Tele-diva

With today’s rising gas prices and the corresponding headaches related to a stressful commute, many professionals are opting to telework. The luxury of working from home without ever having to come into the office may sound like a dream, but it’s closer to reality than you think. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 21 percent of the total U.S. workforce reported taking advantage of flexible work opportunities to balance their work lives with their home lives.

If you have the traditional “butts in seats” office job, with a little effort you might be able to convert your current position into a telecommuting one. If your work can be done at home easily with a laptop, internet access and conference call number, you may be good candidate for teleworking. It's much more common to convert an existing job into a telecommuting arrangement than to land a telecommuting job with a new company. According to the International Telework Association, most teleworking professionals work from home on a part-time basis, such as two or three days a week.

Before making the case to your boss, do a little detective work. Find out if your company already has a telecommuting program in place. If it doesn't, try to sell your boss on the idea by convincing him or her that your duties can be performed just as efficiently at home as they can from the office---if not better. To counter any opposition, propose a trial period. Offer a short work-at-home stint so your boss can see how it will feel to communicate with you from home until they are comfortable. The biggest fear is that you will be unproductive if out of the office.

Be one of the 100 million U.S. employees that will be working from home by 2010. According to the International Telework Association, this is a growing trend and the current 26 million telecommuters have realized some positive outcomes. Make your case to become a Tele-diva. Stay productive….and stay connected!