If you could work from home, how would you find yourself productive?

1SG Henry Yates — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 05:36:06 -0400

I am looking for your input on creating positions for Veterans, (Disabled or not) and Spouses of Veterans, (Disabled or not)

What is the situation and what would be the convenience?
What job could you do from home? (Ideas???)

Veterans:
Some of us fall into a position where our disability isn't considered an un-employable condition, but you find yourself struggling to remain in the work force.

Some of us have Family obligations that we'd benefit a Family member or the Family to work from home.

Spouses of Veterans:
Some are Caregivers and have a full time job assisting a Family member. However, income isn't sustaining your financial obligations.

Some have had to put careers on hold to support Family members or the Family in general.

I ran into a client upon entering his home to assist him, he was in shorts a t-shirt and flip flops. He asked that we sit in his office so that he could work while we talk. He had a job with a major mobile phone and device service provider testing programs that were written to sustain there intended operational purpose. His job was literally breaking stuff. His income was six figure.

What is the situation and what would be the convenience?
What job could you do from home? (Ideas???)

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Mar 22 at 2015 7:32 AM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 07:32:21 -0400

I would revert back to my mental state of mind. Looking at possible being a travel agent.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Mar 22 at 2015 11:53 AM

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 11:53:47 -0400

As an IT guy, I know a lot of civilian IT folks that work from home. This is especially true for programmers.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 22 at 2015 11:59 AM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 11:59:49 -0400

1SG,

I currently work out of my own home. I have learned that in order to stay productive you have to make a schedule for the week. I reserve Monday for schedule. My job requires me to be on the road and cover an area of 200 square miles of oil field.
You have to have a room designated as an office where you can shut the door and work uninterrupted.

Response by SFC Boots Attaway made Mar 22 at 2015 1:43 PM

SFC Boots Attaway — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 13:43:37 -0400

For me it would be Drafting and Design in the Civil Engineering (Land Surveying) or Architectural fields as I have the computer software already. I did this for a while in Ok City but the company I was doing it for did not have a good reputation and was slow to pay. I would say computer repair but most of my software is outdated and will not work on Windows 7 or 8. I guess I could still do hardware upgrades though.

Response by SFC Christopher Perry made Mar 22 at 2015 6:23 PM

SFC Christopher Perry — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 18:23:26 -0400

@1SG Henry Yates, my wife and I continued to run our credit consultation service for a while when we came back in. We did so because we specialized in assisting military and their family members in getting their credit back in line. Deployments and divorce can do a whole lot of damage that is very hard to recover from. Staying motivated is not an issue when you know you are helping people. However, once we found ourselves overseas the time difference made it really hard to keep things going. Answering the phone at two or three in the morning got a bit old pretty quickly.

Response by SSG Brenda Elliott made Mar 22 at 2015 9:22 PM

SSG Brenda Elliott — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 21:22:32 -0400

I rather work at my job than at home.

Response by SGT Joe Sabedra made Mar 22 at 2015 9:29 PM

SGT Joe Sabedra — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 21:29:38 -0400

Depends on how interested you are in the task.
I do well with things that I am interested in and not so much with uninteresting stuff

Response by MSgt Jamie Lyons made Mar 22 at 2015 9:32 PM

MSgt Jamie Lyons — Sun, 22 Mar 2015 21:32:30 -0400

I have been trying to get a work from home position since seperating in January of 2012. Basically anything that relates to data entry, recruiting for HR, customer service. I would take about anything. I have an MBA and still can't get a work at home position. My physical disabilities make it difficult for me so a work at home position would be ideal. If anyone know of one and can hook a veteran up, I would appreciate it.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Mar 23 at 2015 11:30 AM

SGM Erik Marquez — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:30:12 -0400

Horrible unproductive in a work from home situation .. proof positive is this post which Im writing from the laptop in my house vice the laptop in the shop (attached garage) where I should be working on bikes, finish some MOD's on a trailer, build a motor and do some suspension work.

