You’ve been hired—congratulations! Once you get your first live chat job, you are on your way to a new and better life. It’s an exciting time, but it can be a little nerve-wracking, too. What will happen on your first day? How will you learn everything you need to know? And when will you get that all-important first paycheck?

The live chat industry is spearheading this movement, and nowadays, most live chat agents work from home. That means you can cut out the daily commute and avoid the usual office politics. But you are still a member of a team, and you must work effectively with your colleagues. 

Even though most people love working remotely, they do report some challenges. Communication tops the list, but worries about isolation and missed social opportunities top the list.

The good news is that with some planning and forethought, most of these problems can be eliminated or at least minimized. And you can achieve this by sticking to the best practices for working as part of a remote team.

Here are some ideas to help you:

You may be required to attend online video meetings, and these are an opportunity to show you are a contributing member of the team. As in all meetings, you should pay attention, take notes, and offer constructive input when you can.

But with video meetings, there is one other important factor. Always keep your camera switched on. This demonstrates that you are actively involved and not cooking your lunch or watching TV while you should be paying attention. 

Be sure to dress well, too. Just because you are working from home, that doesn't mean it's OK to show up in a T-shirt and shorts. Be professional at all times. 

Working from home offers many advantages, but don't let your work life and personal life blend into one. It's essential to keep a clear separation so that you are always professional. 

If possible, dedicate one room in your home for work only. Equip this home office so that it feels like a work environment. If you have children or pets, they mustn’t disturb you while you are working. And you should also ensure that your personal life doesn't intrude in other ways. Hailley Griffis, Head of Public Relations at Buffer, says:

"I recommend turning off notifications on your phone, keeping your laptop in an office, and overall creating rules that work with your life so that you can still relax at home and avoid feeling like you're always working."

There are pros and cons to working as part of a remote team, but most people would agree that the pros outweigh the cons by a considerable margin. 

Fitting into a remote team is a good idea. But why stop there? Go one step further and become a top team player. That way, you will put yourself on the fast track to getting promoted and making more money. 

Being an active team member is both productive and an excellent way to get noticed. Here are some tips to help you achieve that:

Nobody expects you to know everything or have all the answers. So if you need assistance, don't hesitate to ask. There are no stupid questions in life, and it's OK to call for advice. 

If you are prepared to ask others for help, you will find they are more likely to ask you when they are stuck. That creates a better team environment where everyone works together to get the best result.

Always remember that your key objective is to serve your customers. Don't let internal struggles or conflicts work against this goal.

So always be focused on the shared interest of helping customers so that the company becomes more successful. It's then a given that the members of the live chat will be able to prosper, too. 

There's a big difference between listening and active listening. When communicating with colleagues, always be aware of what they are saying to you. What you hear on the surface may only be part of the story. 

Jim Vaselopulos of Rafti Advisors says:

"Listening, and the requisite patience to do it well is becoming a lost art. If you listen well, the 

path to becoming a better co-worker and team player reveals itself."

In any job, there are some tasks that no one in the team wants to take on. But instead of shirking the responsibility, be the go-getter who dives in and gets the job done. You will often find that the task is not so challenging after all, and it's a relief for everyone when it's done.

You can be sure that your supervisor will notice your good work, which will help you when it's time for your review. Of course, it always helps to earn yourself a few extra brownie points!

Being a live chat agent is a fun job, but every job becomes stressful at times. You can help the team by being the one who sees the silver lining in every cloud. 

Kimberly Roush of All-Star Executive Coaching says: 

"See the opportunity, not the problem. Look for what's right, not what's wrong. Acknowledge people rather than gossiping. Stay away from judging things as good or bad, right or wrong. Simply acknowledge they are different and move forward. Smile and watch the smiles multiply. Be the light!"

When things go wrong, colleagues sometimes turn on each other and pass the blame to someone else. In the long run, that kind of thinking doesn't help you at all. If you made a mistake, it's best to take responsibility and learn how to avoid repeating the error. 

Erica McCurdy of LunaNav says:

"Games are fun, but the blame game never has a winner. If you aren't able to change the dynamic, perhaps it wasn't your place to comment. No good comes from throwing another coworker under the bus. In a team environment, some people will fail to live up to commitments. Being a contributing and positive member of a team means finding productive ways to handle those interactions.:

Remember these simple guidelines, and you will find that you rise through the team to become a star performer. And in the end, that will translate into more money in the bank for you!