Remote Work In China

Many of us can get our jobs done just fine without logging a full 40 hours a week at the workplace. Here are the hows and whys of working remotely in China, if the idea of never having to set foot in an office again appeals to you.

Isn't it self-evident? In China, working remotely gives you the flexibility to set your own hours and select your own workspace. This will undoubtedly improve your mood and offer you more time to focus on your interests and responsibilities outside of work. Because to the proliferation of cafés offering free WiFi, the popularity of coworking spaces, and the speed with which files and messages can be sent through WeChat, working remotely in China has become more common.

If you're disciplined, working from home will allow you to take care of mundane tasks like doing the laundry or dishes without sacrificing productivity. In an office setting, you may find yourself with a lot of free time to fiddle about on your computer or speak with coworkers. If you work from home, you won't have to worry about wasting time sitting in traffic or waiting for meetings to start since you won't need to.

For how to get going slowly. If you have a job in China, you probably adhere to a tight work schedule. But if you're in a position where doing so would benefit you and your company, consider suggesting a weekly remote workday. Showing that you can do the same amount of work, or better yet, more work, while working from home can strengthen your case for requesting further telecommuting days.

Even if you haven't found a job in China yet, you may take heart in knowing that there are a plethora of positions that can be fulfilled entirely from a computer, regardless of where you happen to be. Editing, writing, graphic design, voice recording, advising, social media management, and many more related occupations fall within this category.

But where do you look for these employment opportunities? It's best to start with what you're capable of doing before considering what you can accomplish on a computer. Numerous Chinese websites, like this one, include advertisements for work in a wide range of disciplines that need for no physical presence at the workplace.

Start by taking on some freelance or part-time employment, and then showcase your skills via an online portfolio complete with a description of your rates and availability. Freelancing in China may be tricky since most work permits only enable you to work for one firm.

The nuts and bolts:

It's easy to procrastinate when you're on your own and nobody is watching you. Time management discipline is essential in this situation. Creating a routine where you devote a certain amount of time each day to focusing only on the task at hand may be quite useful. You could, for instance, put in a couple hours first thing in the morning, take an hour for lunch, work for two hours, take an hour off to go the gym, and then put in another two hours before calling it a day.

Keep in mind that even though you're working from China, you still answer to a boss. Maybe sending your supervisor an email first thing in the morning to let them know you're at your desk can put their mind at rest about you working from home all day. The amount of time spent on each project may be recorded as well.

However, if that isn't enough, you may always volunteer to visit the office for meetings and discussions. While this may seem like it violates the idea of working remotely, it’s a great compromise compared to spending 40 hours a week in the office.