I love all this great advice!!! I would say design your workspace so it is suitable for you to feel at work. I know this might be a challenge for some people with small spaces but there are really cute hacks and inspiration out there to design a workspace that will keep you motivated and inspired at work. For example, in my old condo rental, the owner transformed the coat closet into a mini workspace, which was so cool to me. If you can, I would steer clear of working in your bedroom. It's important for me to keep my bedroom my sanctuary, so leave your work stuff on the outside, that way you can really look forward to unwinding from your workday. Also, add a house plant, keep a work candle nearby and get a fancy coffee mug. Setting a work ambiance helps you maintain productivity. My one last tip is make it a point to get outside each day (weather permitting). Stretching your legs for 10-30mins each day is not only great for your health but it can help boost your productivity, creativity and focus while your online. Oh and one more thing....blue-light blocking glasses are the best investment I made (look them up on Amazon). Protect your vision and your eyes from light sensitivity. It's the best $15 ish dollar you'll spend!

Such great advice on this thread! I'd add, whenever you're ending 1:1 calls, ask them to connect you, refer you or give you the name of someone they think you should know - this has done wonders in expanding my network at work.

As an employee I ask for feedback in my monthly 1:1 with my supervisor and I give feedback to my direct reports on a monthly basis as well. Unless working on a time bound project, then feedback will be scheduled along the way and at the culmination of the work as well. I created this as a norm early on, as I would never want to, nor have one of my direct reports, walk into a formal review and be surprised by any of the information discussed... if that happens there is lapse in honest communication between parties (in my opinion). I would think through what you know about the culture the company currently has- what are their norms around feedback, frequency, format, etc.? I think when some people hear feedback they think it needs to be very formal, and though that is one way to engage with feedback, feedback can also be small consistent bits of plusses or deltas folx see, which supports consistent awareness and growth. Personally, I think formal feedback on a quarterly basis is beneficial that way you are not surprised in a year end review. However, you want to give grace to your supervisor and colleagues if this is not a norm for them and you're asking them to go a bit out of their comfort zone- I think you have to feel out what 1) the norms are already 2) what you want personally and 3) what is fair to ask of others based on what they are used to/skilled at doing.

I think there is some incredible advice here for you! I think gaining tangible feedback on performance, positive areas and growth areas, is critical for anyone starting a career but definitely in remote settings. Feedback can be a tricky thing to be comfortable giving or receiving and without in person relationship building you may have to be more proactive in ensuring you are receiving consistent feedback to support your growth and development. I would recommend sharing with a manager or co-worker something you are distinctly focused on and ask them to lend their feedback in the coming months on what they notice etc. This can support building the foundations of feedback, and you're giving the other person a nugget to hone in on while they may still be getting to know you or becoming more comfortable giving feedback to you. Tangibly, do not be one of those people searching email and doing other things while in meetings. Everyone can see the shift in screen color, the eyes darting across the screen, etc. As someone starting off in your career, set a standard for yourself around your engagement in meeting spaces- those small things can make or break your brand in the virtual setting and once you go back to in person settings it will feel more seamless vs. a drastic shift.

