Military to Civilian Transition: Virtual Commuting

Not long ago, when people talked about virtual commuting they were referring to a tactic used by downsizing companies to trim expenses. They reasoned that if we could find a way for employees to work at home and still be productive, then they could eliminate the overhead costs associated with having them onsite.

Today, virtual commuting is altogether different. Physical location is less important in a digitally connected world. When creating this website, for example, members of our team moved about from the Boston area, NYC, Richmond Virginia, Washington DC, and Toronto Canada...and those are just the places we know about! Many companies today, especially Gen-Y companies operating in the digital sphere, are happy to let their employees work from home, understanding the importance these "millenials" attach to personal freedom and autonomy.

Not all work lends itself to these kinds of arrangements, but you might be surprised what is possible today given the resources technology has placed in our hands.

Here's a very short list of careers that can easily be done virtually:

• Academic or business research
• Business or financial analyst
• Coaching
• Computer programming (all types)
• Consulting
• Customer service and support (e.g. "help desk" technician)
• Internet marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Social media marketing (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
• Teaching
• Web design
• Web content producer (video, audio, etc.)
• Writing and other forms of content creation

And the list will only get longer.