As an older professional trying to reboot my career, I am new to social media and the way it has opened up the ability to have conversations with people I don't know whom I share life/career experiences with.

Anonymous

August 3,2023 at 6:29PM UTC

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As an older professional trying to reboot my career, I am new to social media and the way it has opened up the ability to have conversations with people I don't know whom I share life/career experiences with. I am already seeing how easy it is to get sucked into the urge to connect and to always be ready to respond or see what is new out in the world (here I am, right?). Some days I feel like I've been on a desert island because I don't know what's going on, or that a certain topic is years old and I'm just now hearing or learning more about it. One topic that baffles me is hybrid and remote work.

I've been working since I was 13 (45+ years ago). My first paid job, other than babysitting, was newspaper delivery. Every job I have worked since then has required me to drive to a physical location or office. Remote work was for traveling salesmen. Hybrid was a biological term used in farming. Covid changed all that. I missed out on all of it since I was an unemployed homemaker in a rural community. I went to town once a week and always forgot I needed to be wearing a mask. While the world came to a crashing halt, I was watering my garden and mowing grass. Like many working professionals, my then-husband had traveled for work for 10 years until Covid forced him to work from home for a year. He thought it would be great to work from home for a while and it ended up killing our marriage (cue divorce).

Now I am re-entering a new era where I have a workplace choice - remote, hybrid, on-site, or in person? I actually miss working in an office and I kinda want a job where I have to go to one at least part of the time. I'm also open to traveling, over-time, and having too much to do. I'm bored. I miss getting up and putting on my game face, packing a lunch, and physically going somewhere that I am accountable to. I don't miss time-clocks. They are the devil. But I do miss the regular routine.

I've read the pros and cons of both sides of the workplace choice discussion. I can go either way now that I no longer have responsibilities to child or spouse and I am a debt-free renter. My work/life balance can tip a little more on the work side without sacrificing too much of what used to be important in my life, and I look forward to embracing that.

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TashaAugust 3,2023 at 8:38PM UTC
Hi!
You're not alone. There are still those who struggle with the concepts of remote and hybrid work; and, that's ok. Just like anything we don't understand, maintaining an open-minded allows us to view things from varying perspectives considering those who both appreciate and those who remain skeptical of these workplace flexibilities.
One significant benefit of remote work, is the option to recruit top talent from geographically dispersed locations and bringing on staff those who would not otherwise even consider work opportunities in areas outside of their local commuting distance.
Another benefit is the ability to maintain work/life balance, especially for those who have family and other life responsibilities in addition to maintaining employment.
One detractor is missing out on the social element; particularly for those entering the workforce for the first time or re-entering as in your case. Working in an office allows for closer engagement with your colleagues as it provides a space for those informal chats and opportunities to share that are often difficult when you're having a virtual meeting.
There are both positive and negative aspects; but, keeping top-of-mind that what works for some may not work for others creates space for everyone to work from their best worksite.
Jennifer TaylorAugust 8,2023 at 3:35PM UTC
It sounds like you would do best in an on-site or hybrid role. On LinkedIn, you can specifically search for roles like that, or put “open to all”.
At 54, I am fully remote and I love it. little to no office gossip, I can focus without interruption (except from my cats) and my breaks are in my backyard.
Peggie Arvidson * Career Consultant | Adoptee Advocate | RecruiterAugust 10,2023 at 1:27PM UTC
I'm not sure that there is a question here - however, my biggest takeaway is that you ought to be looking at roles where you can write for a living - if work/life balance isn't an issue and you like going into an office or having a routine - I'll bet a smaller company in need of a strong marketing voice and branding presence would be open to taking a chance on you - bc your writing is on point.
While EVERYONE (and I'm recruiter so it feels like everyone in every industry) wants to be fully remote and few are interested in hybrid - you also have a leg up where that's concerned! someone who wants to come to the office would go high on my list (depending on the role and experience of candidate) bc people willing to commute to the office are so hard to find.
Good luck and thanks for sharing part of your journey
Ann M GoodenAugust 11,2023 at 5:38PM UTC
Thank you so much for complimenting my writing! It is one of the skills I love and take pride in. In a previous job I helped write technical documents and over the years I've helped my friends with their college papers. My father once told me I needed to write a book about my experiences after I spoke to a group of troubled young women. My family is filled with "grammar dictators" (it's a family joke) and we all have writing/speaking talent to some degree. I never thought of marketing though...
Alejandro MartinezAugust 10,2023 at 9:41PM UTC
At this stage, I recon you should search for the kind of job that suits you better. The benefits of remote work are the management of your own time and the reduced travel-related stress, but you lack the human contact and the office environment. If you like people, you better seek an hybrid or in-office kind of job. Regards