To create an environment that is conducive to work, many recommend that you have a dedicated room or space specifically designated as your work "office." Because you can be distracted by home-related environmental factors, you have to be able to focus on your work and be dedicated and self-disciplined enough to not only accomplish your task, but also continue to strive toward a higher level of quality. And because you might have the luxury of a more flexible schedule, you must manage your time efficiendy and be willing to do what it takes to meet the requirements of your job, regardless of the time of day or day of the week. If you're considering this option, it is sometimes helpful to talk to others who work from home; they can provide you with valuable insight learned through their own experiences.
The reality of this situation is that, unless you work well alone and have the motivation to keep at a (what may be boring) task while the sun is shining outside, then a home-based working environment may not be for you.You should also consider that, although technology is providing more and faster ways to work from home, there is still a very small percentage of people who work solely from home, and a number of professions simply do not lend themselves well to a home-based work setup.
Corporate
These are the kind of companies whose names are familiar to most everyone-a point that can work heavily in your favor if you are moving on. Large corporate companies usually provide you with many opportunities and, most likely, a professional and highly organized working environment. However, the nature of large corporate organizations can sometimes leave employees feeling uncertain as to how their specific efforts are helping "the big picture." Another aspect of this is that it can sometimes be hard to shine in a large corporate company, where employees rely heavily on their managers to recognize talent and develop it.
It does happen, though, and if you're willing to stay put and work your way up the corporate ladder, then a certain amount of wealth and recognition may await you, but be prepared for what can potentially be a long and arduous haul. As with anything that promises wealth and riches, you'll more than likely have your fair share of stress and pressure to endure from various sources. One side benefit of working for a corporation is that corporations often have offices in other parts of the country or the world, which can provide opportunities to travel or perhaps to relocate. Corporate companies tend to be at the leading edge when it comes to adopting new technologies, often even to the point of acting as test sites for manufacturers. The availability of funds will usually mean that technology projects are fully staffed and fully equipped, a major boon to those involved within these projects. Because corporate companies often go to great lengths to attract candidates of the highest quality, you can often find yourself working alongside some of the best individuals in your chosen field, a fact that can only enhance the career of someone new to IT.
As long as you are okay with the relative anonymity that working for a corporate company can bring, the benefits of working for such an organization are huge. This is a fact not lost on many people who are new to the IT field. When you combine this with the fact that many of these corporate companies are household names, you can begin to appreciate that competition for positions at these companies is often extremely fierce.
Punching the Clock-Your Working Hours
Stories of programmers working long hours to meet deadlines or network administrators working weekends to ensure proper network functioning are well documented. Ever wonder just how many hours an IT professional typically works in a week? The simple answer is that it all depends.
Those working in IT professions such as PC repair and help desk support can expect to work a standard 40-hour workweek with very little deviation. In theory,
IT professions such as Web designers and programmers work a 40-hour week. However, those entering these professions and expecting to be home by five for supper every day may be in for a bit of a surprise. The workweek in these professions starts out as 40 hours and increases depending on what needs to be done, and no one is going anywhere until it is done. Products, programs, and client-required services are extremely time sensitive, and deadlines are unforgiving; this is reflected in the actual amount of working hours.
Other areas of IT require that workers be at the job at unusual hours. Network administrators, for instance, who need access to the server for upgrades or repairs will find themselves working evenings and weekends to accomplish their needs. The work of network administrators needs to be done when the network is least used to minimize the inconvenience to the end user. It will not be uncommon to drive by the office at 6:00 on a Saturday and see a car belonging to an IT professional in the parking lot. Don't feel too badly for him, however, because come Monday morning he is likely to be sleeping in.
