In December 2019, I sat down with my manager to make a request that was very unconventional at my company. I decided that I wanted to transition into a full-time remote role. This decision didn’t derive from some dream of mine of sitting at a cafe with coffee in hand while answering emails for a job that I love. Although that sounded pretty amazing too. And fortunately, it’s something I get to do now as a result of remote work flexibility.

As for someone who had been in the “real world” for about six months, this was never in my career plan. Quite frankly, this idea arose more out of a need than a want. I was in my transitional periods at that time where I was looking to move out — I had the option to stay in the same city, and get a place of my own but continue to live my life the way I had been. Or the second option of moving to a new city with my best friend where endless adventures were awaiting me. Between the choice of comfort or adventure, I preferred a unique experience of adjusting to an unfamiliar place.

Moving away to a different city meant I needed to find a new job. However, due to time constraints, I decided it would be more practical to ask my employer for a remote work allowance. This way I could focus on the moving logistics than going through the emotional rollercoaster of job search.

The idea of asking a remote work contract with my employer was daunting, but I knew that If I don’t ask for it, I wouldn’t be giving myself a fair shot.

So, one day I walked into my manager’s office and requested a remote work arrangement. A long hour discussion, with a bit of nerve-wrecking waiting period, my request was approved.

Now I’ve been working remotely since January of 2020. Here are the things that helped me position myself well to strengthen my case for a remote position –

Knowing what I wanted and going for it

Before I set out to ask for a remote role, it was important that I assessed if working remotely was something I desired and could effectively execute. Often times, we think we like or want something, when in reality, we only like the idea of it. Defining my goal and why I wanted to work remote helped me create a plan towards making it happen. It became much easier to achieve it once I established my reasons to want to work remotely. I realized that although working remote could have its own unique set of challenges, It’s not entirely out of the question. After assessing the possibility of working remotely, I felt much more secure going into the conversation with my boss.