Remote reality

Kristin Baughman, a 2018 communication grad, adjusts to working from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the loss of employment for millions of Americans, and many of those who are still working are doing so remotely for the foreseeable future. For many Wright State alumni, the flow of everyday life has been either drastically or completely altered for the time being.

When Kristin Baughman first learned that she would have to work from home on March 16, she wasn’t surprised given the initial rapid spread of the coronavirus across Ohio.

“I found out I was working from home on a day off, so that made the process interesting,” she said. “I wasn’t shocked, to be honest, that Vivial had chosen this due to other corporations in the area like P&G moving that direction.”

Baughman, who graduated from Wright State in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, works as a content writer for Vivial, a digital marketing company. Her job consists of writing content for websites and business profiles, as well as conducting quality assessments for completed websites.

When the company moved to remote working, Baughman found the process to be pretty smooth, an impressive feat for such a large company.

“Vivial had discussed this as a possibility a few weeks prior, and we were told this could happen at a moment’s notice, and it did,” she said. “Our job can easily be done online, so as long as we have an internet connection and a working computer, we can accomplish a lot remotely.”

As of now, Baughman and her coworkers will work from home until at least May 1, although that date is likely to change due to future COVID-19 policies and procedures.

“Working remotely is something I’m familiar with, and until this is over it’s something I’m comfortable doing,” she said. “I’m just thankful to be working during these times.”

Baughman’s familiarity with working remotely and online can be largely credited to her time at Wright State. During her senior year, she served as The Guardian’s editor-in-chief as the newspaper made the switch from a print newspaper to an exclusively online media source. She also took multiple online classes as a student at Wright State, which she says taught her strategies that she’s currently using to better manage time and work.

Kristin Baughman’s cat, Bueller, keeps her company while she works from home.

“Working remotely is something I’m well acquainted with, and I have my time at Wright State to thank for that,” she said. “Between taking quite a few online classes and working for The Guardian for a few years, I have learned what I need to do to create an environment at home that’s conducive to keeping me productive.”

Baughman’s remote work environment includes having the blinds open on sunny days and listening to music. Her cat, Bueller, keeps her company.

“He isn’t the best coworker, since he likes to sit on my laptop when he hasn’t received enough attention,” she said.

While she is confident in her abilities to produce great work remotely, Baughman looks forward to the day she’s back in the office with everyone else.

“I’m looking forward to being in the office again with my coworkers,” she said. “I miss seeing the team and being able to talk with them in person.”