Here's how you can enhance your professional growth as an application developer through remote work.

Flexibility can definitely be a key enabler here, especially because in my experience different tasks require different mindsets, focus levels and energy levels, where more is not always better. If I'm feeling quite energetic it works great for me to solve a large and complex problem, especially if I'm passionate about it, but I might be too energized for a more passive studying activity that's mostly reading or watching videos, and would lose focus. Also, in my experience studying when you're not in the mood for it is ineffective, so having the flexibility to manage your work schedule so that you can study when you're most up to it and deliver on your work commitments in the evening or weekend can make you more effective in both areas

To embrace flexibility, mastering the art of independent work and task organisation is essential in remote working. Balancing work and home life priorities while setting and maintaining personal goals are crucial skills. Nevertheless, remote workers often face challenges such as communication hurdles, technology glitches, and difficulties in accessing information.

Flexibility let you experiment different time management techniques (time blocking, Pomodoro, Eat That Frog, etc.) and find what works the best fo you. You'll also be able to spend more time in flow state by dedicating your more productive time of the day to do deep work, and set meetings outside this timeframe.

Remote working can also be a networking enabler, because it provides the opportunity for a much wider reach and minimizes overhead for everyone. We've had this with a local Salesforce architect community for the Netherlands and Belgium that I started with a few peers. Up until the pandemic we had on-site meetups, which meant arranging a venue, food and drinks, sponsorship for all that, travel time for everyone, etc. Don't get me wrong, those meetups were amazing, and the on-site in person aspect definitely adds a lot. But when we switched to remote when the pandemic hit, we also switched to global and that's when our community group really took flight. We went from two dozen members to five times that and are coming up on our 150th meetup

Especially in today's hybrid way of working it can be a key differentiator. Offices are often arranged based on the greatest common denominator and with cost efficiency in mind, making it less suitable for tasks that require a more specific setup. For instance, I have a very large high resolution monitor at home that enables me to work more efficiently on large architecture diagrams. Going to the employer office still provides strong value with highly interactive collaborative work with colleagues, while going to the client office provides strong value when it's important to be able to read the room well. So, a good home office doesn't just provide a place to work, but can add something you don't have at your clients or employer.

It's okay to be flexible with your goals. Priorities change, situations change, but even more importantly, it strongly depends on what works for you as a person. For me growth is very important, but at the same time setting deadlines works highly demotivating for me, because it changes the feeling from something you want to do, to something you have to do (and then no longer want to do). And also more important than a goal or ambition itself is a plan how to achieve it with enough milestones along the way to track progress. A goal without a plan is just a dream. Then, it's just a matter of staying on the path, adjust course when needed and ensure you're still making progress. When you actually achieve the goal becomes less relevant.

Set boundaries for yourself. You can easily spend every waking hour reading up on things, there's always more than you have time for. You can't increase breadth of knowledge, depth of knowledge and stay up to date on all current knowledge all at once all the time. So answer questions like these for yourself: - what do I need for my current projects? - what do I need for the projects in the pipeline? - what are the key industry trends to keep track of? - what are my key differentiators? That last one is quite often forgotten, but if you're for instance one of three experts in the entire organization on a highly specialized topic, it makes sense to stay up to date on that, even if there is no demand for that now or in the pipeline.

Selecting the right collaboration tools is key for remote work efficiency. Platforms like O365, GitLab, and Atlassian offer a variety of features for communication and collaboration. However, it's vital to prioritise security within these tools. Many organisations adopt these tools without fully checking data security, risking breaches. Make sure to scrutinise security features, opt for platforms with strong encryption, and ensure compliance with data protection regulations. Balancing functionality and security ensures smooth collaboration while safeguarding sensitive information.

Pair programming sessions not only help improve our coding skills but also strengthen our team relationships. When we work closely with a co-worker on coding tasks, it brings us closer together as a team. We learn from each other's coding styles and techniques, which helps us understand and support each other better. By solving problems together and giving feedback in real-time, we build trust and unity within the team. Pair programming encourages us to communicate openly and respect each other's ideas. This collaborative approach makes our team stronger and creates a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and supported.