v-Fluence Blog

A Virtual Job; A Better Daughter and Friend

As a recent collegegraduate, and one that crazily decided to go transatlantic for her first “real world experience,” I’ve had my struggles in terms of keeping in touch with family and friends. I’m a fairly social girl, so separating myself from those with whom I’d spent 90 percent of the past 21 years to set up my first apartment and begin my career in France did not originally seem like the best idea—especially considering my parents’ and older friends’ assertions of the difficulty of keeping old friends. Rejecting, however, their dire prediction that I would be lucky to maintain contact with five college and high school friends by age 30, I set off, confident that my situation would be different.

It turns out, of course, that they’re right. Keeping in touch is difficult…and I’m only 2 years out. Granted, my 3,500-mile separation from most of my friends and family is not that of the typical graduate. But, whether it’s 30 miles or 5,000, if you don’tsee people on a regular basis, it’s the same challenge.

Happily however, I believe the problem my parents’ generation had maintaining friendships with out-of-sight friends, is remedied by the Internet. Sure, nearly every job nowadays involves major time on the computer. The difference is, while for most people it means briefly checking e-mail, researching facts, and typing documents, my job IS the computer, and more specifically, the Internet. I therefore define it accordingly: current, flexible, interesting, sometimes distracting, and my favorite, global.

The global aspect, as Erin and Ryan, have discussed before on this blog, is what makes working for a virtual company so uniquely fantastic. Yes, I have an office in my Biarritz apartment where I work 95 percent of the time. However, I have the option of working elsewhere when I need to, thanks to the omnipresence of the Internet.

At times that freedom simply means going to a cafe with free wireless for a couple of hours and sorting through e-mails while enjoying some piperade. Most recently, it was a trip back to the States for six weeks to work from my parents’ house, spending time with them, and exposing my French boyfriend to American culture.

Being able to spend time with family and friends, wherever they are, without taking vacation time, is a valuable perk to many of us at v-Fluence. We may not do it often, but, it’s nice to know the flexibility is there.

Right. Flexibility. Another benefit of the job, which I’ve come to appreciate for my own time schedule, and also as it relates to others. People know they can visit me for more than just a weekend because I can be around to direct them to the beach in the morning and grab lunch with them in the afternoon. I’m still “at work” but accessible most of the time. Office hours equate to getting the job done, on time and carefully executed…but my office door never locks.

For friends and family I’m not able to visit in person, I rely on the powers of social media such as Facebook, MyRagan, MySpace, Skype, Flickr and of course, IM and e-mail to stay in touch. Some think spending time on sites like Facebook is an indication of “too much free time,” but these sites are partially what allow me to enjoy my free time, and keep in touch with old friends. Those with whom I stay in-touch via e-mail, or who view my photos, know what’s going on with me, (and vice versa) and are therefore more likely to visit, or let me crash with them when I’m back in the States. Plus, because I work on the Internet, I’m constantly coming across interesting news items that, with the flick of a mouse, can be forwarded to selected family, friends, and colleagues, keeping us connected. It’s simple and spontaneous, and shows that I’m thinking about them.

Obviously, the ability to be “at work” anywhere has a few drawbacks too. Family and friends can have trouble recognizing that you are “at work” when you appear to be lounging with your shoes off in front of the computer. However, most of us have learned to create boundaries and transmit subtle and, when necessary, overt signals that negotiate this issue for everyone’s sanity.

For me it’s a question of balance. Understanding and embracing the benefits of the job in the way that works best for me, and for those who count on me—colleagues, family, and friends. These are my keys to productivity -- in my work, and in my life.

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