Though the workforce has seen a drastic increase in the amount of jobs that are remote or location-independent, many students and recent college graduates maintain the image of their first position in the working world taking place in an office. While this scenario is still common, there is a wide range of work-from-home jobs that are fitting for new graduates and their particular career goals. When nearly 40% of millennials want a job that combines flexibility and traditional hours, finding a remote position may just be the answer. There are a number of advantages to working from home for recent college grads that take the pressure off of having a 9-to-5 job based in a cubicle, which for the majority of millennials sounds downright mind-numbing and undesirable.
Major Money-Savings
For most students, graduating from college means one thing: finding a job—and fast—so they can start to pay off their student loans. Once students have reconsolidated their loans and figured out their minimum monthly payments, many will feel the pressure of securing an income that meets that amount. Fortunately, working from home instantly cuts out any costs stemming from commuting, like gas or public transportation. In fact, with the average American spending roughly 26 minutes commuting to work and $2,600 per year on that commute, students can view working from home as a $2,600 loan payment—or general earnings. Students will also save on buying brand-new professional work clothes, as well as food costs from going out to lunch or dinner during a long workday.
Your Office Can Be Your Design
Since it has become a widespread assumption amongst younger generations that working from a cubicle is a version of workplace hell, working from home means that students can design their office anyway they’d like. If you have just graduated, chances are that you won’t be able to afford an extra bedroom or office space for your desk. But guess what? That doesn’t matter! When you work from home, your office can be setup in any way, shape, or form that fits your life. Try out a standing desk or work from the couch. This freedom will especially appeal to recent graduates, as they will be most used to this type of flexibility and comfort while getting work done.
Work from Home, or from Anywhere
A third advantage of working from home for recent graduates is that the nature of their job will technically be location-independent. This means they can work from home Mondays, work from a local library Tuesday, and work from their friend’s house on Wednesday. This can also mean finding a remote workspace, like a coworking space, which brings together remote workers and one collaborative setting, offering day passes, high-speed Wi-Fi, offices, boardrooms, and more. In fact, being a remote worker has actually inspired a digital nomad revolution amongst young professionals, who capitalize on their flexibility by traveling the world while working.
With so many benefits to working from home, college students and recent graduates should recognize how economical, liberating and advantageous it can be to start a career that allows for location-independence.