Flexible working. Alternative working arrangement. Mobile working. Telework. Whatever term we use, it means the same. It means you no longer sit in 9"x 6” cubicle 9am to 5am every single working day, every day of your working life. It means you can choose to work elsewhere. You can choose the way you want to deliver your work. After all, your employer wants your work, not you. And you want your job, not your cubicle.

Flexible working started about 20 years ago, around mid 80s and became an option for some large employers who wanted to cut down on real estate costs and keep leaner operations. The concept worked in some cases, didn’t in others. The reasons were simple. Communication over the phone was not easy. Fax had limited data transfer capabilities. There was no quick way of getting documents over. And people felt isolated working on their own in their remote offices.

Things are very very different today. Chats and Emails allow anyone to be connected to anyone all the time – just have a little icon on the corner of your laptop and you are available for any discussion! Sending information – data, audio or video is just a click away – in any format, in any language, in any colour. And if the employer runs out of storage space for all those work files, there are multiple providers of cloud services and you can have your virtual workspaces and files stacked up in the clouds. You could be thinking of your next line for that report you are writing while discussing the previous memo on-line with your boss using video conferencing options. The boss sees you, you see the boss. Issues gets dicussed and work gets done.

So why would someone travel 1 hour a day to get to office, just to check a couple of emails and submit your on-line leave application? Why travel through the heavy traffic on a rainy day just to ask your boss if Clause 2.2(b) needs to be amended? Why check into office before and after going to your client site where all your current assignments are based at? Why do we need such regimented and outdated work styles when technology enables far more efficient and enjoyable ways to deliver your work.

The force of change is all around us. Lifestyle careers are on the rise - people want to take up jobs which are aligned to the lifestyle that fits them most. Whether its to take care of the young, to pursue their interests, to be there for the elderly, to manage their households or simply to have a less hectic daily routine, people are looking at solutions that enable them to pursue their careers without giving up on the most important things in life. And technology solution providers are churning out remote working applications and infrastructure faster than ever before. Just in time offices are sprouting around the country and there are WIFI networks everywhere you go. The era of flexible working is already dawning upon us and those who take advantage of this emerging culture will gain very much in both their careers and their lives.