Hello from Rinck Midwest!

Just kidding, that’s not a thing. But if it were, I would be the face of it as I am currently the only Rinck employee who lives in the Midwest region of the US.  

After graduating from Loyola University in Chicago, I decided to stick around the city I called home for four years. I knew I would continue to live in Chicago after graduating. What I didn’t know is that I would be working fully remote for a company that’s based in Maine.  

It just so happened to be the year 2020, the start of the pandemic, when I went from college graduate to Rinck freelancer. For many Rincksters, the pandemic meant a major adjustment. They were used to going into the office and seeing their colleagues every day, and now they’d have to set up offices at home. Slack was suddenly their best friend as they were miles from any of their coworkers.   

I don’t know what the future looks like for remote work, but I do know how to make remote work the best it can be with a few necessities.

For me, however, a virtual Rinck is all I’ve ever known. I joined when #WFH was in full swing, and offices were closed until further notice. It was an honor to be the first employee hired on a fully remote basis. Though committing to hiring remote staff was a big deal at the time, it’s now commonplace. Flash forward a year and there are a handful of fully remote employees at Rinck who live in New Jersey, Virginia, and South Dakota just to name a few states.  

Because Rinck is my first job after graduating from college, I’ve never worked full-time in a corporate office. Since fully remote work is all I’ve ever known, I’ve made it my mission the past two years to figure out how to optimize it. Originally remote work was a necessity if
I wanted to work in my field. Now, it’s my preference.  

So how did I get to this point? First and foremost, I would be nothing without Rinck’s media team who have taught me everything I know. Having a supportive team is the most important part of remote work. Second, and in a more trivial sense, is to have a workspace that is going to optimize your WFH experience.  

I don’t know what the future looks like for remote work, but I do know how to make remote work the best it can be with a few necessities. Here are my recommendations for what you absolutely need to make your remote work environment as optimal as possible:  

 

An uber comfortable desk chair. This may seem obvious to some, but I can’t emphasize enough how much better it is to not have a sore butt halfway through the workday. 

A mug warmer. Don’t make the fuss of going all the way to the kitchen to microwave your coffee – keep your morning brew hot at your desk.  

A snack drawer. Sometimes there isn’t enough time between meetings to make a whole meal. Having quality snacks within arm’s reach is a power move.

Headphones. Especially if you have three roommates and live in a loud city like me! Pop on your favorite podcast when you’re doing busywork and block out all the external noise when you have meetings. 

A heating pad for your lap. They’re not just for cramps or sore backs anymore! If you live somewhere that gets as cold as Chicago, this will change your life.  

Fresh flowers on your desk. It’s never a bad thing to have extra oxygen in a spot that may increase stress levels. Plus, they’re aesthetically pleasing. 

 

Now these items may seem a bit silly to someone who works in person, but my fellow WFH-er’s – you get it. After the big things, like the people you work with, it’s the little things that count.