Rebecca Peel: Starting a role remotely

Five lessons I have learned starting a new role remotely  

In March, I started a new role as PR account manager at Tank, the largest PR agency in the midlands. I graduated with a Journalism degree in 2015 at University of Lincoln, and after a bunch of work placements and job applications, I quickly realised that my forte was in public relations and digital marketing.  

I’ve worked in three roles since then, gradually working my way up into a more senior role, with more digital PR experience. Until Tank, I started each new role in an office. When you do this, you get to know people in the company easily, build a daily routine, collaborate better and embrace the office culture.  

However, since the pandemic, most businesses are working from home. So, when I decided to take on this new role, I was nervous about the experience I’d have, not meeting my colleagues in person.  

Following the pandemic, many companies are now either going fully remote, or switching to a hybrid model of allowing employees to work from home part of the time, if they so wish.  

If you’re a new graduate, it’s understandable to be nervous about starting a new role. But hopefully, my tips below on starting a job remotely will make the transition that little bit easier:  

1 – Don’t be afraid to ask questions  

When you’re working from home, it can feel slightly daunting to ask questions. You may worry you’re asking the wrong person the question, or you’re asking too many. But stop worrying! New employers are not going to expect you to know the ins and outs of the business and how they work straight away, especially if you’re new to the industry.  

In fact, it saves everyone time in the long term if you ask that question that’s burning on your mind straight away. If you’re unsure who to ask, direct your question to the person you feel is most appropriate, and if should be answered by someone else, they can point you in the right direction.  

Also, asking questions is a great way to get to know people! You’ll pick things up faster and get to know people quicker than you would otherwise.  

2 – Make sure you separate home from work 

It’s so easy when working from home to get up and head straight to your laptop, especially if you’re working in your bedroom or living room. But removing your routine and working longer purely because of convenience is a recipe for burnout.  

If you are lucky enough to have a spare room, I’d always recommend setting up your office there. If not, try and find a space in your home which you spend less time in to ‘close the door’ on work at 5:30pm.  

I’ve found comfort in getting dressed into outfits which I’d usually wear around the office, and even doing my makeup. This is my routine, and helps me to feel ready to start the day. I’d recommend doing whatever you feel is best – whether it’s going for a walk before or after work to replicate your commute, exercising in the morning, eating breakfast at the dining table or even avoiding your phone for an hour.  

3 – Keep learning  

This tip is for any graduate just finishing university. Part of my job now focuses on Digital PR – the art of using PR tactics to secure backlinks for brands. This in turn will help them to rank higher on the Google search results. Yet Digital PR as a job role was only just starting out when I was at university, so it wasn’t taught in lectures. 

Think of TikTok, Instagram, Clubhouse and even streaming services like Netflix and Spotify. There’s constantly new innovations being launched, and people don’t get taught about them at university straight away, yet these are some of the most powerful brands in the industry today. To get involved in innovative work, you need to be on top of what’s happening in your chosen field. It’s important that your education doesn’t just stop when you leave university or college. Keep an eye out on industry trends in your sector – I do this by following a number of thought leaders on Twitter and LinkedIn. This will not only give you a better understanding of where your career could go in the future, but also will be a great insight to provide in a job interview.  

Also, when you first start a new job you may have a bit of spare time to read on industry updates as you’re eased in – use this time wisely! 

4 – Remember everyone will be supportive 

We’ve all been in lockdown together, and while many people won’t have changed jobs in the last 16 months, they’ll be more than understanding of any concerns you may have about starting your role remotely. We’re in the same boat, and I’ve found that people are very empathetic and happy to listen to any suggestions you may have to make your onboarding process easier.  

If you’d like to chat to someone on a peer level, approach HR and ask ahead of starting your role if you can be assigned a buddy. Buddies are great as someone who you can ask any question to, have virtual lunch with, and build a connection with someone from day one.  

5 – Embrace it! 

I love the atmosphere of working in an office. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t take the opportunity to work from home in the future from time to time. I always found it overwhelming in my first few weeks in a job, walking into a new office environment where everyone knows each other. It’s normal to feel slightly isolated for a few weeks.  

Yet when you’re working from home, I’ve found that I’ve had more personal, one-to-one bonding sessions,  which I may have struggled to have in the confines of an open plan office. I’ve also achieved a better deep focus – working solidly for a few hours with no distractions. For me, this allowed me to get to grips with the way that Tank works faster, and settle in quicker.  

By Rebecca Peel, PR account manager at Tank. BA (Hons) Journalism graduate, University of Lincoln