This is Marmalade. Fighting him for my chair back every morning is not what I would have imagined my daily challenge would be, yet things are very different to my expectations from 18-months ago.
18-months ago, I, like many, would have been concerned with getting to work on time, which train to be catching, what I’m going to wear for my first day, giving presentations to clients and making sure I was prepared.
At risual, I’ve been provided with the platforms and technology I need to bring my best self to work every day and this first blog, in what will be a series of monthly blogs, aims to highlight the progression society has made in using technology to enable people to work remotely.
Work Device
On my first day, my laptop hadn’t arrived, yet I was given a remote desktop to work from using my own PC. By having access to this technology, I was able to attend the calls I had that morning.
When my laptop arrived by post, it already recognised me as a risual employee and provided me with a customised login page. The setup was straightforward and simple, required minimal input and took only a matter of minutes until I was live. Consider this compared to the 15min boot up time I experienced at university and college when logging onto a different desktop for the first time – it’s quite remarkable how different something so fundamental can be.
Remote Working
Although remote working has negative points, like not being able to meet my colleagues or collaborate in person, being able to work remotely has saved me countless hours of commuting and stress – something nobody underestimates the value of. The ability to work remotely along with the necessity of companies to adopt this approach to change with changing circumstance, has revolutionised the work week. No longer will I need to spend 2-3hrs a day, of my own free time, transitioning to another location to do something that technology enabled me to be able to do from home. Although working remotely has negatives, it has established trust between middle-management and workforces that they are able to work unsupervised and complete what is required of them, to a similar or higher standard.
Technology Enabled Learning
Since starting my role, I’ve been given access to various platforms to gain certification and expertise on relevant topics such as the Microsoft Power Platform, Azure Fundamentals and DocuSign’s Agreement Cloud Specialist. These courses are aimed at providing access to critical information and in a format that is easy to use, engaging and informative.
So far, during my first month, I’ve completed half of the Power Platform Fundamentals. This course has given me an overview of the capability Power Platform offers, including how the use of low/no code environments can accelerate the changes required in businesses from the end-user. Without this course or similar online courses, I wouldn’t have been able to upskill myself and learn new technology skills without taking workshops or courses in person – which would be more expensive and time consuming.
To conclude, by gaining access to technology like the Microsoft Surface, remote desktop, online training courses and everything that went into getting the Surface to my home, I’ve been empowered and enabled to start a new career from the comforts of my own home. For the next month my main battle in the morning will be with my cat, and not with an arduous commute.
