I've been doing telecommute and/or freelance for about 4 years now. When I think of the future, I feel like a career via telecommute has a ceiling. Do you think a career based on telecommuting can continue to grow like a typical in house career?
Great question. I don't think social norm would allow it to grow in the same manner as a non-remote position. Given how a lot of promotions are based on office politics.
We by nature are social and while teleconferencing has improved exponentially over the last couple of years, you cannot beat in-person communication. If you eventually want to lead a team, you must be there in person. If you want to socialise with your teammates, you must be there in person.
Yes, I've been doing it since 1998, and that includes three major separate gigs including (1) a corporate job, (2) free-lance, and (3) a founder of our own firm. So that's 15 years and counting! Best wishes to you.