Today is Job Action Day 2009, a day for job-seekers to take action steps right now — today — to move forward in their careers. The Quintessential Careers family of blogs (including this blog and Quintessential Careers Blog, Quintessential Resume and Cover Letter Tips Blog, and A Storied Career), is looking at promising aspects of the currently employment scene — in this case, telework/working from a remote location.
One way employers are coping with the recession is to cut costs (rent, utilities, office furniture, for example) by hiring employees to telework from locations away from the main workplace. Because of that trend, the economic downturn turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Angela Smith, a marketing communications professional from San Jose, CA. Here’s her story:
When I was unexpectedly laid off from my job as a marketing communications (marcom) specialist in the power industry in July 2008, I networked, interviewed, and searched for a job that would be both challenging and rewarding. It was tough going, as job leads with competitive wages were hard to find and/or required relocation. Then I found Avistar Communications, a business-class desktop videoconferencing company based in San Mateo, CA. As marketing manager, I am responsible for public relations and marketing communications worldwide, and the best part of my job is using Avistar’s technology because desktop videoconferencing lets me, my colleagues, and my partners “see” each other daily, regardless of where we are based.
My boss and I collaborate and work together as a team daily — he in New York, I in California — and because of desktop videoconferencing, we don’t have the disconnects that sometimes happen with virtual or long-distance employees. It makes no difference whether I’m working in the office, from my home or on the road. When we need to get together on a project, we’re literally just one click away from a face-to-face conversation. When I was looking for a new position, I never dreamed that in this economy I could find such a great job with an industry leader, let alone one with great flexibility and opportunity as well.
I now see the economy fuelling more unexpected and creative approaches to employment.
No longer does a person have to live in an urban area or relocate to work for a big company to be paid a good competitive wage. I’m a prime example. Not only did I get a leg up on the corporate ladder, but also I found my industry niche. I love every minute of the industry I work in, especially for the mobility, flexibility, and freedom this type of software solution gives to a business professional who needs to work from any location, anywhere, anytime.
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