The Disadvantages of Working Remotely as a New Grad

Who would have thought that working from home – sweatpants on with an ironed shirt while on a Zoom meeting – would be the norm? The Covid pandemic certainly accelerated the shift, with 27% of the US population now working remotely. It also sparked a change in people actively seeking out remote jobs, with almost everyone taking the opportunity to work from home when offered it.

But is remote work more favorable among people who have been in the workforce longer? What about recent graduates who are stepping into the new norm as it continues to evolve?

It’s not all independent productivity and more personal time with remote work. Take a look at these disadvantages of working remotely before filtering your job search for at-home positions.

Restricted in-person training and mentorship

The first months of any job are crucial for getting up to speed with processes and for building confidence in your role. For many new starters, this timeframe is when you’re given a mentor to guide you along the learning curve and to help facilitate your growth.

A remote position will probably include training and a mentor, but it may be more formal and restricted to certain times. The nature of working remotely means that meetings have to be scheduled and there’s less room for casual, quick chats that are an essential part of training and mentorship. Think of it as ‘the water cooler talk’ – where you serendipitously discover things about the company, operations, and culture by just bumping into others.

Remote work doesn’t allow for the same impromptu learning, which can help accelerate your early growth and relationships in the company.

Fewer opportunities to network

Video calls and conferences are great to connect people all over the world, however, remote work means you won’t have as many face-to-face moments meeting people in your industry and the general work sphere. For instance, you may miss an opportunity to chat with someone before, during, or after an online event because there aren’t informal times to strike up conversations. Meanwhile, at an in-person event you’ll have ample opportunities to chat.

As a new grad, networking is very important. It’s how you expand your connections and people who can share their expertise, recommend you for work or point you in the right direction on your career journey. Networking is additionally a way to exercise soft skills like communication that are highly sought-after in the business landscape.

Missing out on workplace culture

‘The Office’ series exists for a reason. While the series may not seem like a prime example for going into an office, the show’s tender underbelly reveals a lot about working with others. Bonding with others can become a silent pillar of workplace culture. Plus, new grads begin to understand getting around snippets of red tape, how organized business society operates, what corporate life means, and much more. It also accounts for a fair bit of silliness or closeness that is unavoidable when you work 40+ hours a week with others…office pranks anyone?

Going to a communal space regularly with the same people is a way to experience teambuilding and the unwritten rules of business. It presents you with the values and behaviors of people in your industry, and encourages you to adapt and integrate.

Remote working isn’t as collective, and it doesn’t insert you into an environment that could be out of your comfort zone or help you feel a sense of belonging with your team. As a new grad, if you’re able to acclimatize to different work settings, you’ll be a more resilient and desirable candidate.

Challenges with communication

We all know how frustrating it is being on call with someone with bad internet connection. Beyond shouting “can you hear me?” five times before hanging up, there’s not much you can do.

Because remote work relies mostly on emails, Slack messages, and voice or video calls, there’s less room for you to practice in-person speaking, to recognize non-verbal cues like body language, and to develop problem-solving skills while physically with other people. These types of communication skills are useful in work and in life – they allow you to get people’s attention, to actively listen, and to de-escalate difficult situations.

Not to mention, these skills promote empathy. Being able to read between the lines of communication and understand someone’s context in person (not as an avatar) makes you a patient and inclusive employee, which translates to a well-liked, longer-term employee.

Feeling isolated

There’s only so long you can go without needing some human interaction. Remote working can start as a novelty not having people watching over your shoulder, but it may quickly become lonely, especially if you’re a new graduate.

College tends to be one of the most social periods of your life, and the sudden switch to working eight hours a day at your desk, with minimal human interaction, can take a toll emotionally. Studies already show that remote work can be damaging for your mental health, and as someone entering the world of work for the first time, you have to be careful to protect your wellbeing.

There’s equally the risk of not feeling like you belong at your remote job. Some of the camaraderie of being part of a team can get lost with distance working because you don’t see people and form the deep connections that come from in-person experiences. And, you may feel like you’re not really a member of the team because there aren’t tangible things (like an office, dress code, happy hours, badges, etc.) that remind you of your involvement.

Harder to maintain work-life boundaries

Remote work doesn’t provide a clear separation between professional and personal – after all, you’re literally conducting business from the place where you live and relax. This merging is dangerous for new grads who are eager to make a good impression or maybe don’t know how to implement firm boundaries. The risk is overwhelm and burnout, and the symptoms may go unnoticed for longer than in-office work because your colleagues can’t see the full effects on you.

Remote work requires self-discipline, confidence, and structure that new grads may not have developed yet. If you don’t separate work and life early on in your job, you could carry harmful habits throughout your career.

Not remotely good?

Remote work certainly has its pitfalls, and for students fresh out of college, those pitfalls can be extra hard. Before jumping into a remote role, consider the disadvantages above and ask yourself if you’re really ready.

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