As working from home becomes more popular, it’s important to keep your career development in mind. Though remote work can offer many benefits, it can also lead to feelings of isolation and disconnect from career growth opportunities. 

Here are some essential career development tips for remote workers:

Take Control of Your Education

Since you’re not in the office, you have the unique opportunity to take control of your own education. With the internet, you have access to a wealth of knowledge and educational opportunities. Consider taking courses, watching webinars, or reading up on your field.

Udemy is a great place to start for online courses, with courses starting at just at $14.99.

Take Advantage of Networking Opportunities

For remote workers, networking can be an invaluable tool to helping you stay connected with colleagues, foster relationships, and find job opportunities. Networking can provide remote workers with an online presence, allowing you to connect with industry professionals and job recruiters. 

Though you may not be able to attend conferences or meetups in person, there are plenty of online networking opportunities available. Try joining networking groups on social media (particularly LinkedIn or AngelList), participating in webinars, and attending virtual meetups.

Create a profile highlighting your skills and experience, join relevant industry groups, and start reaching out to potential connections. 

Don't be afraid to reach out and network with other self-employed professionals in your field. Doing so can help you to gain valuable insights and find new opportunities.

Stay Connected with Colleagues

Just because you’re not in the office doesn’t mean you should disconnect from your colleagues. Make an effort to stay connected with your colleagues, whether it’s through video calls, emails, instant messaging, or other forms of communication. The more connected you are, the better your understanding of what’s happening in the office, giving you more opportunities to grow your career.

Ask for or assign yourself Feedback Regularly

Self-evaluation can be a tricky task when you can't be in the workplace to gain perspective. To ensure that your career trajectory is staying on course, it's important to solicit honest feedback from your colleagues and supervisors. Doing so will help to provide you with a better understanding of your performance and areas you may need to improve on. Additionally, if you are looking to gain a promotion or switch roles, it is beneficial to ask your coworkers to provide a reference or recommendation. Having a well-thought-out plan and understanding of the skills necessary to excel in your field will help you progress in your career.

If you're a self-employed individual or a freelancer, it's important to stay on top of your work and ensure you're delivering quality results. To help do this, it's a good idea to assign yourself regular self-evaluation checklists. This will allow you to take an objective look at your progress, review your weaknesses and areas for improvement, and make sure you're meeting your goals.

These checklists should be tailored to your own needs and goals, and should be updated regularly. Your checklists should include a review of the tasks you've completed, the goals you've accomplished, and the results you've achieved. You should also assess your current skills and identify any areas of improvement you can work on. Taking a few moments to review your own performance can help to ensure that you stay motivated and productive.

Set Career Development Goals

Set specific, measurable career development goals for yourself. This could be anything from reading a certain number of books or attending a certain number of webinars to taking a certain number of online courses or completing a certain number of projects.

Take Initiative

Even when away from the workplace, or if you are self-employed, there are numerous ways to bolster your career prospects and enhance your professional development. Why not use this time to stay active and enhance your knowledge? Look out for projects you can assist on, as well as activities that will help you acquire new skills. Taking initiative to advance your career from home can bring many positive and rewarding results.

In addition to this,  it's also important to find ways to stay inspired and creative. Take time to explore new ideas and try different approaches to projects. This can help to keep your ideas fresh and provide you with new directions to take your work. 

Embrace Flexibility

As a remote or self-employed worker, you have the potential to make life easier and more efficient. Taking advantage of this freedom gives you the ability to work when you are the most productive, and to take breaks when needed. This can allow for a healthier work-life balance, with greater control in how and when you work. Moreover, working remotely gives you the opportunity to increase your productivity and focus on tasks with fewer distractions. It is important to set aside time every day for yourself, so that you can stay energised and motivated. Breaks throughout the day can be used to refresh and recharge, and to take part in activities that bring joy and satisfaction. By embracing the flexibility of your unique situation, you can make the most of your working hours and gain the most from your time.

By following these essential career development tips,, you can stay on track with your career development and ensure your success in the future.
For more remote work tips, check out our other blogs.