A first-hand experience of working remotely while travelling

Before Covid-19 struck, travelling was a huge part of my life. I used to fly somewhere for a trip at least once a month. I was the happiest whenever I discovered a long weekend, as it meant a trip to neighbouring countries or my favourite cities such as Paris and London. 

Things changed when Covid-19 struck and travelling became a necessity instead for leisure. However, when borders started to open, I couldn’t contain the free-spirited soul that has been so used to seeing the different parts of the world. 

Many companies have evolved after the pandemic, providing their employees more flexibility in terms of working environment, some even allowing staff to work remotely while overseas. Over at JobStreet by SEEK, we are given the flexibility to work remotely for a certain period in a year. I decided to fly to Brisbane for 3 weeks for my first post-pandemic trip, where I would work remotely. 

I left Singapore over the Labour Day long weekend and boarded the aircraft with a mixed bag of feelings, excited but with trepidation. It was upon arrival in Brisbane airport and seeing my friend that I heaved a sigh of relief as I gave my friend a tight hug.

I arrived on a Saturday morning, and we headed to the West End Markets immediately to meet more friends. We laid out the picnic mat and had a slow, long lunch, something that I’ve not done in the past two years! The following day, I went for a hike with my friend at Glass House Mountains National Park, and we were rewarded with breath-taking views upon reaching the summit of Mount Ngungun.

As it was Labour Day on the following Monday, we drove to Burleigh Heads for the beach. We were lucky and there was good weather, sunny but not scorching hot. It was perfect to take a stroll along the beach with the white, smooth sand, while my friends had a good surf. The beach at Burleigh Heads on a sunny day is definitely a sight to behold. Plus, sunlight aids the production of Vitamin D and serotonin, all the feel-good chemicals to improve our mood. Although we were physically tired from the weekend activities, we felt recharged mentally.

After the long weekend, it was back to working from home, but from an entirely different environment. I stayed in an apartment by the Brisbane River, which greeted me with mesmerising sunrises and sunsets. As it is near winter season in Australia, the weather was very cool for morning runs. Inspired by the book, The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma, I was determined to make full of my time in Brisbane to go for my morning runs. I woke up at 5am, went for my runs, picked up my favourite flat white coffee, and by the time I reached home and freshened up, it was 7am. Sometimes I would pick up a book to read, or head out to get groceries and start to work at 8am Brisbane time. 

Starting work two hours ahead of my colleagues in Singapore has its benefits. I was able to focus and complete many tasks before my meetings for the day started. Time management becomes even more critical when we work remotely in a different time zone. There were days where I had meetings that ended at 6pm Singapore time, which was 8pm Brisbane time. On such days, it was useful to set aside small breaks in between the day. Also, communication with my reporting manager was also very important to ensure that we do not lose the trust we have with each other. Communication is a two-way process, and it is the basis to having an effective relationship, especially in a corporate environment.  

Working remotely has improved my productivity, and I could feel myself functioning at a higher level than I normally do in Singapore. Research done by Oxford University's Saïd Business School has found that workers are 13% more productive when happy. My colleagues even commented there was a glow on my face when they saw me on Zoom calls! 

The opportunity to be able to work overseas remotely is a blessing, and it enabled me to catch up with my friends who are based overseas. It has also allowed me to meet new people, experience new cultures, and have a fresh perspective on many things. Working in the marketing sector, we are often challenged to be creative and to think out of the box. The creative thinking process requires us to brainstorm ideas, think through them and evaluate if they would work. If we stick to the familiar, we would not be able to come up with new ideas.  

I came back to Singapore feeling all recharged and knowing I can contribute even more to the organisation even though I was working remotely throughout my trip. It also reinforced to me the mission we have over at JobStreet, to be everyone’s career partner and find meaning in their work. We believe there is a job for everyone, and ours is to make sure you find your dream job! #LetsGetToWork now!