With the shop attached I wander in to get a cup of coffee, check something and next thing I know i've been inside the house an hour or more. I need nothing in the house, have food and drink, internet, music, ect in the shop..... but for me, work at home means a LACK of productivity.

Separate the shop so its not convenient for me to come inside, and i'd be out there all day till i get reminded it's dinner time..and I realise I forgot to stop for even lunch.

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Mar 23 at 2015 11:30 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:30:37 -0400

I was always very skeptical of folks who worked from home and assumed it was more of a sham than anything. I assumed there would be too many distractions and, because of the lack of supervision, too much temptation to simply not work/put in the required hours.

As a result of my company moving me a few years ago, my wife was going to leave her job with a company she really liked and they really liked her. They offered her the opportunity to work for home at our new location and, I have to say, it worked out just fine. In large measure, it was due to her work ethic. When she was supposed to be at work, she was there. In fact, I found that she put in many, many more hours working from home (she was salaried and, therefore, overtime was not an issue) than she did when she was going to an office every day. I guess, when you are at an office, you have to at least consider going home at some point. If you are working from home, you just keep working until what you are working on is finished. In my wife's case, that sometimes was at 0100/0200 in the morning.

I later had the opportunity to also work from home and found it to be great. I am anal, so I am in my home office at or before the official work hours would be in an office and follow the same schedule, as if I were in an office, concerning lunch breaks, quitting time, holidays, etc. I, like my wife, also found that I tend to work longer hours when working from home.

Bottom line is that I think the ability to work from home is great if you are someone who has a strong work ethic and is motivated, disciplined and honest. For people without those traits, it would be difficult to actually put in the required/expected hours.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Mar 23 at 2015 11:34 AM

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:34:29 -0400

I work from home. I have for many years.

Working from home isn't for everyone.

Some are too gregarious and wither without daily contact with their coworkers.

Some aren't self-starters. They need someone to crack the whip. (It's not a bad thing, just a simple fact of human nature)

Some don't have the proper work environment. Too many distractions (young children, for example) get in the way of productivity.

However, for the others, it's economical, efficient, and effective and, sometimes, a necessity (as for the severely disabled). Thanks to modern technology, almost everyone can be a productive member of society regardless of their circumstances.

Response by SFC Charles W. Robinson made Mar 23 at 2015 12:00 PM

SFC Charles W. Robinson — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:00:25 -0400

Digital Marketing is the career field that I am looking at (College Student). This career field lends itself well to working from home. I miss the traveling aspect of the Military though. I would prefer Global Digtial Marketing if possible.

Response by Sgt Spencer Sikder made Mar 23 at 2015 12:19 PM

Sgt Spencer Sikder — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:19:03 -0400

Interesting that in part of the response your comment is, "Some of us have Family obligations that we'd benefit......", the problem with that statement is working from home for many companies or government agencies the statement could be a job killer. As an employer they want to know that you are committed to the 8 hour day just like anyone else. The benefit for them is not having to have an office space for you. The benefit for you is so that you don't have to spend money on travel expenses. So, let me suggest that the ability to work from home will benefit the company should be the emphasis. I'm sure there are suggestions or reasons highlighted on Google somewhere. As for addressing child or elder care issues, have a plan to have an in home care provider there so that you can work, and be prepared to address it in an interview.

As for working from home, envelop stuffing isn't necessarily a career, but computer programming/troubleshooting from home can be. Placing orders or taking orders over the phone. Engineering related careers where you can design on the computer or analyze completed designs. A friend has teleconferences weekly, he sits in front of his desktop with a nice shirt and tie in his underwear or pajama bottoms, so it's great work.

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Mar 23 at 2015 6:34 PM

PO3 Steven Sherrill — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 18:34:38 -0400

Working from home has been made easier by the ready availability of high speed internet connections and VOIP telephones. You coulld essentially perform most office tasks from a Laptop computer. Customer service, billing, marketing, graphic design, etc. all done from the comfort of your living room without even having to get out of your bath robe.

