If you want to travel but seem to either have time or money – but never at the same time, or if you have experienced some remote working and found you preferred it to office life, then becoming a digital nomad might be an option for you.
With the ease and availability of internet services, electricity, and digital devices, working remotely has become an amazing option for a lot of people. There are a myriad of benefits to working remotely and more businesses are making remote positions available as they see the benefit of using remote workers for them as well. There are some job sites that now exist exclusively for those seeking remote work.
It is predicted that over the next 10 years almost 40% of workers will be working remotely. If you want to be part of that number, there are steps you can take to become a fully independent digital nomad.
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is a person who works at no particular fixed location, often choosing to work wherever there is a reliable internet connection. They may choose to move on weekly, monthly, or even stay in one location for years – but their job role doesn’t tie them to a particular place. Many digital nomads often carry out repeat or similar tasks for the same clients, either on a self-employed or freelance basis, but others may be full-time employees, yet they are tied to a physical location or building.
A digital nomad lifestyle requires a lot of self-discipline and organisation, and in some cases, a determination to find clients so that income sources can be maintained. However, there are many benefits that those doing remote jobs are able to experience that regular office workers just don’t get to experience. Advantages for remote workers enjoying a nomadic life include:
- Local independence with ability to work from any location – including a beach, cruise ship, mountain lodge, or bed
- Less stressful environment without the same time pressures and travel concerns
- No commute means time savings
- No dress code and therefore minimal expense
- Flexible work hours to suit your lifestyle choices
- Travel opportunities, with options for cheaper travel outside of normal holiday dates
- Financial freedom and the ability to earn in strong currencies but live in cheaper cities
- An adaptable pace of life
This type of lifestyle and working arrangement may. seem the perfect option for some, but there are some downsides to remote working. Digital nomads don’t always have as much job security as those in regular fixed location employment.
Remote workers will also find that they are also competing for work in a market where there will be much greater competition from people all around the world who have a very similar, or even better, skillset. Working remotely requires a lot of self-motivation and self-drive to get the job done as you’ll be working to your own schedule with no office environment to force you into knuckling down in the task. If you are someone that enjoys the buzz and camaraderie of working with office colleagues, then you may also struggle being away from this type of environment.
How do I start out as a digital nomad?
Starting up as a digital nomad can be straightforward once you have made the decision. There may be the possibility that your current employers might be able to offer remote working possibilities. Some businesses may still want you to physically attend the workplace once a week, which would narrow down your location options. If your employers are satisfied with getting together online, this will open up many more option and potentially expand you location options for remote working considerably.
If your current job role just isn’t suitable for remote working, or your employers simply aren’t willing or able to accommodate it, you will need to consider other job roles. Think about the skills you have, what you enjoy doing, and what you might be able to offer a prospective employer. You should also decide if you are happy to work as a freelancer or if you want the security of a steady income. The decision you make will impact on the next steps you’ll need to take.
Consider how nomadic you want your lifestyle to be. A true digital nomad will be completely free with nothing, such a property or mortgage, to tie them to a location.
They may choose to live and work out of car or van, or opt to stay in hotel or hostels, or even camp outdoors. This decision will impact on your budget and help you decide if the nomadic lifestyle is for you.
Having a think about your short and longer-term goals. For some, being a digital nomad may just be for a short period, such as a means of funding a year out to travel and explore. For others it may be more of a significant lifestyle change, with the intention of making it a long-term shift in working habits in order to free yourself from the shackles of the 9 to 5 lifestyle.
Once you’ve settled on your aims and goals, they will help you decide on what comes next. This will look different for everyone so you will need to assess your own situation and life goals to figure out exactly how to go about these next steps:
1. Cut down on expenses and location links
Unless you are able to stay in your job, you will probably need to start building up a portfolio and reputation. That can mean a big reduction in your income. You will need to make sure your expenses are low and your new income will be sufficient to cover your day-to-day living expenses.
You will also need remove any financial commitments that tie you down. Mortgages, debts, and recurring membership payments, such as gyms, can all impact on your finances and force you to remain in one place. Make a list of all the expenses you can eliminate or reduce. If you are planning on becoming a full-time nomad for a number of years, then you won’t need your house or car, so make plans to sell them (or rent you property out and try an generate some income) and also have an interim place to stay that is more suited to your budgetary restraints.
