In my younger years, I liked the idea of dressing up to work. I really thought I’d be one of those who will enjoy working in an office. I was wrong.

I really gave it a shot though. After graduating from college, my first job was in the customer service field then I worked for a big company as a corporate affairs coordinator. I did not last long. I started traveling and that’s when I realized I’m not made to work a nine-to-five setup.

I grew up in a family that owns a business and up until today, our business is still thriving despite COVID and the inflation situation (thank God!). I was told by many people, family, friends, and acquaintances, that I’m lucky because I have a fallback in case my “work” doesn’t pan out nicely.

Well, let me tell you this…

I do not depend on our family business in order to enjoy the life I have now. I am not rich, not even close, but I am also not thriving just to make ends meet. Yes, I do get my fair share from our family business after all I’m a part owner but I don’t really think about it as much because I also have my own job.

I’ve taken a lot of freelancing gigs and projects since 2013 but I only consider myself working remotely in 2019 as I got a remote job that is stable. As of this writing, I am still connected with the same company and I am very content working remotely.

Working remotely has given me more time for myself, my hobbies, and my passion. I can even take on small freelancing projects here and there.

I know remote work is on the rise nowadays. People have been choosing to work remotely than going to a physical office. I even have a friend who shared how their company has a high attrition rate because many of the employees are jumping to permanent remote positions.

Quick disclaimer, I am not here to convince you to leave your current company BUT if you’re really leaning towards remote work then keep reading. When considering a permanent remote job, you need to have these essentials:

#1 Home Office

I know working remotely also means you have the option to work anywhere. But trust me when I say that you need to have a decent home office. And by decent, it doesn’t mean something aesthetic or fancy. If you can convert a spare room into an office, that’s good. But if your space is limited, you just need a proper desk with a comfy chair because majority of your time you need to be in front of your laptop or desktop.

I didn’t find the importance of having a proper home office not until the pandemic. We were on lockdown for about two years and I had plenty of time to fix my home office. I didn’t know I needed one until I made room for an office.

#2 Laptop or Desktop

If you can have both, then that’s great. But I find owning a laptop is more practical as it is portable and if there are power outages it can still work without being plugged in.

As for the specs, you need to make sure that it fits the line of work that you do. So if you’re into creatives, make sure your laptop or desktop can handle applications such as InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. Do a bit of research on what is best for your needs.

#3 Communication Apps and Tools

If you’re new to remote work, you will probably get confused about the apps that some companies will require you to have. I’m here to tell you what apps and tools you might need so you’d know what it’s for and you can download them ahead.

Most remote work will require you to download these communication apps:

• Slack
• Zoom
• Trello
• Toggl
• Time Doctor
• Hubstaff

These are the new communication apps that most companies use. Skype is kind of outdated already but some companies still use it. Slack and Zoom are both for chatting and video conferencing. Trello, Toggl, Time Doctor, and Hubstaff are for productivity tracking.

Some tools you might also need that are very useful based on personal experience are Airtable, Jira, Grammarly, and Loom. You will likely be asked to download other apps depending on the field of work you’ll be in.

#4 (Cloud) Storage

File sharing is an integral part of the remote work ecosystem. In a physical office, files can easily be shared and accessed on a local server but for remote work, it needs to be in the cloud where everybody can access it anytime and anywhere.

Some of the cloud storage that I’ve used are the following:

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Amazon Web Services (S3)

#5 Internet or WiFi Connection

Internet/WiFi connection is the lifeblood of any remote work. Make sure you choose a reliable network to support your remote work.

I’ve subscribed to PLDT’s Unli Fiber Plan at home and I’m a happy customer. Having a reliable internet connection will really help you stay productive. With PLDT, I get to experience faster speeds that Fiber Unli can only provide.

For as low as ₱1,299, you can stream to your heart’s content! Enjoy 50 MBPS internet speed with unlimited calls to any PLDT landline. If you sign up, you can also get free 500 crystals exclusive for new Fiber subscribers, and free Lionsgate Play until June 1, 2023. You can also avail a speed boost for as low as ₱50!

You can also check out other high-speed Fiber Unli Plans on PLDT Home’s official website and save up to ₱3,600!

Companies have adapted to the new normal work setup. Many have implemented hybrid work set ups and some even converted to the full remote setup. It’s good that companies are considering and recognizing remote work.

I personally think that for a remote work setup to become successful, one should have the essentials and a collaborative mindset. After all, no one can run a company or an organization alone. Two heads will always be better than one.

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I hope you’ll find the answers to your questions here. If you still have questions or need any clarification, feel free to leave a comment or message via e-mail. If you like this article and want to see or know more about my other trips and tips, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

xo,