Response by Sgt Cody Dumont made Mar 23 at 2015 7:13 PM

Sgt Cody Dumont — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 19:13:17 -0400

I work from home now. After getting out of the Marines I traveled the country doing network engineer and infosec stuff. traveled nearly 75%. Now I work from home and feel I am extremely productive. Mostly because I never waste time in traffic.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 23 at 2015 7:43 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 19:43:14 -0400

I am a tele-worker and work from home 24x7, I do corporate security for a large organizations. I support multiple accounts from home. I do Internet Security, VPN's, firewalls, Server support. Most of my time is spent on the phone on global conference calls and my computer. so, I recommend IT support of some sorts for a lot of the guys I meet with.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 24 at 2015 10:29 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 10:29:08 -0400

I am conflicted on this subject, I have many direct reports that work from home on a regular basis and the others are geographically dispersed. In the modern age we can work around the world all I need is an internet connection, even at 35,000 ft and I can be on my desk phone logged into our network on my computer and it is now different then being in the office. Yet, for me I do not seem to be as productive as when I work from home and have the distraction that come along with home life. I need to separate my home (relaxation) from work (Productivity)

Response by PV2 Violet Case made Mar 24 at 2015 3:20 PM

PV2 Violet Case — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 15:20:54 -0400

I tried to run my own business from home after several health issues. My memory was failing and comprehension of reading without hands on. And my college degree became useless. But did and do still have some crafting abilities. So I invested in a ceramic business and had an area built on my home to have that business. But the weight of the molds even with hydrolic carts was to much and hiring someone in that field to help left no profit for me. I was teaching 5 classes a week and still no money showing profit to live on and my nerves and anxiety was getting worse. The VA moved me to a higher percent and said I could not deal with the stress of working with the public like that anymore with the PTSD. So here I am with a lot of money invested. But have not given up yet. My shelves are still full of greenware and stuff so I talked to the VA they said if I do it over the internet that would be ok to try. So I have been working on a website that I designed took 3 yrs to do the 50 some pages and are now working on my bed ridden days to paint or make product to put on it. At least so I can make and sell the stuff to make my money back would be nice and it helps therapy for my hands and distracts me from some of my pain. I do not recommend a ceramic shop for anyone with disabilities. I did not realize mine was that serious in nature when I started and had a silent partner in the beginning but he didn't want to work lol. Not sure if it will ever make it out there but will keep working at the items I can.

For some of you if you have a favorite hobby that you love to do. Start out small with your own money as I did then you don't owe on it and no one can take it from you. It is a risk at your end but research the avenues and try out the market first. Try to make it a business for yourself because it is enjoyable to you and many people have succeeded in awe at others talent.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 24 at 2015 11:29 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 23:29:08 -0400

Between my kids and my dogs I wouldn't get any work done whatsoever.

Response by MCPO Robert Kelley made Mar 25 at 2015 10:13 AM

MCPO Robert Kelley — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:13:33 -0400

I worked from home one day a week and found myself more productive and the benefit of not commuting saved time, money and aggravation. I think any one that can, and any job that is possible should allow and encourage it. It also tests remote systems/processes in support of continuity of operations in the event of natural disturbances (weather) and man made (community events, demonstrations etc) ones that might prevent getting into the office. A win - win as they say for those that can.

Response by SP5 Michael Rathbun made Mar 25 at 2015 3:37 PM

SP5 Michael Rathbun — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 15:37:37 -0400

Step One: set a local router rule that blocks RP during working hours, with a hole for lunch.

(My job is 100% over-the-Net virtual.)

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Mar 26 at 2015 1:28 AM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 01:28:54 -0400

Interestingly, I spend my time on RallyPoint. I am on total disability, and what work I do is counseling vets dealing with PTSD and other coping/behavioral issues.

So trolling RP for issues and seeing vets who are hurting, I am working in my field every time I log on here, and RP is my pulpit...

Thanks for giving me work LTC Yinon Weiss CPT Aaron Kletzing SFC Mark Merino (I mean that most sincerely...)

