Designers, Developers, Guides, Working Remotely

Top 7 Sites for Finding a Remote Ruby / Ruby on Rails Job

There are a lot of job sites out there for ruby developers, but only a few of them even bother to identify remote / telecommute jobs. Within that small set, far fewer of them actually allow you to filter for truly 100% remote jobs without some crafty keyword searching.

Ruby and the Rails framework have been consistently growing in popularity for almost a decade now. Rails is popular for its’ ability to let developers quickly create simple web applications, making it perfect for most startups. Also, Ruby’s easy to read syntax makes it popular among both beginners and advanced programmers for API’s & other web based applications. Typically, employers will look for Ruby programmers with a knowledge of HTML / CSS & Javascript, and experience with another server side language is taken as a big plus. Finally, we’ve seen a rise of employers requesting experience with mobile, usually writing API’s for native iOS & Android applications in Ruby.We expect that Ruby will continue to grow in popularity over the next few years, especially because of the ‘lean startup movement’. For these reasons and more, we find the following to be the Top 7 best sites for finding or posting a remote Ruby / Ruby on Rails job.

#7. Indeed

Pros

Extremely Popular Job site (typically top ranking results for job searches)
OK filter (enter “Remote” in location)
Decent number of opportunities
Good Mix of Startup + Corporate

Cons

Is just an aggregator, you will have to apply on employer’s site
Not Developer focused
Lots of ‘noise’ to go through, and filter’s don’t work too well

Overall

Indeed aggregates from a huge amount of job boards, so it initially seems as if they have the most opportunities. However, since they only aggregate, interested job seekers will still have to apply on the listing companies site, which is a huge time waste if you’re applying to many opportunities. The search function only returns opportunities that have ‘remote’ in their subject line, but this still returns a decent amount. Overall, Indeed & similar job are average at best for finding remote Ruby jobs, but they have the potential to be a great resource if they add a “remote” search box

#6. Github

Pros

Almost every developer uses Github as their code repository
“Remote” works in Location
Clean UI

Cons

Extremely limited ruby choices

Overall

We expected Github to have more listings because of the huge amount of developers that already use the site, but it was surprisingly low. We’ve posted opportunities ourselves, and didn’t think the applicants were as strong as some other sites, so maybe it’s just not a feature that’s marketed well on github. Either way, if they decide to make this more of a priority and developers take to it, this could be a powerhouse site.

#5. WeWorkRemotely.com (37Signals)

Pros

Only Remote Opportunities, No need to filter jobs!
Well known for remote – 37Signals has written extensively on the topic
Many Startup opportunities
Simple to navigate – Simple UX / UI

Cons

Should be more Ruby opportunities (for a site dedicated to it, by the guys who made Rails)
Too Simple for employer profiles: There’s limited space to describe the position.
Mostly Startup Opportunities: Lacking corporate jobs.

Overall

The posts are of good quality, but for a company that is such a large proponent of remote working, we think they should have more positions. Also, they have a ‘is this position not remote?’ flag, but they should manually be going through the job board each day.

#4. Authentic Jobs

Pros

Built for Remote & Contract type Jobs
Decent Mix of Startup & Corporate opportunities
Best Filter among all of the sites we’ve reviewed.
Good Design
Good Quality Positions

Cons:

Very few Ruby positions (3)
No junior or entry level positions, only senior and experienced

Overall

This site has earned a reputation for the quality of its posts, and is well known amongst developers and designers. (i.e Employers can expect a decent # of applicants applying to their jobs) As with stackoverflow, there is a checkbox to tag the post as a telecommuting position, ‘Work can be done from anywhere (i.e. telecommuting)’. The other bonus here is filtering that allows you to separate out full-time jobs, contract, internship, etc. However, with all these great features, there’s only a limited # of Ruby opportunities.

#3. Linkedin

Pros

Well known: Almost everyone has a Linkedin professional requirement
Easy to filter (enter “Remote” in location)
Huge # of opportunities
Mostly Corporate jobs

Cons:

Not Developer focused (lots of clutter)
Too many choices, not good enough filters
Most of the positions are posted by recruiters.

