Last Updated on March 24, 2024 by Arurhose
“If you sit in front of the computer all day, how will you find a wife?”. That, ladies and gentlemen, was my dad’s submission on remote working. His construction of work is waking up in the morning, preparing for work, and returning in the evening. In addition, you get to meet different people during your daily grind. Ahh… Lest I forget, you wouldn’t need to get glasses from all that screen time. I understood his sentiment; however, with remote working, you can still do all these things from the comfort of your home.
Think of your global reach as a remote worker; you probably work with team members from different countries, and you can achieve some flexibility and work-life balance. You can get photochromic glasses to protect your eyes (whether you work remotely or not). Now, with that said, I love working remotely!
“So, you can wear pyjamas all day?” Yes! “So, you can wear a nice suit with shorts for that team’s meeting” Oh yes! I work remotely, which has afforded me flexibility and opened the window to work for other companies.
If you sit in front of the computer all day, how will you find a wife?
Country-Specific Challenges
How did I get into remote working? A good friend who knew I was looking for work shared the opportunity. If you live in Nigeria, referrals are the easiest and fastest way to get into remote working. There are loads of remote job boards out there, but your IP address, oh fellow Nigerian, is a huge red flag. With two years of working fully remotely, I understand from an employer’s perspective why hiring from Nigeria can be a turn-off. Where do we start from? Finding competent hires who can take the initiative and think outside the box is challenging. Before you come for me, I am not saying Nigerians are dumb; we are some of the smartest, hard-working people in the world, but taking initiative sets you apart. You can do your work, follow the procedure, rinse, and repeat, but are you finding ways to improve where you work? Yes, your suggestions might have been shelved aside, but hey… you are thinking differently.
Secondly, Power, Light, Electricity, NEPA! No employer wants to hear that you couldn’t meet the deadline or join that crucial meeting because you haven’t had power for two days. Connectivity is another issue. Even I am a victim of poor networks sometimes. I am not naming names, but sometimes MT… would just decide today is the day they would frustrate my life. Credit to them, not all the time. Check these articles out about the top network providers in Nigeria ranked: Article One and Article Two
The environment where a staff is working is also something that would give an employer a headache. You are having an important meeting with a client or your entire team, and they hear a mixture of noise! From generator noise to family members shouting in the background, in frustration, your boss tells you to mute your mic.
The Cost of Working Remotely
It’s not as terrible as it looks. Living and working in Nigeria is not like working in a jungle. There are ways around all those issues raised. But it will cost you! Yep, if you are like me, from a humble background, not relying on your parents to sort your bills, you might only get the best of your pay after a year. The first thing you need to address is power, and it is non-negotiable, except where you live has 24-hour electricity; in that case, please can I come and live in your house? At the very least, a generator, but I am a big proponent of a solar set-up. Next is internet. Please stop using your phone as a mobile hotspot. Yes, you! You are the one I am talking to. At the very least, get a MiFi, and when you are stable, a router (Starlink router if you are very, very stable), and if you want to go all out, broadband is an excellent option.
Next is your work environment. Do you know how embarrassing it is, speaking to a client and the next thing you hear is “cokorookoo”! A chicken is doing its thing by your window. If you have the means, register at a co-working space. You don’t have to be there daily as that might cost you a lot. Lastly, remote working means paying more attention to your health. It’s no news that sitting down for long periods can lead to chronic health problems. Also, you tend to interact less with people physically, so you need to strike a healthy balance. Exercise can be as simple as jogging or walking 20 minutes twice daily. Get your body moving! You can decide to adopt the Pomodoro technique. You stand up and walk for 5 minutes at every 25-minute interval. This article also highlights some of these key
How To Get Into Remote Working
I hinted at this earlier in the post. Referrals! At this point, there is no Nigerian living in Nigeria who doesn’t have a friend, brother, sister, In-law, cousin, and so on, that hasn’t left the country! My simple hack is you sell yourself to that person. Ask that they either hire you, or refer you to someone as a virtual assistant for as low $20 to $30. The misconception is that once you live outside Nigeria, money falls like rain droplets. Making money abroad is serious business, so don’t expect a handout. As of the time of this writing, $30 is N43,500. Now imagine that after two months, you increase from one person paying $30 a month to 3 persons paying you. As you get better at your work, you can improve your charge. The mistake people make is because the client you are working with lives in the UK, you want to charge £500.
If I had £500, why would I want to pay you? Why can’t I hire someone in the UK? You are cheap labour! Know this and know peace. It’s a number game. You enjoy the fruit of your hard work in getting multiple gigs. If you are into tech, all the better! It means you have a technical skill to bring to the table. Even with tech skills, I advise you to go through the referral route. Do some free work, accept small pay and navigate the foreign market of your industry through networking.
In Conclusion
Remote working has its perks, but it comes with a lot of sacrifice, especially if you live in Nigeria. Maybe fully remote roles might not be for you! A hybrid arrangement might be good for your physical and mental health. All in all, stay humble, don’t be greedy, and most importantly, outwork yourself! An excellent work ethic is recognized and highly rewarded, especially in a foreign company. Good luck!
PS. Ok.. but seriously.. is remote work the reason I am still single? Seriously!
Serious Question? What is your Financial Independence Number?