Response by PO3 David Olschewske made Mar 26 at 2015 9:51 AM

PO3 David Olschewske — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 09:51:33 -0400

I started working from home around a year ago, I am currently in a Cyber Security role, the one downside is there is no clear delineation of the work day, some days I am done after 8 hours, some days 12 hours. Being in the office you can leave for the day and kind of have an end, the challenge is to make sure you don't forget about the work home life balance.

Response by LCDR Richard Downs, DDS. FAGD, FICOI made Mar 31 at 2015 3:23 PM

LCDR Richard Downs, DDS. FAGD, FICOI — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 15:23:44 -0400

You can also do online business building. First step is to have a lead generation vehicle. I do know a place to do that and can help people get the information to decide for themselves.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 31 at 2015 3:56 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 15:56:14 -0400

In a perfect world, if all my files were electronic I could work from home. The constant chatter of office co-workers is annoying. I get more done in silence than I do with an office full of people. My job (Budget) is one of those jobs that can work from home. All financial systems now are all online. All forms are now centrally located online and when sending sensitive emails encryption is how things can get transmitted. Spending 30-60 mins (DC) traveling to work should be a thing of the past for those who can take advantage of telework.

Response by SSgt June Worden made Mar 31 at 2015 7:34 PM

SSgt June Worden — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 19:34:01 -0400

Today was my first day in a work from home situation. My job requires me to travel most days, and may even mean spending a night or two away from home. That is the nature of the new career I have chosen.

All paperwork, reports and payroll are submitted via external portal and I have to have a GPS in my personal vehicle... Again, the sacrifice you make, although I'm sure the GPS was put in place due to someone lacking integrity.

To soon to tell at this point, but I have a feeling it's going to work out just fine.

Response by SPC David Hannaman made Apr 1 at 2015 3:27 PM

SPC David Hannaman — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 15:27:32 -0400

I've worked from home for three different companies for 8+ years (I'm a developer).

It's a bit of a double edged sword:

On one hand if I have a task to complete it's easier to balance being there for my family and I'm not wasting hours per week commuting. I'm able to drop my son off at school, and when my kids get home I'm there for them. If there isn't a task to complete I make better use of my time doing research, or taking care of personal development than looking for "busy work" in an office.

On the other hand, it's harder to develop relationships with co-workers, reading body language and facial expressions is out the door. I miss being able to casually lean over and ask a co-worker "Have you ever seen something like this?", or being able to walk past someone's desk, see frustration and offer assistance.

There is a great benefit to the company to have Work from Home staff, people are more likely to stay with a company, and there is a huge savings on office space, not to mention the pool of potential employees is greatly increased because geographic location is less of a limitation.

Response by PO1 Jeffrey Stoddard made Apr 2 at 2015 2:19 PM

PO1 Jeffrey Stoddard — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 14:19:27 -0400

I'm myself wouldn't get anything done :0P

Response by SFC Angel Aponte made Apr 2 at 2015 9:38 PM

SFC Angel Aponte — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 21:38:41 -0400

Wish i could find me a job that i can do from home. Being a single father with disabilities is complicated to find a job

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Apr 4 at 2015 3:55 PM

1LT Nick Kidwell — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 15:55:13 -0400

Frankly, I'd love teaching from home, but it's tough sifting actual educational institutions out from possible data mining scams...

Response by SFC Angel Aponte made Apr 5 at 2015 10:49 PM

SFC Angel Aponte — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 22:49:02 -0400

I dont know what's available or what is needed. I can do data entry, anything that can be done online. Assembly of things, testing equipment, programs. Something along those lines.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2015 12:04 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 12:04:14 -0400

Some agencies that have jobs where their employees can work from home don't allow telework. I guess some bosses would feel lost if they couldn't micro manage. My agency don't even allow telework when we have bad weather. We are told not to work at all. I can remember when the DMV was shut down for a week due to a snow storm. Not having the employees work for an entire week makes absolutely no sense. So I applaud those who push telework. Productivity can still get accomplished even if it's limited to a certain existent.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 11 at 2015 5:55 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 05:55:32 -0400

It depends on the person. I would not be good at working from home save rare occasions.