Overall:

We were surprised by the huge # of opportunities, but ultimately disappointed because 1/2’s of them were posted by CyberCoders (a tech consulting firm). However, since Linkedin has become the dominant social network for careers (and most people having a Linkedin Profile) it’s one of the most populous job boards. The best benefit (if you have a filled out profile) is you can apply directly to positions using your linkedin profile, so no resume is needed. Going forward, if Linkedin was to add a “remote’ checkbox as a filter criteria, we might move Linkedin to #1 on our list

#2. FlexJobs

Pros

Most popular Remote job board (for all positions)
Largest # of real ruby opportunities (very low on recruiters)
Well known (good marketplace)
Mix of Corporate and Startup

Cons

Poor UI
Have to become a member to apply
COST (monthly fee to be a member)

Overall

At first, we didn’t think too much of flexjobs because the site looks a bit ‘spammy’ at first glance. However, they have a huge amount of Ruby Opportunities, more than every other job board site yet. The one giant glaring weakness is that they charge job seekers a monthly subscription fee to apply to their positions. This allows them to have cheaper prices for employers to post opportunities, but is also quite annoying when nothing is guaranteed on the job seeker side. Nevertheless, if you’re really looking to get a new remote position, the monthly fee is nominal if you actually do apply to a ton of opportunities and use your payment to it’s full potential.:)

The Winner: #1. Stack Overflow Careers

Pros:

Number of remote posts (approx.): Highest (62)
Quality of Employers: There’s some really solid employers posting great opportunities.
Quality of Applicants: Through our experience hiring, we consistently found awesome applicants through Stack Overflow
Application Management: Strictly for employers, but Stack Overflow has created a very simple way to manage applicants. Making it more likely that employers will stick with it.

Cons:

Price: $495 a post for employers, which limits the pool size.
Awareness: We think they could draw more attention to it for developers

Overall

We’ve posted to many different job boards to help clients fill technical positions, but have always gotten the best Ruby applicants and the highest volume through Stack Overflow. On the job seeker side, we found the highest number of opportunities, and it was a great mix of startup and corporate positions.

Stack Overflow has positioned itself so well by creating two simple check boxes: one for employers, one for job seekers. In the job posting form (for employers) the following statement is below the ‘Telecommute’ checkbox–‘Check this only if you are considering candidates who will work entirely remotely’. Job seekers have the option to select ‘Allows remote’ in their locations

Summary

We’ve posted opportunities on many of these sites & other team members have used them in the past for new opportunities, but we were quite surprised by the results. A few “Ruby Only” job boards that we’ve used in the past either didn’t have remote opportunities, or only had a handful of actual positions. Further, some developer job boards we’ve used in the past (some very large ones..) simply had awful searches for remote ruby positions, but we assume this is a reflection of the market & the types of companies that post to those sites. Nevertheless, we expect this list to dynamically change over time, and we will update it to reflect these changes.

Post in the comments if you think we’re missing any great resources & why!

March 29, 2015 by remotenation

Designers, Interview, Working Remotely

How to manage a remote agency: an interview with a Remote Working Guru, Josh Cramer

Remote Nation conducted an exclusive interview with Josh Cramer of Fullstack, a high-end design and development agency that’s 100% remote. Be sure to read how Josh is able to manage a large team effectively, while building great products.

Remote Nation: What was your first traditional workplace environment like? Looking back, do you see any elements there that began to push you into favoring remote working?  

Josh Cramer: I worked as an engineer in a photovoltaics manufacturing company. I designed and built the machines that made the solar cells. The facility that I worked in was a 15 minute commute each way. That’s 30 minutes of driving per day in traffic (and one hour if I came home for lunch). The work environment was fine and I just accepted the commute time as normal.However, once I started working in a situation without the commute, I realized just how much stress that time in the car caused each day. I’ve gone long periods without driving a car and would find myself getting very stressed when having to drive anywhere. Although I think we can get conditioned to better deal with the stress of a commute, I think we’d all be a lot happier if we didn’t have to do it. Slate and The Economist have reported on the scientifically proven correlation between happiness and the length of your commute.  I love the flexibility to be able to commute to a co-working space if I want or to work out of the home office if I feel like it.

RN: Building on this point, what are some the factors that lead you to embrace remote working for your recent businesses?Cramer: I think there is value to being in the same place together in a centralized office, but that doesn’t mean we have to be together every day all day in order to do our best work. I think cutting out commute time and being closer to your family are benefits that should not be overlooked just because of our non-remote work traditions.Beyond that, I think many talented people want to live in parts of the country that may not have work opportunities that best match their specific talents. Building a remote working opportunity can unlock potential for these people and for the business that is willing to hire them. I’ve definitely recognized that and have taken advantage of it over the years. It benefits both sides.RN: Remote working gained substantial media attention a few years ago when Yahoo! and other companies decided to no longer allow people to work from home. What are some suggestions you’d offer to employers who are considering taking similar action?  Cramer: If people are taking advantage of a remote working situation for their own gain at the expense of the company, that is a good indicator that you don’t have the right people on your team. The right people will respect the company that is employing them and give their best effort to make that company successful regardless of whether they work from home or the office. With Yahoo!, that clearly wasn’t happening and something needed to be done. I think we’ve seen that the problems ran much deeper for Yahoo! than the remote work situation. Just getting people in the same office is not enough to make your company successful.  The lesson here is to get the right people on the team and the wrong people off the team. Create an environment in which remote team members can participate with everyone else on a completely level playing field. Make a commitment to help team members whether they work from the central office or from their home offices.

