For new hires, remote work brings challenges, opportunities

Many young workers around the world have entered the workforce during the past 18 months without ever having stepped foot into their offices or having met a single colleague

LONDON -- Rebekah Ingram's remote internship has come with a series of unexpected challenges: She lacks a proper office set-up, her mother often calls for her while she works, and her dog barks during video calls. Her situation will sound familiar to anyone who has worked from home during the coronavirus pandemic. The difference for Ingram is that she, like many other young people who started jobs in the past 18 months, hasn't spent any time in a traditional office. She speculates that remote work is “way more informal.” “It’s kind of trippy because ... you’re working but … you’re in your own environment,” said the 22-year-old, who is interning at Like Minded Females Network, a global tech and entrepreneurship non-profit based in London. Many 2020 graduates left school and entered a world in turmoil, with limited job prospects. Some lost work opportunities as companies canceled internships or froze hiring altogether. As restrictions have eased in many places, jobs have become easier to find, but work remains far from normal.