1) Do you have a clearly defined workplace with the proper equipment?
The ideal telecommuting workspace should be separate from common living areas such as the kitchen, family or living room and bedrooms. Some companies will send a company representative to make sure that there is a separate work area. Depending on the position, those you are interacting with over the phone should not be able to hear car traffic, noisy pets, and playing children, especially if you are working as a customer service associate.
In addition, distractions from noise and other family members can also cause concentration problems and make it harder for a telecommuting employee to complete work in a timely manner.
Some typical home office equipment you will need includes an up-to-date computer with appropriate software and antivirus protection, a desk chair, a telephone connected to the main office, a printer, a scanner, and a fax machine.
2) Can you work without constant supervision?
This is probably the single most important question you can ask yourself. A telecommuting position requires a person who is able to work independently and meet deadlines without constant oversight from others. Know your strengths - Can you concentrate for long periods of time? Be patient with others? Be flexible with job duties? Know your weaknesses - Do you have a constant need for action? A constant need for attention? Can you perform a job without a supervisor explaining daily work activities?
3) How will your work will be measured?
A telecommuter should establish clear methods for verifying work duties and performance expectations. Some positions are easier to measure than others. A data entry specialist may have a special number/code to enter to verify documents processed. Meanwhile, a project manager may need to send daily e-mails confirming status reports. Lnow up front how your employer will measure your job performance and whether this type of daily or weekly monitoring fits your work style.
4) How will you communicate with your boss?
Seems simple, but there's a lot to consider. Are you working in different time zones? Do you need to adapt your schedule to their time zone completely or is a certain amount of 'time overlap' okay? Also, the telecommuter should be able to adhere to core start and finish times. For instance, some companies allow flexible start and finish times if the employee is available during 10 am to 3 pm daily.
What is the company's preferred means of communication? As a telecommuter, you may be expected to be comfortable and able to communicate well via both written and verbal means of communication - including telephone, VOIP, fax, instant messaging, and e-mail.
5) Can you adapt your work experience to telecommuting?
A job requiring face-to-face contact is obviously not a suitable option for telecommuting, however, you may be able to apply related skills you gained in one position and translate those into an ideal opportunity.
For example, as an occupational therapist assistant, you had to be available to patients on a near daily basis and be able to interact with and instruct patients in their recovery, as well as create and monitor all types of patient activities.
However, an occupational therapist employment service could be an ideal and suitable telecommute job that you could transition in to utilizing your background. The primary duties involved would require using telephones and computers - a typical employment service would match licensed occupational therapists with patients, prepare weekly schedules, and verify occupational visits.