Working from home?

I'm in school right now for Computer Science, unsure of what I want to do in a specific IT or CS field. What I do know is that eventually I'd like to be able to work from home. I've heard of job types such as software engineering allows for this; also allowing one to make up their own work hours.

This is all very enticing to me but I just don't know which specific jobs/fields in the CS/IT world allow for this.

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Hypntick

tom_dub wrote: »

I'm in school right now for Computer Science, unsure of what I want to do in a specific IT or CS field. What I do know is that eventually I'd like to be able to work from home. I've heard of job types such as software engineering allows for this; also allowing one to make up their own work hours.

This is all very enticing to me but I just don't know which specific jobs/fields in the CS/IT world allow for this.

I actually have an interview Friday in regards to a work from home type thing. It's through a recruiter that I know is legit so it's not a scam. I don't have all the details yet but it deals with remote backup and support for various systems. I know I would need to show up at the data center from time to time for other things but it's 95% work at home. Pretty excited about this as I can potentially work on my WGU stuff during my downtime and finish even faster. If I get it i'll let you know how it goes.

networker050184

Most IT jobs are capable of working from home as its mostly done over a computer anyway. The company you work for will be the deciding factor rather than a specific job or field.

N2IT

Almost all IT jobs can be work from home if the proper tools are in place. Remote support, application dev, database and data warehousing, project management, change management, management, directors, executives, functional support, analyst, etc.

In my current organization the only jobs that are consistently at the corporate office are data center operations, deskside support, and security guards.

MechaniX

In my experience, it depends vastly on the work you are doing and who you are working for. Yes, some software engineers work from home, but there are also companies which require them to be on site because it creates more of a collaborative environment for their products to be designed, built and tested. Social interaction is something people working from home take for granted, and don't realize how much they miss it when working away from the office.

That said, I've been working from home for about a year now, working 40 hour weeks (8-4) plus overtime and for the most, I love it. You can get distracted quite easily but, drawing a line in the sand with friends and family while working from home is vital and more often then not, you will be dealing with things besides work at home, and your performance could slip.

Being in the position you are right now, I would just concentrate on breaking in the field, and go from there. Most IT jobs, in theory, can be done from home. Just pick something you enjoy, and go with it.

Show them you are worth their time and some companies will bend the rules to keep you productive and happy. Earn their respect and they will do their best to make your employment there enjoyable. This could be something as simple as working from home a few days a week, or maybe having flexible hours you are required to work.

Aldur

networker050184 wrote: »

Most IT jobs are capable of working from home as its mostly done over a computer anyway. The company you work for will be the deciding factor rather than a specific job or field.

This is exactly what it boils down to. My current job as a couseware developer for Juniper is just that. It's 100% work from home because Juniper allows it. The role that I was in before this one was not work from home. It was a customer facing position so I needed to go into the office.

Working from home all the time sure does come with some nice perks, but it's really easy to get distracted. And since your family sees you at home all the time they tend pull you away for help with this or help with that.

N2IT

Aldur wrote: »

This is exactly what it boils down to. My current job as a couseware developer for Juniper is just that. It's 100% work from home because Juniper allows it. The role that I was in before this one was not work from home. It was a customer facing position so I needed to go into the office.

Working from home all the time sure does come with some nice perks, but it's really easy to get distracted. And since your family sees you at home all the time they tend pull you away for help with this or help with that.

I think this can go both ways. People at the office can be equally as distracting in SOME environments.

My last job we could work from home one day a week. From a metric standpoint, that was the most productive day for most employees. For whatever reason it was. I tend to believe it was they wanted more days and if they could perform at a higher level from home, they would get just that more days. So again I think it can go both ways.

hypnotoad

I work at home, and it's sweet. Being a software engineer is just like those ITT Tech commercials where the dude has a sweet job and snowboards all the time. Except I also hang out in space.

Hypntick

Hypntick wrote: »

I actually have an interview Friday in regards to a work from home type thing. It's through a recruiter that I know is legit so it's not a scam. I don't have all the details yet but it deals with remote backup and support for various systems. I know I would need to show up at the data center from time to time for other things but it's 95% work at home. Pretty excited about this as I can potentially work on my WGU stuff during my downtime and finish even faster. If I get it i'll let you know how it goes.

Wow, so I get the email from the recruiter today with more details. Turns out they had me confused with someone else with the same first name. They were looking for a PHP dev. Oh well.

Bokeh

Recruiters, gotta love'em, lol.

I got email this morning from one for a position about two blocks from my house. So the job title was network support, but the description was for a mail room clerk! Someone screwed the pooch and pasted the wrong info together, lol.

MAC_Addy

I'm an IT manager/network administrator and I have the ability to work from home. I rarely do this otherwise people in my office get bitchy and start saying "He leaves early all the time, why isn't he in today or if he can work from home so can i."

Well, what the people in my office don't know is that I go to a lot of other offices (i work for an oil/gas company) and travel a lot after hours so I can do work on their computers/network.

Technically, I don't ever need to be in the office. Maybe 1 or 2 days a week at the most.

Turgon

tom_dub wrote: »

I'm in school right now for Computer Science, unsure of what I want to do in a specific IT or CS field. What I do know is that eventually I'd like to be able to work from home. I've heard of job types such as software engineering allows for this; also allowing one to make up their own work hours.

This is all very enticing to me but I just don't know which specific jobs/fields in the CS/IT world allow for this.

Lots of IT jobs can be done from home. I do the same a lot of days. I find site visits useful for the face to face stuff and all day long meetings. Other than that being on site can be good for the interpersonal side with colleagues, and some conversations only seem to happen in an office environment. After a while I like to pop in for those benefits, or just fancy a change from the house.

In my experience in the UK homeworking is not actively encouraged by employers. They like to keep an eye on you in the workplace. The government has done nothing to encourage it either to help with global warming or socially with parental life. But then again, four lanes of pointless traffic does generate a LOT of revenue for the treasury. We pay a lot of tax on fuel.

skyline

I have worked from home before in the past *usually weather related* I do find I get more work done with the out the office distractions. A nice feeling also knowing that you don't have to "risk it" trying to make into the office.

My current place however does not allow working from home, I am only asked to work from home after hours if need be. Otherwise I will not be paid. I learned this the hard way.

Depends on the company and your boss.

MAC_Addy

Turgon wrote: »

We pay a lot of tax on fuel.

I remember the days of spending all my money on fuel. Ouch. 75% tax, isn't it?

I'm very glad that I now live in America. Although, I do miss the motherland pretty bad. I'd move back in a heartbeat if I could.

jtoast

*nod*

About all I do all day is remote into other machines, draft emails, and talk to people on the phone. There is really no technical requirement that I work from my office but company policy requires it.

With that said, I do get a lot more done at the office. I worked from home for 3 years with CSC and I was only really productive from somewhere around midnight until about 5am because it was the only time I could get everyone to leave me the hell alone...heh.