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Engineers have a difficult job. They work on complex problems, which is why they must be present. But, there is increasing demand for working from home and having a more flexible lifestyle instead of working from the office daily and commuting for long hours. While most engineering jobs are office-based, can we eventually see some jobs transitioning to more flexible remote work?
In general, most engineering tasks can be done remotely. However, Engineers can only work from home if their companies allow them to do so, and the job nature allows for remote work. Working from home means that engineers do not have to commute to work every day, and they have a home office setup that enables them to do all their tasks and stay in touch with the other team members.
Slacking off is one of the biggest issues regarding working from home. Engineers do not have an easy job that they can manage from home. Engineers need to communicate and work with each other to find solutions. However, given the major economic shift toward a more flexible lifestyle where working from home is very much encouraged, companies are trying to switch toward more remote work than office jobs.
So let us dive more into what engineering jobs can be done from home and what jobs can be difficult to do remotely.
Which engineering jobs can be done remotely?
Generally speaking, any engineering job can be done remotely if the job does not involve site presence, such as construction sites, factories or laboratories. Even the jobs that require site presence, engineers can still do some work from home. This is also known as hybrid work. The following are engineering jobs that can be done remotely:
1- Software engineers: Perhaps software engineering is the easiest engineering job that can be done remotely if the software engineer is well trained. The job does not require any site visits.
2- Structural engineers: Design structures such as buildings and bridges so they do not have to visit sites. This means they can work remotely with a powerful computer that can run those design programs.
3- Mechatronic engineers: Require onsite work. However, some jobs, such as system maintenance, can be done remotely, meaning many site visits are unnecessary.
4- Mechanical engineers: Especially engineers who use computer-aided software can work from home if they have a powerful computer that helps them run those programs.
5- Telecommunication engineers: Engineers who are in charge of network maintenance and troubleshooting can work remotely, especially well-trained engineers.
Which engineering jobs can be challenging to go remote?
To some degree, all engineering jobs are difficult to go remote because engineers work together as teams, so it is hard to make engineers work from home. However, based on recent studies, engineers can still manage some small and basic tasks of the job without having to work from the site or office.
The following are a few engineering jobs that are very difficult to work from home because engineers need to be fully present with their team on site:
1- Civil and environmental engineers: Civil engineering can be very difficult to do from home because the job requires site visits and project management.
2- Industrial engineers: Working from home is impossible because Industrial engineers work in factories and need to monitor the manufacturing process and solve ongoing problems.
3- Material science engineers: The job includes lots of laboratory work and testing, which is impossible to do from home.
4- Chemical engineers: Laboratory work and manufacturing of chemicals which is impossible to do from home.
5- Aerospace engineers: Maintain and design aircraft, which means they must be present in airports and factories, which is also impossible to do remotely.
Which engineers get to travel a lot?
In addition to the above, the following are jobs that not only require engineers to be present at all times; it also includes lots of travel, living away from home and travelling overseas:
1- Civil engineer & project managers: Project managers working on big projects such as bridges, dams, and mines work away from home and travel a lot to different projects.
2- Electrical engineers: Site engineers who maintain electrical grids and power stations can live away from home and travel to different sites.
3- Nuclear engineer: Nuclear power plants are usually very far from urban cities, meaning engineers have to live away from home.
4- Petroleum engineer: For countries with huge oil and gas reserves, oil refineries are usually far from urban cities. This means engineers must travel and live away from home in extreme situations.
5- Agricultural engineer: Manage natural resources and develop systems that benefit crop production. The job has lots of site visits and long travels in extreme situations.
What is attractive about working from home as an engineer?
As an engineer working from home has many benefits, such as:
1- No commute: This is one of the best things about working from home. You do not have to waste 2 hours a day just so commuting between work and home. You can wake up 50 to 30 minutes before work and do whatever you want after 5 PM immediately!
2- Boost productivity: By working from home, you can balance work and other things such as cooking and even having a nap after lunch. This significantly boosts productivity and makes you less stressed by taking advantage of the day.
3- Spend less: By not going outside, you do not spend money which means you get to save more. You do not spend money on travel or food.
What challenges can engineers expect working from home?
There are a few challenges when it comes to working from home as an engineer:
1- Committing to deadlines: Committing to deadlines is very hard when working from home. It is very difficult to ask questions or feedback when you need it. In addition, people get frustrated if you are slightly late as they can not see what you do and might assume that you are not working as hard as you should.
2- Be very responsive and present: Because your boss can not see what you do, they need to know you are available when needed. If they can not see that you are responding during work hours, they might assume that you are not working. This means responding immediately to messages and phone calls and having Microsoft team status as available as much as possible.
3- Have frequent communication with your team: Because engineers work in teams, you need to be updated on what your team is doing. Communication via facetime and messages is essential to ensure your team is on the right track. Read 5 Ways To Communicate That Are Better Than Emails to ensure positive communication at all times.
4- Deal with loneliness and mental health: While there are many upsides to working from home as an engineer, dealing with mental health and loneliness is a big issue with all remote working. It can be pleasant to have small talks with your team while having coffee in the morning or going to the site and meeting people. Unfortunately, this aspect does not exist in remote work, so there are fewer fun moments at work and more about getting the job done. This puts a heavy toll on most people.
I found that going out at least once outside helps with mental health, such as running around your block, going to the gym or seeing friends after work.
What do you need to be able to work from home as an engineer?
While every engineering job is different that requires special tools, these are the minimum requirements:
1- A quiet room
2- A good computer
3- A Desk
4- Fast Internet
