Many entry-level workers are entering the workforce and may have trouble distinguishing if in office work is right for them. Of course, many people know the benefits of working from home, but there can be and are benefits to working in an office as well and I’ll talk a little about each benefit in this article.

Going into the workforce as an entry level employee can be extremely daunting but one thing that working in an office has over working from home is the networking you can do! For someone who is just starting their journey in the workforce it’s important that you get a chance to network with your peers to build lasting relationships that can help you later down the line. While one could argue that you can network in work from home positions, I don’t believe it’s as impactful especially just starting out. Everything in a WFH environment must be planned and scheduled because otherwise you have no contact with these people. Whereas in an office setting, you may run into a coworker and strike up a conversation. It’s also easier to meet more senior employees while in an office as it’s one centralized location as opposed to everyone being scattered.

With networking, we can also talk a little about creativity. Say you bump into one of your peers while in the office and decide to strike up a conversation. This may be the perfect opportunity to ask them for help or advice on a project you may be working on and vice versa. With all WFH communication having to be scheduled I think that leaves less time for peers to ask important questions and makes employees less likely to engage with one another. Getting advice or input from your coworkers can help find creative solutions to issues you may be encountering as well as getting your own wheels turning to help think about things differently.

Working in an office setting can also help those less disciplined with time management. If you find yourself unable to work on your own and lack the discipline to get your work done independently, working in an office may be more your speed than working from home. Some may not be as extroverted and working around others may make them closed off and distracted, but for others it’s a great way to stay on track having people around you to hold you accountable for the things you need to get done daily.

On a more personal note, working in an office is a great way to improve your communication and interpersonal skills as these aspects are crucial to you as a person as well as any environment you encounter. Being in an office and having to have face to face meetings can really boost one’s confidence and public speaking. When working from home you’re forced to do all your communicating through text or email which can take away that human aspect from working.

Finally, I believe working in an office can help one learn and navigate the company’s culture better than working from home. You really get to see and immerse yourself into the company culture by engaging with your peers and seeing first-hand how operations function. Once again, this is an experience you cannot receive from working from home. The most exciting part of starting a new role or position is that you get to experience the culture of the company you’re joining and experiencing the diversity of those around you. Things in the world are constantly evolving and it’s to be expected that how we work isn’t the exception to that. With that in mind, I understand that there are a plethora of options out there for an entry level candidate, but understand like any role, you should do your research and determine for yourself what’s right for you. Making sure to pick a method of work in which the environment is  conducive for success for you individually is extremely important. See to it that you assess your own strengths and weaknesses when you’re looking for roles and trying to decipher if you should be remote or in person moving forward.

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