RN: It is easy to argue that a geographically centric office can more effectively build a stronger work culture than a remote/distributed work environment. What are some steps you think businesses with remote workers can do to also build a strong work environment?

Cramer: I tend to agree that it is easier to build a stronger work culture in a geographically centric office as compared to a remote scenario. However, I think it is possible to build a positive culture in a remote team if you have the right people on the team.  I think the answer is to facilitate structure for the team. If there is no structure, it is so easy for remote workers to drift off into their own caves and not interact with others on the team. However, if good structure is in place, each remote team member has an opportunity to interact with others on the team in positive ways. Creating the right structures and contexts for interaction is the fabric of culture. In a centralized office, some of these structures and contexts happen naturally, but in a remote setting, it is necessary to be more intentional about these things.

RN: Being able to successfully work remotely is a skill set that takes time to develop. What steps do you take as an employer to make sure someone is ready for a distributed work environment?

  Cramer: The easiest way to deal with this is to hire people who have had prior experience working as part of a remote team. If that is not the case, you really need to look for evidence that the individual is self directed and can operate autonomously for the most part. I do think in most cases that if an individual can be successful in a self directed capacity working in an centralized office setting, there will be no trouble translating this to a remote setting.  Other things you can do are to set up regular status meetings with people to monitor progress. We’ve used short daily standup meetings with remote team members to create a regular daily opportunity for managers to interact with team members. One of the items on the agenda is, “What roadblocks are you facing today?” Forcing everyone to answer this question exposes any problems that may be impeding progress. It also creates an opportunity to solve any problems at a regular known time so that everyone can get back to work. This is arguably more efficient than the interruption style of roadblock removal that is more present in centralized offices.

RN: The idea of being able to work from home, a favorite coffee shop, or wherever one wants sounds ideal, but what are some obstacles you think unprepared remote workers might experience?

Cramer: I’ve seen some people try to work remotely without establishing proper boundaries. This can create a lot of problems for remote workers. If you are working from a home office or a coffee shop or the beach, you are still working. It is important to make sure that the environment that you are working in is conducive to productivity. This means that you should not have any other responsibilities that may distract you, like watching the kids, waiting for the plumber to show up, etc. Also, I think a quiet place to work is essential if you ever have to talk to other people you work with.  We’ve had team members try to work 100% out of various coffee shops in the past. Between the bad WiFi, loud background noise, and variable conditions at coffee shops, it really starts to take a toll on productivity. In my view, this is not professional or acceptable.  This may mean that you have to talk with your spouse or roommate to make sure they understand your commitment. It also means that you’ll need to create a dedicated workspace that is distraction free. We present our team members with the concept of a minimum viable office that defines these conditions for them.

RN: Tracking progress and meeting milestones is paramount to the success of every business, what are some programs that you rely on to make sure everyone is on track?

Cramer: We are heavy users of Trello, Harvest, Pivotal Tracker, Slack, and Google Apps. There are a large variety of excellent tools out there than can help remote teams keep on track even better than centralized teams using a whiteboard. I think this is really a matter of each team figuring out which system is best for them.

RN: Overall, how do you think you have professionally and personally benefitted from having a business that allows for remote working?

Cramer:   I’ve been able to be closer to my family. Interacting with them at lunch every day is great. I’ve also been able to travel more. I have regularly gone on more extended trips than I otherwise would have been able to, because I’m able to work at full capacity while on the road.  I think building and managing a remote team has also forced me to build a more organized and efficient system behind the company. I believe we’ve benefited from better documentation and systems. A geographically centric team that I’ve been a part of in the past was more apt to rely on ad-hoc communication to make things work. While this isn’t bad, having everything be part of a clearly documented and universally accessible system has benefits that cannot be overstated. A remote team needs to do this in order to survive.

RN: Finally, for companies considering remote working, what are some books and sources you’d recommend they read?