Greetings and welcome to those of you entering the workforce for the first time! After many years in the corporate world I began a virtual consulting business a few years back providing fractional COO and project management services. Since that time, I have been managing remote teams. Here are some of my recommendations for making yourself indispensible even when remote. 1. Have a dedicated work space. It does not need to be large or fancy, but it needs to be devoted to the action of working. You want your mind to shift gears toward professional pursuits when you are in that space. Have a decent, supportive chair. Have good lighting. Don't move all over the house. Don't make crafts there. Don't apply make-up there. And DEFINITELY don't work from your bed. 2. Get dressed. Shower. Brush your teeth. Comb your hair. Put the pajamas away. It's about mindset and focus. The employer is paying you and they are allowed to have expecations of you. More importantly, YOU should have expectations of you. You may be remote, but think about the trajectory of your career. Is the person still in the hot pink sloth pajamas with the coffee stain at one o'clock in the afternoon going to be the next VP? Does that faded concert tee you stole from your brother say, "Promote me?" Probably not. We talk and act differently when we are dressed for work. 3. Establish a routine for the whole day. Start work at the same time every day. Take scheduled breaks and a lunch away from your desk. Walk around during breaks. Stay hydrated. Prepare meals ahead of time. Share your routine with your boss and other stakeholders. Then stick to it. Show up on time to meetings. If you say you are working eight hours, be present for those eight hours. 4. Doing video calls? Curate your space. You don't need to decorate, but make sure that the lighting and background are conducive to video calls. Position the camera so that your audience can see more than half your face or can't see up your nose. In terms of what's behind you, less is more. You want to look professional, but 35 business books and six trendy signs means the focus is no longer on you and the value you bring. If needed, use a virtual background to hide the other areas of your space. If someone gives you the option of using your video or not, always use your video. It's the only way they know you are really engaged. Consider noise canceling headphones if you have a lot of distracting noise in the background. Finally, if you are often on calls and have a dog that barks easily or a cat that wants to sit on your keyboard all day, they need to be separated from your space. They're cute, but they don't necessarily seem that way to the others in your meeting. 5. Have a system and keep your desk clean. This isn't about achieving the perfect color-coordinated Minimalist tableau. This is about creating a virtual and/or actual organizational system that prompts you with tasks, gives you space to be productive, and minimizes the anxiety caused by clutter. While your employer may already opt to use tools like Slack and Asana, if they don't, you should consider using something that will keep you on task. Keep your personal items to a minimum. Keep a digital desktop file or have a place to hang anything critical that needs to be in front of you constantly, but do not fall into the trap of using Post-Its to keep your business life in order. Hint: organization via Post-It fails every time and carelessness with information critical to doing your job will limit the success of your career. Especially if you ever have to go back to the office. Don't sabotage yourself with bad systems. 6. Understand how your company uses collaborative tools. I mentioned some common ones - Slack and Asana, but there are different ways to use these tools. Make sure that you understand how and when to use them so that stepping into the existing workflow is as seemless as possible. If needed, go to the tool's support center to find videos and blogs on how to best use what's there. Always use your company-owned computer and internet resources appropriately. 7. Communicate about how often you will be expected to check-in with your manager and what updates you need to provide at those times. If there are tasks that may make it seem like you aren't working because you are not chatting or checking off tasks, make sure your boss knows so that assumptions aren't made about your productivity. If there are others who depend on the work that you do in order to complete their work, arrange regular times to communicate or make sure that they are copied/included in task notifications. 8. Get to know your co-workers. If your new employer does not offer one-on-one or team meetings to introduce you to them, ask for the opportunity. Come with good questions about their role and how yours works together with theirs. 9. Locate your digital resources. It takes about a year to get fully acclimated to any role. Once your orientation is over, make sure that you know where to find the answers to questions about how to do your job. Always go there first before interrupting a co-worker to ask. Online chats can be very distracting to others. 10. Treat your words carefully and download Grammarly. Remote chats, like emails, lose nuance. You can't see a person's face and feelings. Before you click "Send," examine what you wrote. If you aren't sure after that, it might be a good sign it needs work or to be discarded altogether. Always, always, check spelling and grammar. Unless it is the prevailing culture of the company, keep emojis to a minimum. 11. Find a mentor. Ask your new manager or HR about mentoring programs or those in your area who might help you acclimate to success in a work-at-home environment. Impressing a boss can be easier in person than remote, so have a plan about how you are going to demonstrate your value over time. You might do this with a journaling tool or a notebook. I've found that remembering your accomplishments can sometimes be more challenging in virtual work. You will want to present those accomplishments at your annual review and keep them to boost your resume. Good luck!

Do exactly what you are doing right now - asking people for advice and getting constant feedback about what works and doesn't work for others. Some element in that mass of assembled information may especially speak to you and help immediately catapult you forward. Keep yourself open to new ideas and don't be afraid to be bold and make mistakes. You will learn the most from the mistakes you learn along the way!

Make friends with your co-workers! This is something that comes very naturally when you're working together in person, but when working remotely you really have to put effort into building those relationships. You may be exhausted and sick of zoom meetings, but it is worth it to ask someone to have virtual coffee with you once a week(ish) so that you feel less isolated, have people to commiserate with, and people you feel comfortable asking to be a reference later in your career. It is also important to set boundaries for yourself while working remote. A lot of people have been struggling with the fact that they're relaxation place is now their work place so if possible, try to establish a work-only spot in your house. This will allow you to truly turn off when you move to your couch at night. Along the same lines, try to sign off at the same time every night. It's easy to continue glancing at your email and keep responding to those emails, but you are just telling your coworkers/bosses that you are available to them 24/7, which will lead to more after hours emails and ultimately, major burn out.

That learning what you don't like is just as valuable as learning what you do like. That's not just what kind of work you're doing, but also the type of company you're working for and the company culture. When I was starting out, I thought a lot more about doing my dream work rather than who and where I would be doing that with.