based apps can be accessed without VPN (e.g., Outlook and OneDrive).

Communicating with your supervisor

However important we all think communication is in general, it is even more important when working remotely. In most surveys of people that WFH, the #1 problem is always communication.听

It is key to ask your supervisor how and when they want you to communicate questions and seek guidance. For example, they may want to connect at the beginning of the day and prefer questions to be sent via email.听Key takeaway: Don鈥檛 hesitate to over-communicate.听Getting in this habit will not only set the tone for excellent communication with your supervisor but will also build trust.

Report to your supervisor on a regular basis - Depending on what you're working on, this may be a quick daily check-in or a bi-weekly conference call. Take these opportunities to share how you feel:

• Ask them if they鈥檙e getting what they need from you
• what鈥檚 going well 鈥� or not, do you need help, build connection

If you are unable to work on your tasks, discuss them with your supervisor. There might even be opportunities to take courses, webinars, or do new skills or professional development training online.

Documentation

Documentation is everyone鈥檚 responsibility. When you ask a question and receive an answer, write it down. Putting things in writing (i.e., emails) helps because:

• It鈥檚 great for future reference
• Avoids confusion by keeping everyone on the same page about who is responsible for what
• Demonstrates respect for others鈥� time
• Explains the reasoning behind decisions

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Efficient remote meetings

Working from home doesn鈥檛 mean meetings aren鈥檛 needed. It just means that like everything else, they happen online too. Here are some tips to make them more successful:

• Attend meetings on time 鈥� Many meetings will be scheduled on Teams; it鈥檚 your responsibility to be punctual
• When meeting remotely it is recommended to turn on your video. Even if just for a few minutes, displaying your face sends a stronger signal that you鈥檙e present and paying attention. Use your discretion
• Pause for others to speak. It can be hard to find space to speak in a meeting, and even harder when everyone is virtual. Make sure there鈥檚 time and opportunity for all voices to be heard
• Use headphones to minimize the distractions of normal noises in your home and keep conference calls private 鈥� this is especially important if you are discussing confidential topics
• Set a听meeting agenda and share it in advance if you're the meeting owner
• Create action items. This is a great way to impress a supervisor and ties to documentation best practices