  Cramer: The books Remote and Rework [both by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson] are good introductory books on the topic. Also, the RemoteNation.co website is a great source to keep an eye on 😉

March 4, 2015 by remotenation

Advice, Designers, Working Remotely

Remote Design: Feedback and Collaboration

Up until about a year ago, I was hunkered down in a cubicle eating food through a little trap door. Okay, so that last part is not entirely accurate, but I am currently working remotely as a Product Designer at Fullstack.

If we really dig in there are some differences when it comes to designing remotely, but nothing that we can’t overcome. Two items come to mind as I think back over my experiences in both environments: feedback and collaboration.There are many options available for collaborating on designs and collecting feedback. The methods range from rudimentary screenshots to full blown apps, but I find that most of these approaches will work regardless of your physical location.

Feedback: Admiring From Afar

Environmental factors will likely influence your decision. For example, we follow a lean / agile workflow so we tend to favor methods that provide an ‘early and often’ feedback loop. Certain projects and clients may be okay with quick-and-dirty methods, while others may necessitate the need for more formal and organized approaches.

In an office setting, it is common to have somebody take a peek over your shoulder (whether you invite them or not). The randomness of that occurrence cannot be re-created and the physical cues are hard to capture over video, but there is so much more we can do in collecting feedback.

Other than the unscheduled drive-by, most everything else can be replicated remotely. You can share photos of sketches, send screenshots via chat and email, share your screen and even allow tunneling to your local host. Heck, with Google Hangouts you could practically get the drive-by effect described above (if you really want that).

The Quick and Dirty Methods

When working on sketches we typically snap a picture of our sketchbook using either a smart phone or a built in laptop camera (if you’re on a Mac, Photo Booth is super handy for this). Lately, I have also been using the entry level Wacom Bamboo tablet for quick sketches in Illustrator.

If you are beyond sketching and are dealing with a wireframe, prototype, or Illustrator/Photoshop file then a simple screenshot will likely do the trick (Command-Shift-4 on mac will become your favorite shortcut).

The trick is getting that screenshot in front of your teammates quickly without too much fiddling. With an app like TinyGrab you can simultaneously turn your screenshot into a url for sharing. With the TinyGrab app running (along with Dropbox), each time you take a screenshot it will upload it to your Dropbox account, create a tiny url and copy it to your clipboard–paste that in your IM chat (we use Skype), and you’re done. As an added bonus, TinyGrab also allows for some basic feedback notes on the screenshot once it is opened.

The Slow and Clean Methods

The quick-and-dirty method works great when dealing with a couple of peers or smaller project teams that follow a Lean UX workflow, but if you are seeking more formal feedback from a larger set of people (often involving clients) then you may need a more structured feedback loop.

There are many apps out there geared toward collecting feedback remotely. Some of our personal favorites in this category would be InVisionApp, Notable and InfluenceApp. The last two were built by Zurb who, as I was typing this, launched a third app in this category, ReelApp. There are many more, all of which do essentially the same thing.

In the end, things are not much different when using apps to collect feedback from home or the office. There is something to be said about in-person feedback, and I will be the first to admit that I miss it on occasion. However, there are so many tools available (many at no cost) that allow us to collect valuable feedback and get the job done without sacrificing quality. And hey, if you really want to see their physical reaction then use your built-in video cameras!

Collaboration: Gaze Into My Eyes

The other obstacle to overcome while designing remotely is collaboration. Let’s be honest, getting together in a room and whiteboarding as a team can be fun. On the flip side it can also be incredibly inefficient when the conversation wanders off topic or certain people commandeer the ship. Either way, if collaboration is what you are after, then collaboration you shall get.

Nowadays, we all live on some variation of chat client. Most of them also offer video call capability and its fairly safe to assume people have a built-in video camera within reach (laptop, phone, etc.). Fire up an app and check each other out (that sounded creepy, keep your cool).

Skype and Google Hangouts are great options and free for a decent number of participants. (side note: you might also want to check out the WebRTC project)

Maybe you don’t need to lay eyes on each other, but just want to share your screen? Sure, no problem. Again Skype or the free join.me version will do the trick in almost every situation. If you want the whiteboard experience, then fire up Illustrator or Adobe and sketch it out. Wireframing? Same approach, open your favorite tool and share away–something like Balsamiq does the trick.

At Fullstack, our team gets together once or twice a year. Clearly this is a great opportunity for getting to know earch other, but it also lends itself to some fruitful collaboration. Have an internal or side project you’ve been wanting to crank out? Put together a little hackathon and get it shipped in the course of your meetup!

