Pivoting from nonprofit to for profit and fully in the office to fully remote.

7 Comments

1. AnonymousNovember 9,2021 at 3:00PM UTC

   I actually had the same career shift as you are: from a non-profit in office to for-profit and fully remote! I think some important things I have found to help:
   1. Set a routine: I try not to wake up and start work right away. To separate my life from my work is important. Also a dedicated workspace can help, even if it's at your kitchen table!
   2. I'm firm with my boundaries: I work a set schedule and don't answer messages outside of that time.
   3. Make sure to take breaks, or even schedule them. When you're in the office, breaks come more naturally. I tend to sweep my floors or do a house chore on a short break, which is nice at the end of the day.
   4. Also, I think printers are obsolete at this point!

   Best of luck!

2. aspoonmoreNovember 9,2021 at 4:12PM UTC

   You have a lot of change in your life!! Great news that the position is just what you want to be doing!

   For working remotely, I agree with the prior post - set a schedule that works for you, schedule meetings with the cadence that fits into your day, and don't get pulled into work when you are "home" - think of it like you are in the office and out of the office.

   As for the shift from nonprofit to for profit, there are lessons you have learned about managing people and $$ that the for profit world doesn't always deal with - leverage these experiences to ask questions, provide insight, build towards the company vision! And there will be things that come your way that you have never thought you would see - learn from these new experiences (and talk through with a mentor).

   Good luck!

3. M Elizabeth IngramNovember 9,2021 at 5:52PM UTC

   Before you purchase anything, check to see what your new company is going to provide you with.
   If your company doesn't proactively set you up with time to meet your colleagues, you can ask for a few minutes to video chat with each person you'll be working with in the first couple weeks as a way to start your relationships.
   Congratulations on your new role!

4. Cynthia Armistead NewmanNovember 16,2021 at 5:25PM UTC

   Congrats on getting a job that's great for you! I made the jump from a non-profit to the commercial sector years ago, and have worked remotely off and on since 1990.

   I agree with the other commenters - have a schedule and stick to it. Create a dedicated workspace somehow - somewhere with a door to close it off from the rest of your home if at all possible. I seriously doubt you'll need a printer - I have one but I don't think I've ever used it for work!

   Find out what your employer will be providing - a good computer is the bare minimum. Will they provide any kind of home office budget or other equipment?

   Good ergonomics are vital, so you'll want a desk, keyboard tray, and a really good chair. Lighting is also important. Pleasant surroundings can make it easier to sit down and get to work, so I have art, plants, and a fountain in my office. My employer provides a laptop, so I have an external keyboard, trackpad, and two monitors.

   Best of luck in your journey!

5. Sarah BordersNovember 16,2021 at 9:42PM UTC

   Congratulations to you! ?

   I’ve recently made the jump from government agency to corporation, and from working 100% in the office (though from mid-March 2020 through July 2021, we were 100% remote) to working 100% remote permanently, and I honestly haven’t noticed a lot of differences in the experience between government agency and corporate. If you’re not switching fields, the work will not be drastically different.

   My current employer has better infrastructure for remote work, so they accommodate it better. In hindsight (after only being in the position for two months), I believe the most important thing I did was to make sure I set up one-on-one meetings with all my colleagues. It’s important to give yourself opportunities to get to know whom you’re working with and to connect with them on a personal level.

   You don’t have to “make friends” necessarily, but it does help to build those relationships early because you will need their help, collaboration, and institutional knowledge as you begin to take on projects.

   Oh, and if your new employer says that you need a printer to do your job, it’s not unreasonable to ask them to pay for it. ?

6. Laura BrowneNovember 18,2021 at 2:44AM UTC

   Congratulations! Wait until you know what your company will provide for you before you start buying supplies. I highly recommend that you structure your day and set time boundaries like you're in the office. Working from home makes it easy for you to be on call all the time and continually check your emails but, it's not a good idea to get into the habit of being constantly on call.

7. Elizabeth Gough-GordonNovember 18,2021 at 4:18PM UTC

   Congratulations! I would wait and see first what equipment you get from your new employer; if they are fully remote, you may even get a stipend for office equipment. Culturally, one of the biggest surprises I experienced when going from nonprofits to for-profit companies was around budgets. At the non-profits where I had worked, marketing budgets were VERY tight and I was accustomed to having to justify every penny spent and spending on a fairly small scale. At for-profit companies where I've worked, there are still budget concerns but I have been able to make pitches for why additional spending is needed. It's a great change but I am also asked more frequently for marketing and branding proposals and budget estimates.

   Just as you would meet with a lot of people for introductory meetings if you were working in a physical office, these meetings are also extremely helpful when working remotely. Don't be afraid to take the initiative and schedule video calls with colleagues and people from other teams to get to know their work!