An Office Job is Still Relevant
Remote work is transformative, but the right office setting can be pivotal during specific life phases
In the remote work hyped era, I recently found myself stepping into what some would consider the past or not necessary: an office job.
5 days a week in an office seemed daunting to me at first. Especially because I haven’t worked in person with people everyday for more than 2 years now.
Although it’s still fresh, I can say that my perspective about remote work and an office job has changed. While I was working remotely, I thought that working in an office was an exclusively negative experience. The image of being tied to a desk from nine to five seemed like being in a prison.
But as I started spending more time in the office, this perception is beginning to fade.
My perceptions changed as I found myself enjoying the environment of collaboration and the daily interaction with colleagues. Formal and non-formal.
In fact, I had already written about the benefits an in-person job could provide over working from home for people in their 20s. This assumption I’ve now put into practice and I would say it is viable.
From my current personal experience, I will highlight some of the benefits that I’ve recognized from an office job.
Discipline and routine
Success in an office environment relies heavily on self-discipline. But in remote work, even more so. I will say for myself that I am a disciplined person, but being constantly at home while working, surrounded by many distractions, is still a challenging task.
The temptation to slack and be lazy is reduced when surrounded by hardworking colleagues, and I've found myself being more productive and focused.
For those 8 hours that I’m in the office, I’m not doing anything else but the work assigned to me. And this is very new to me because for the last 2 years I was scattered on many different projects, working with different clients. To be focused only on one main project feels like much easier for my mind to grasp. It’s also very important because I feel like I can do much more deep and good work on this one main project.
It also helps that I’ve turned off my social media in the morning, a habit I’m practicing for some time now. What helps is that a colleague from my office has done the same thing which makes us accountable for each other and easier to achieve this goal of no distractions.
My days are now filled with my day job and other projects where I now have to learn how to say NO more than ever. Now I have to prioritize heavily where my focus and energy goes because I have less time than before. I’m still struggling with this but slowly getting there.
A Time to Reflect and Disconnect
I rarely commuted in my life to work. When I worked a job that required from me to be there in person, I always had a short drive. Also going to school was always a 10-min walk for me.
So you can imagine that commuting to work is very new to me. I thought this would be the worst thing in my life but it actually became a very sacred time.
It’s now the rare time in the day, besides meditation and workouts (the activities I ruthlessly try to prioritize) that I get to disconnect and reflect.
On the bus, I just look out the window and observe people and the surroundings. I also go off the bus one station earlier to have a short walk which I would rarely take for myself otherwise.
Learning from Colleagues
In this job, I’m a junior. Being physically present has enabled me to learn by watching others, understanding their work ethic, their ways of working and picking up on nuances that would be harder to see when working remotely. It’s especially important for me now in this stage that I learn as much as possible and as quick as possible.
I try to be completely engaged in the learning process. My colleagues also see how I work all the time and are able to help me and push me to do my best work.
Skill and Character Development
For those in the process of developing their skills and character, like me, this in-person interaction is incredibly vital. It builds responsibility, resilience, fosters growth, and brings confidence.
This is of course not necessary for everyone. Everyone needs to see what they need in the stage of their lives they are in. I felt that this experience could benefit me in this particular period of my life and that it could be a big step out of my comfort zone which will again enable me to grow further.
“Associate with people who are likely to improve you.” – Seneca
It's Not One-Size-Fits-All
There's no denying that remote work has revolutionized the way we approach our professional and personal lives. For many, it offers immense flexibility and has been a game changer. However, it's also important to understand that the term "office job" carries many meanings and associations for different individuals.
In my current role, I'm surrounded by a dynamic group of about 12 people, all around my age in a startup-like atmosphere. This has drastically increased my overall enjoyment. Contrast this with the stereotypical large office settings where employees are pushed into individual cubicles, and it's clear that not all office experiences are created equal. I see that such environments may not necessarily offer the same opportunities for growth as my current setting does.
That being said, my goal is still to harness the best of both worlds. In the future I still see myself embracing a hybrid model. I still see the importance of remote work or different hybrid models changing the way we live and how we travel.
I think it’s crucial to stay adaptable and acknowledge that our ideal work environment might shift based on where we are in our personal and professional journeys, and the kind of culture we step into.
What are your thoughts on office vs. remote work? Have you found any value while being in the office?