The good news is that there are plenty of apps out that can help us overcome the remote collaboration issue. The experience is close enough to the real thing in most circumstances enabling you to get the job done. If you are feeling lonely, or just want to see a face then get out and hit a local Meetup or make video call, the future is here McFly!

Make It Work

Topics like this will certainly come up when teams or companies are considering a remote working arrangement (and you’ll probably endure hour long meetings with everybody offering their opinion on why it will or won’t work). My advice is to just give it a shot! Almost all of these tools are free, so just take a day and work from home. Carry on with business as usual and in the end, I am confident that you find a solution that works for everybody. Oh, and as an added bonus, you’ll likely find yourself happier and more productive living outside of that sad cubicle!

February 5, 2015 by Ryan Kearins

Advice, Designers, Developers, Guides, Hiring

Top 5 Sites for Finding a Remote Developer or Designer Job

There are a lot of job sites out there for web designers and developers, but only a few of them even bother to identify remote / telecommute jobs. Within that small set, far fewer of them actually allow you to filter for truly 100% remote jobs without some crafty keyword searching.

Top 5 Sites for Finding a Remote Developer or Designer Job

Having been down this road and experiencing the frustrations first-hand, here are five sites that I would consider to be the best of the bunch.

The Contestants

In no particular order.

Stack Overflow Careers 2.0

Site url: careers.stackoverflow.com
Filter type: Location (Telecommute)
Number of remote posts (approx.): 127
Observations: It is rare to find a quality site that has an explicit location filter for telecommute positions. Also impressive is the fact that the job posting form (for employers) has the following statement below the ‘Telecommute’ checkbox–‘Check this only if you are considering candidates who will work entirely remotely’, I’ll raise a glass to that!
Grade: A

37signals Job Board

Site url: jobs.37signals.com
Filter type: keyword search
Number of remote posts (approx.): 15-20? (it was hard to tell, you have to guess the terms: telecommute, remote, anywhere, etc.
Observations: The posts are of good quality, but for a company that is such a large proponent of remote working they do a pretty lackluster job identifying those posts. Also, their job posting form simply has an open text input for location with no checkbox or other way of identifying the post as remote.
Grade: B

Dribbble – Jobs

Site url: dribbble.com/jobs
Filter type: none
Number of remote posts (approx.): 10?
Observations: Similar to 37signals job board, there are some quality remote gigs here, but you have to dig without any assistance. In fact, this site offers no filtering at all and this job board is simply a launchpad to external sites (i.e. passive income generator). Best bet is to Ctrl-F for ‘Anywhere’, which is a hint on the location text field within their job posting form.
Grade: C

Authentic Jobs

Site url: authenticjobs.com
Filter type: checkbox
Number of remote posts (approx.): 60
Observations: This site has earned a reputation for the quality of its posts and it is the only site in this group whose sole purpose is listing jobs. I also noticed you can bookmark a useful URL after filtering authenticjobs.com/#onlyremote=1. As with stackoverflow, there is a checkbox to tag the post as a telecommuting position–‘Work can be done from anywhere (i.e. telecommuting)’. The other bonus here is filtering that allows you to separate out full-time jobs, though the telecommute checkbox to ’Show only telecommute jobs’ is buried under a map icon.
Grade: A

Career Pages on Employer Sites

Site url: You’re gonna have to dig.
Filter type: n/a
Number of remote posts (approx.): n/a
Observations: The fact of the matter is that the current state of job boards, with regards to finding remote jobs, sort of stinks. There are very high quality remote positions out there, but you are going to have to seek them out. That being said, make a list of the companies that offer remote working arrangements and keep an eye on their career / jobs pages. The demand for remote jobs is rising and as with traditional jobs, the best employers don’t always rely upon job boards.
Grade: n/a

The Winner

If I had to pick one, the best site is authenticjobs.com, followed closely by Stack Overflow Careers 2.0. Both of these sites allow for explicit filtering of telecommuting jobs and provide a means for employers to clearly tag a job as such. The slight edge goes to Authentic Jobs mainly for its advanced filtering.

The common thread in each of these contestants making my short list is the quality of the job posts. These sites represent not only some of the biggest players in the web industry but also employers with a solid reputation with regards to work environment. As with any job search, you will be doing some digging in turning up the gems. The good news is that the jobs are out there if you are willing to put in the work.

