I found that for the company I currently work for, telecommuting is not an option although others still do it. There is a serious perception that those that work from home are basically on vacation, taking advantage while doing nothing. Although I ended up working around the clock, always on, always working - this was seen as "laying around in my pajamas". It was miserable because I was killing myself yet it was unseen by many no matter what was accomplished. -Not by all management, least of all my direct report, but enough to realize it wasn't a smart career move. I pushed for office space and got it so now I get less done in a longer period of time, but at least I am seen "at my desk".
I know firsthand that some in management look upon those that get in before 8 as superstars regardless of the what they actually contribute. It really depends on the company and the people at the company. It is all about perception and the episode of Seinfeld where George leaves his car at work and gains a ton of respect rings true. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUwSxqnRW-8 On Sun, Mar 11, 2012 at 8:37 AM, Nick Drage <[email protected]> wrote: > On Sat, Mar 10, 2012 at 07:10:30PM +0000, Robin Wood wrote: >> On 9 March 2012 07:32, S. R. White <[email protected]> wrote: > > <snip> > >> > Ok, this is so vaguely infosec related I almost hesitate to bring it up. >> > Many pen-testers/security folks seem to work from home/telecommute, more so >> > than any other field I personally know. I'd love to get folk's thoughts on >> > how they carry on that lifestyle. A few breakout questions: >> > >> > 1. How do you stay productive enough so you are still of value to >> > your employer? > > Interesting work, self-discipline, both of which I mostly have most of > the time ;) > > The other side is to ensure that you are seen to be productive - tell > seniors what you've been up to, keep than up to date on projects. > >> > 2. Do you feel isolated at home, and what do you do for a social >> > life? > > No, but I use online methods to stay in touch with colleagues and > friends alike - just keep in mind that half an hour chatting to a friend > can feel like five minutes, whereas five minutes working on a proposal > can feel like half an hour. > >> > 3. Any tips on separation of home life and work life? > > Depending on the nature of your work this may not be possible, in the > same way that you'll deal with personal stuff during work hours, work > stuff might pop up during personal hours. Use your home life as a break > from work, i.e. doing the washing up is a ten minute break from your > desk when exploit x or software y isn't doing what it should. > >> > 4. Anything else you think an infosec telecommuter should think about? > > As has been said, security. > >> I've been working from home for the last 6+ years, I have one desk >> completely covered in stuff, I get distracted about once an hour >> during the day to hold the baby while wife does something, I take >> random amounts of time for lunch and take it at random times. Unless >> I'm doing a test where I have specific times from a client I start >> when I want, finish when I want and usually work a few hours at night. > > I.E. this is roughly my approach, but maybe not as well thought out - > the "separate room to work in" idea is a good one, but depends on your > circumstances. > >> It seems completely disorganized but works brilliantly for me. Guess >> how you handle home working depends on your own personality, I know >> some people who just can't do it, some who feel isolated, some who >> can't motivate themselves, I've managed to avoid all of that. > > Seconded, there's a lot of variety in what suits people; so to the OP > look for what suits you, rather than for the ideal solution. I.E. I've > looked at some of the GTD stuff for personal time management, but it > doesn't seem to fit my kind of work, in the same way you may find > "ideal" from home solutions, but they may not fit your particular > requirements or personality. > > I've found http://www.workshifting.com/ a useful resource for the area > in general, more to provoke thoughts then provide solutions. > > -- > "It's too bad that people that really understand geopolitics and economics > are too busy with Internet forums" > _______________________________________________ > Pauldotcom mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.pauldotcom.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pauldotcom > Main Web Site: http://pauldotcom.com _______________________________________________ Pauldotcom mailing list [email protected] http://mail.pauldotcom.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pauldotcom Main Web Site: http://pauldotcom.com