2. Start developing your skills
Online courses can help you develop skills that could be beneficial if you are seeking remote work. These type of courses are usually solo learning and therefore so give you a taste of what it’s like to work alone and without anyone else encouraging you or motivating you to get the job done. Potential clients or employees will view your dedication to learning and commitment to improvement as a sign you can work well without supervision and therefore be more inclined to give you work.
If you have limited experience, or very few people who can vouch for previous work you have done, try freelancing in your spare time. Websites like upwork, freelancer.com, or fiverr are good places to start and can help you build up a portfolio of previous work and experience.
3. Join the nomadic community
With remote jobs and digital nomadism becoming more popular, there are numerous online communities, support hubs, and networks that have been developed to help out. Gain insight and advice from people who have been there and done it as a digital nomad.
Being part of the nomadic community also gives you access to a host of great tips. Experienced nomads will know the best places for international work, visa requirements, where to find good internet access and co-working spaces, plus safe travel tips and more.
4. Identify your skills
Remember that whatever skills you have to offer, they need to be digitally compatible. If your current skills are not directly related to remote working, you’ll need to identify what skills you have that are transferrable to this type of working.
Being tech-savvy is highly important. You will need to be very comfortable with your laptop and the various suites of software, including word processing, spreadsheets, photoshop, calendars, emails etc that you may be required to use.
Some of the most common tasks you might be involved with as a digital nomad might include typing, writing, organising, IT, digital marketing (including social media platforms) and design, and teaching, but you could probably find work in almost any field if you use enough ingenuity and creativity.
Make sure that the skills you plan to market and utilise are skills you enjoy using. Remember that you will be self-motivating, so if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing you may struggle a lot more to work steadily than you would in an office job.
5. Putting it all together
At this stage, you may have started to downsize, or already started working remotely, and you may have decided on the lifestyle you intend to have.
Now is the time to start marketing yourself, to sort out your taxes (you will need to work out if you are required to be registered as self-employed. More information can be found on the government website.), and to start making travel plans. Think about future prospects of expanding your own company or business as well.
What jobs can you do as a digital nomad?
As a digital nomad, there are a variety of jobs available to you. This list will look at some of the more popular ones, but with enough creativity, many job roles and tasks can be adjusted to suit the nomadic lifestyle.
1. Writing
If you are skilled with your words and can type quickly then there are a lot of freelance writing jobs to get you started on this track. If you have no creativity but quick fingers then transcription work is a good option. If you prefer to fix others’ mistakes then you might be able to find editing work. Or if you like to start from scratch blogging and copywriting are good options.
2. Teaching
Online teaching is huge at the moment – especially if you are able to teach English. These jobs can give you more regular income and job security without tying you down. When you teach English online you can usually pick your own hours, and with classes all over the world, your hours can be selected to suit your location.
Other tutoring options are also available if you have specialised skills or knowledge or were a particularly high achiever.
3. Virtual Assistant
Personal and executive assistants are indispensable in a lot of organisations, but for smaller businesses or remote businesses a VA makes more sense. You will be doing much of the same job as a PA or EA but all of your work will be done digitally. Some of these positions are permanent and full time while others are a couple of hours every now and then when a business gets busy. You will need to be highly organised, know your way around a computer and have excellent communication skills, but with the right VA job you could be earning a lot of money fairly quickly.
4. Web Development
Every business needs a website these days to compete in a virtual market. If you have computer skills then learn to code and see how quickly you find work.
Coding is a specialised skill that companies and individuals can’t just “wing”, so they will always turn to people who are able to do the work for them and do it well. Honing your web development skills is an excellent way of starting out as a digital nomad. As a web developer you can also put your digital signature onto all of your websites, creating your own marketing while you’re earning.
5. Marketing
Marketing offers opportunities for a range of roles for digital nomads including graphic design, SEO, affiliate marketing, video creators, and social media marketers, to name a few. Marketing can be fairly easy to get into if you have a background in communications or similar roles or have built a solid social media presence. A lot of businesses may request a little help with their marketing strategy but may return regularly if they are happy with your work.
If you already have a decent online following, then becoming an influencer can also be lucrative, but . This is a popular choice for digital nomads because they can earn while they travel and create appealing content set in exotic and picturesque locations.
Whatever you choose is the right option for you to pursue, being a digital nomad can help you achieve location independence, perhaps experience other countries, and achieve the freedom-filled lifestyle you are looking for. Just bear in mind that this comes at a cost in terms of financial instability and greater uncertainty.