Things You Should Pay Attention to While Searching

Location: USA – The meaning of this ‘location’ is wildly inconsistent. From what I can gather, it typically means they want somebody from the USA; however, it does not mean that you can live anywhere in the USA. In short, they want to relocate you..

Searching for keywords is never all that reliable, but in particular the term ‘remote’ will bring back a potpourri of things since the term has many meanings within the web / technical industry. The keywords ‘telecommute’ and ‘anywhere’ provide superior accuracy.

Employers (even those who are not truly offering a telecommuting opportunity, for shame) know that people like you are searching for those keywords. As with any other ‘optimized’ content, they are going to stuff these words in their job postings (e.g. ‘telecommute not an option at this time’).

Another annoyance you will come across is employers who offer ‘alternative work arrangements’, but label them as telecommuting or remote working. In fact, what they are really offering is the option for you to work from home on occasion–once a week, due to inclement weather, etc.

Lastly, if you are fortunate enough to get a response, then don’t be afraid to clarify the remote working arrangement up front. Neither you nor the employer want to prepare for, schedule and trudge through an entire interview only to find out you have different interpretations of the term ‘telecommute’!

Happy hunting and if you have any other good advice or links, please share in the comments below.

January 14, 2015 by Ryan Kearins

Designers, Working Remotely

A Day in the Life of a Remote Designer

When I chat with friends about work they often wonder what it is like to work remotely on a day-to-day basis, so I thought I would give a quick rundown of my typical day.

Setting the Stage

I work on the design team for Fullstack, which employs a full staff of remote workers. We create sites and apps that range from WordPress to Rails and iOS.

At the time, there are 14 members of the team whose titles include Project Manager, Product Manager, Software Developer, Office Manager and Product Designer. I work alongside three other Product Designers from my home in Iowa City, Iowa (soon to be Kansas City!).

How It Goes Down

Once I punch the clock, time flies. Our agile workflow is fast paced and the next thing I know I will have spent 8-plus hours in a chair.

Knowing this, I like to get up a little before 7:00, head downstairs to my desk (without waking everybody up) and put in some ‘Ryan’ time. I typically spend 30-45 minutes either sketching, painting, reading RSS feeds or working on a Dribbble shot. Prior to working here, this little bit of free time would have been consumed commuting downtown and circling the streets for a parking spot.

After this mental cleansing is through, I make my presence known on Skype where we interact through a variety of group chats–one for each project I’m on, a designer chat, an entire Fullstack team chat and other miscellaneous topical workgroups (UX, writing, agile, etc.).

We are not a large team, yet we span the U.S. from coast to coast with people representing three of the four time zones. This means there is occasionally some activity after I sign off in the evening, but nothing that a quick five minute scan can’t absorb.

Getting Down to Business

At that point I turn on my Harvest timer and begin working on my assignments (aka stories) in Pivotal Tracker. This makes up the bulk of my day and its really no different than if I were working in an office. Same tools, same meetings, occasional chats with coworkers… pretty routine stuff less the unwanted office chatter about your favorite style of cottage cheese.

I typically peek upstairs at some point during the morning, spending just enough time to say ‘hi’ to the family and inhale a piece of peanut butter and jelly toast. Then I’m right back at it.

After a few hours of grinding in Coda, Xcode or Photoshop its time to grab a quick bite with the family (homecooking #ftw!). Lunch for me used to be an escape from a dreadful cubicle, taking the long way to lunch and eating too much in order to relieve the environmental stress. Now I get to see my family and eat real food, what a concept!

The afternoon moves quick. I’ll share progress shots with my teammates via Skype, process feedback and push code to our company github account. If I need more info or get stuck, help is only a quick chat or call away.

Feeling like I need a change of pace, I may bounce to a coffee shop or simply stand and work at a taller surface in the house… better yet, if the weather is nice I can grab a seat on the porch!

Between 4:30 and 5:00 I let everybody know I’m signing off, scratch down a few notes, walk upstairs and catch up with the family.

The Payoff

After writing this post, it is even more apparent to me where exactly remote working is paying off. Time spent driving and parking is now spent with my family and on personal projects.

It’s also more apparent to me that there are some aspects I could improve upon. For starters, I should get out of the house (or chair*) more–work in a regular run, poach wireless from a local coffee joint, or attend a Meetup.

From a career perspective, I’m happier than ever largely because I work remotely with a great group of people. Communication is more efficient, I am more productive and my quality of life has improved. How can you argue with that?

My advice: Just say ‘no’ to cubicle life.

* Do you sit all day too? You should stop that–Sitting Down Infographic

December 18, 2014 by Ryan Kearins