Staying in Hawaiʻi with Remote Work
A lot of people have been working from home since COVID-19 began, myself included. Actually, I’ve been working remotely for years. However, I used to have the choice to to work at home, in an office, at a coffee shop, or on school campuses.
Flexible work locations and hours was already becoming a trend, but it became the norm for many professionals in Hawai’i when everyone was urged to stay home. With the vaccine rollout, many are hopeful of a return to “normalcy.” Still, at least one change is likely to persist: the way we work. The next generation may work for organizations (or themselves) across different parts of the state, the mainland United States, or even across the globe — and do it right from home (or local coffee, park, library, etc.)
My work-from-home set-up.
COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of technology, infrastructure, policies, and expertise to make remote work happen for more people. What’s more, Hawai’i’s government is advocating for remote work as a way to diversify the economy and allow more locals to remain in Hawai’i by taking higher-paying remote jobs from outside the state. Building a remote workforce of local people is part of Governor Ige’s long-term COVID-19 economic recovery plan. https://governor.hawaii.gov/featured/long-term-recovery-initiatives/
Of course, there are pros and cons to a shift to a primarily remote workforce. We are hopeful that young people can have more options to find varied, well-compensated, and fulfilling careers.
Is your dream to work at a big technology company and go diving on the weekends? That lifestyle may be a realistic option!
We encourage young people exploring career pathways not to feel constrained by looking only at job postings in their immediate vicinity. Search national or global recruitments that include a remote work option, and see what’s out there! You may be surprised to see how many industries have made the pivot into remote work.
