v-Fluence Blog

Ironically, A Perfect Fit

"We would like to hire you."

As a college graduate and first-time job seeker, hearing those words produced a variety of feelings within me; relief, validation and arrival were most prevalent. But in the days after I accepted v-Fluence's job offer, I started to realize the irony inherent in my new position.

When my time at Miami University came to a close, I went through the natural period of introspection. I asked myself what exactly I wanted to do with my fancy new degree, where I'd be willing to go to start this new chapter of my life and whether or not I'd even traverse into public relations, the field I had just spent three-plus years and a small fortune pursuing in beautiful, uptown Oxford, Ohio.

The answers to those three questions, respectively, were "anything," "anywhere," and "maybe." Whether it was indecisiveness or an interest in keeping all options open, I had just begun a job search with the widest possible parameters. Not being tied down to any particular location, I started by looking outside St. Louis.

Northern Colorado was my first thought. I first fell in love with the Estes Park and Fort Collins areas in May 2005, when I started a multi-summer job with Group Workcamps Foundation. How great it would be, I thought, to wake up every morning with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains within eyeshot and to visit the various national parks on the slightest whim.

Or how about Western New York? I don't exactly know why, but I have always recalled my month-long visit to Buffalo and Niagara fondly. And it's a hockey hotbed, to be sure. Then again, I did visit in July, so who knows how I'd respond to the long winters and several feet of snow.

The big break came early in my search when PRSSA connected me with v-Fluence. Now a few months later, here I am-the guy who was willing to go "anywhere" to begin a career-working mainly out of the home where I grew up for 18 years.

In some respects, it feels like I'm the lone warrior back in college again. I'll work with my laptop from coffee shops, restaurants or my bedroom-often times redefining "business casual"-as I review and report on Web postings to keep our clients aware of key developments that occur in their online environments. At the same time, I'm always connected to coworkers by IM, e-mail or phone if a question or concern arises. It's great having that network of support behind you.

I recently asked myself, "What have I gained by working in v-Fluence's flexible work environment?" Here's what came to mind:

• I've been very pleased with not commuting every day. In a tangible sense, the savings on gas and for the environment have been incredible. Looking back over my fuel card bills, I've only needed to buy gas for my compact car three times over the last three months. That might also mean I need to get out more, but it still serves as a positive example of how v-Fluence and similar companies can be more green than their brick and mortar counterparts.
• My rambunctious mixed-breed dog, Millie, is happy that she doesn't have to be locked up in a cage for a large chunk of the day. She gets to enjoy the outdoors during the daytime, and when it was warmer out, I was quick to join her (with my laptop and phone in tow, of course).
• If I have an Internet connection, I can hunker down and work. Even better, the time demands aren't so stringent that I can't have a life; on Thursdays, I like to play hockey for an hour or so at a local ice rink. And eventually, when I take a trip to see friends in Ohio, I can still fulfill my work commitments.
• While this is my first full-time job, I was immediately charged with responsibilities. Because it was physically impossible for someone to be watching over my shoulder minute by minute, I was challenged to maintain a defined level of production from the outset. And when it comes to keeping me motivated, there's nothing that feeds me more than the task of achieving at or above expectations.
• The proximity to friends and family, which I would have lost had I ventured elsewhere, has proven to be more valuable than I had imagined. I especially recognized this last week when I was able to spend several days around Thanksgiving with loved ones, and this proximity will continue to be important as Christmas approaches.

Companies with flexible work environments like v-Fluence weren't on the top of my mind as I began to look for a job; the default expectation from academia is that most graduates will go on to a 9-5 big city office job. However, I believe these work settings will receive more notoriety in the coming years as more companies realize the myriad of benefits to employees, organizational culture and their bottom lines. Those benefits should draw a more competitive and interested talent pool, even among new job seekers.

Call me crazy, but I think we'll all look back in 10 or 20 years and wonder why some companies were so slow to adopt some sort of a flexible office model. Is it really necessary for all employees to come together at a physical location every day when commuting might waste an hour or more in aggregate for each person? For some industries, of course, it is requisite.

Despite the irony of staying in St. Louis and working from home when I was open to "anything" and "anywhere," I am also finding that my appreciation for this work setting may have been in the cards from the beginning. About a year and a half ago, my father left his accounting partnership firm to become self-employed. Now, his office sits across the hall from mine. On a daily basis, we'll share coffee, water cooler gossip, funny YouTube videos or daily house chores as we both work to satisfy client needs.

When my father launched his new company, he named it "Heaton & Associates." As an Associate with v-Fluence, it's a perfect fit.

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