michelleN/remote-dev.txt

## remote-dev.txt
Thoughts on working from home vs office and what to look for in a new job and younger in the industry for Matt Farina's friend

I've had experience working in 4 different offices as an engineer and I've also had a year and a half of experience working as a remove developer in a different state than everyone on my team. Currently, my whole team is remote.

On being at an office:
- At most of my jobs, I've had planned lunches with technical presentations. Because I was at a point where I took every second to learn as much as I could (especially starting out), I really enjoyed those learning opportunities.
- It was also nice to be able to grab coffee with co-workers or have impromptu meetings with folks higher up in the ladder than me or folks in a different part of the business. I also liked being able to build relationships in person. This will always be important in your career but it was especially fruitful for me early on. I learned a lot and people gave me particular opportunities because they knew my strengths personally.
- I liked the perks. Lunches, ping pong, etc.
- Being able to ask for help was pretty easy because I could tap on the person next to me
- I get distracted pretty easily by people because I generally really liked everyone I worked with
- Getting dressed and driving to work. omg that is so much energy.
- For a good chunk of my career, I worked in an office not in my home state. Being away from my family was really good and I would do it again. I did end up coming home to my family after being pretty homesick. I realized I needed a support system.

On being a remote dev because:
- I get time to really focus.
- I also have a lot going on outside of work. I'm not married nor do I have children, but I am really involved with my immediate family and their lives for a lot of reasons. It's nice to be able to be home and help out where I can versus living in a different state.
- I have to be more mindful about asking for help because I'm not just tapping on a shoulder.
- I yearn to have a reason to get dressed and go places
- I travel a lot for meetings and conferences and that makes the full time remote thing more bearable. I like being able to see and chat with people in person once or twice a month.
- Sometimes, I feel disconnected from the rest of the company
- It takes a lot to figure out what work space works for you. At the office, I took all of it for granted. It took me months and several iterations to figure out my workspace situation and I'm still not super happy.
- I like being able to go to a coffee shop or anywhere to code though.


I'll keep updating this gist as I think of things. If you're just starting out, I would HIGHLY reccommend working in an office. You absorb a lot early on from the people around you and in my experience, being physically present is important for your career. You'll get a lot more than money from your job if you're in an office. You'll meet new people, find mentors, and figure out how you actually want to grow in your career by seeing physical examples. You'll see what people look and sound like when they're frustrated in real time. You'll learn a ton about how things actually go down at your company, how decisions are made, and how people are influenced. I love being a remote dev but I would not be able to do it if I didn't have the luxury of traveling as much as I do now.
	Thoughts on working from home vs office and what to look for in a new job and younger in the industry for Matt Farina's friend

	I've had experience working in 4 different offices as an engineer and I've also had a year and a half of experience working as a remove developer in a different state than everyone on my team. Currently, my whole team is remote.

	On being at an office:
	- At most of my jobs, I've had planned lunches with technical presentations. Because I was at a point where I took every second to learn as much as I could (especially starting out), I really enjoyed those learning opportunities.
	- It was also nice to be able to grab coffee with co-workers or have impromptu meetings with folks higher up in the ladder than me or folks in a different part of the business. I also liked being able to build relationships in person. This will always be important in your career but it was especially fruitful for me early on. I learned a lot and people gave me particular opportunities because they knew my strengths personally.
	- I liked the perks. Lunches, ping pong, etc.
	- Being able to ask for help was pretty easy because I could tap on the person next to me
	- I get distracted pretty easily by people because I generally really liked everyone I worked with
	- Getting dressed and driving to work. omg that is so much energy.
	- For a good chunk of my career, I worked in an office not in my home state. Being away from my family was really good and I would do it again. I did end up coming home to my family after being pretty homesick. I realized I needed a support system.

	On being a remote dev because:
	- I get time to really focus.
	- I also have a lot going on outside of work. I'm not married nor do I have children, but I am really involved with my immediate family and their lives for a lot of reasons. It's nice to be able to be home and help out where I can versus living in a different state.
	- I have to be more mindful about asking for help because I'm not just tapping on a shoulder.
	- I yearn to have a reason to get dressed and go places
	- I travel a lot for meetings and conferences and that makes the full time remote thing more bearable. I like being able to see and chat with people in person once or twice a month.
	- Sometimes, I feel disconnected from the rest of the company
	- It takes a lot to figure out what work space works for you. At the office, I took all of it for granted. It took me months and several iterations to figure out my workspace situation and I'm still not super happy.
	- I like being able to go to a coffee shop or anywhere to code though.


	I'll keep updating this gist as I think of things. If you're just starting out, I would HIGHLY reccommend working in an office. You absorb a lot early on from the people around you and in my experience, being physically present is important for your career. You'll get a lot more than money from your job if you're in an office. You'll meet new people, find mentors, and figure out how you actually want to grow in your career by seeing physical examples. You'll see what people look and sound like when they're frustrated in real time. You'll learn a ton about how things actually go down at your company, how decisions are made, and how people are influenced. I love being a remote dev but I would not be able to do it if I didn't have the luxury of traveling as much as I do now.