Talking the office naysayer into allowing the occasional telecommute can require exhausting acts of persuasion, career counsellors say.
“It really is about convincing the boss,” warns Tory Johnson, co-author of Will Work From Home.
To accomplish that, she adds, you’ll have to come with a well-prepared pitch. Keep these tips in mind.
Start with a Short Term Try-Out
Don’t approach your boss requesting a permanent change of scenery, Johnson cautions.
“It’s a lot easier if you are initially focused on a trial period,” she says.
Plus, CareerBuilder.com career coach Alison Nawoj adds, that will afford you the opportunity to prove yourself.
“Your boss may have concerns that you don’t have good self-discipline,” she says. “This is a chance to convince them you’re a self-starter.”
Ask Not What Telecommuting Can Do For You
“Whatever benefits you come up with should centre on how this can help your employer, not how it can help you,” Nawoj offers.
Those benefits abound, Johnson adds. “For example, if you have a two-hour commute, be willing to give up half that commute time just to start working earlier,” she says.
Show that You’ve Thought it Through
“Recognize that the onus, at least in the beginning, is really going to be on you,” Johnson says. “Do you have the right equipment? Do you have space in your home where you can make this work? Do some research first.”
