Yes, there are some genuine benefits to not dressing up, commuting to the office, not having people watching over you, and being subjected to time-wasting meetings. But are you willing to trade some degree of flexibility and temporary pleasure for the opportunity to advance to the next level?
The sad truth is that invisible but truly competent people are rarely promoted as they are doing a great job as it is.
Some of the important factors to consider when you are offered the opportunity to work from home:
- Being visible and able to demonstrate desirable character traits that mark you as competent, credible, reliable, trustworthy, and helpful to co-workers.
- Being a visible a part of the team that allows for both collaboration and stimulation. This also means absorbing and mirroring the company culture.
- Being visible implies that you are more likely to attract a mentor who can provide valuable career advice and might be the one to save your job when others are losing theirs.
In essence, you are visible – beyond performance metrics on a spreadsheet -- and in the line of sight for recognition and advancement.