Response by PO1 John Meyer, CPC made Apr 11 at 2015 6:16 AM

PO1 John Meyer, CPC — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 06:16:39 -0400

My civilian career also offers at home jobs. I work in a medical field as a medical coder/biller. As such, there are people who do that from home coding and billing for practices in their area or even outside of their area. And the great thing is that there will always be a call for billers/coders because there is always a call for those in the medical field and someone has to be able to handle the financial side of medicine.

You're generally paid by the amount of medical claims you process on a daily basis, which is a lot different than doing the same job at a medical practice where you're paid by the hour. So if you're good and fast and willing to put in the hours, you can make a good deal of money coding and billing from home.

On the down side, a good deal of practices want a work at home to have experience already. But as with anything else, I wouldn't let that stop me because you never know.

Response by Cpl Terrance M. Priddy, PhD. made Apr 13 at 2015 7:56 AM

Cpl Terrance M. Priddy, PhD. — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 07:56:28 -0400

I haven't read other responses to your question, however there are many opportunities, I believe a potential "employee" could be beneficial to a company and work from home. Whether expenses for things such as; internet, laptop/PC/tablet, printer-all in one, cell phone etc. are provided by the company or a "stipend" as such paid for by the company - those are definitely a few things one would need. I have a "bookkeeper"/secretary that works from home and does an excellent job. I pay all of her expenses and an additional $300 a week/add medical insurance. (so if you add that all up I think it's a fair amount) That's just a one of many/sales may be another, but one that I am certain is done everyday for my company.

Response by SSG Buddy Kemper made Apr 13 at 2015 8:33 AM

SSG Buddy Kemper — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 08:33:13 -0400

Deff would have more PT time, Sir! Probably twice a day. With the grind of cop life and changing shifts, it's 0500 for me or nothing usually. Pie in the sky, tho. Not much call for consulting from an old cop or old Infantry troop. Interesting topic and great answers!

-Kemp

Response by PO1 John Miller made Apr 13 at 2015 8:49 AM

PO1 John Miller — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 08:49:00 -0400

I would love to be able to work from home but I would find it hard to stay focused on work. I'm married, have a 3 year old daughter, and a dog and they all want my attention when I'm home. My wife always agrees to "give me my space" when I was attending online college and doing homework/classes, but always found an excuse to interrupt me (constantly). She would then act perplexed when I would get upset with her. "I'm working here! This is the same thing as if I were at work and you called me to ask me to come home and take the trash out/empty the dishwasher, etc." Her: "It's not the same thing! You're already at home!" and no amount of convincing her on my part, to include reminding her of her promises to leave me alone, could convince her otherwise.

With that said, and I hate to put the brunt of the blame on my wife, if I DIDN'T have those distractions I would LOVE to work from home for all of the reasons other posters have stated. I myself could do IT-related tasks such as systems administration, call center (as long as it doesn't involve cold calls, LOL), etc. I would even consider changing career fields if the right opportunity came up.

Response by CPT Keith Tully made Apr 19 at 2015 2:08 PM

CPT Keith Tully — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 14:08:40 -0400

Sales and customer service positions are easily done from home and contribute well to a business's bottom line and brand prolification.

Response by TSgt Kevin Buccola made Apr 19 at 2015 5:39 PM

TSgt Kevin Buccola — Sun, 19 Apr 2015 17:39:53 -0400

i work 3 days a week from home - I am more productive from home than the office - no distractions at home. Also since I only sleep 3 hours a night I am usually on-line working. In roughly a 40 hours work week I am over 80 in per week. I am a Healthcare recruiter / marketing and consultant.

this is me I work and according to my wife I am addicted to work - sorry I love what I do!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 25 at 2015 10:24 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 10:24:44 -0400

I regularly work from home a certain number of days a week. I am an IT Admin. The solutions I provide allow me to do most everything I need to do from home, as well as allowing others to do so as well--customer service and sales, doesn't have to be done from call centers.

Response by SSG Brenda Elliott made May 3 at 2015 8:53 AM

SSG Brenda Elliott — Sun, 03 May 2015 08:53:54 -0400

Give me a call at work when you arrive. [login to see]