Nine Tips to Help you Become a Digital Nomad
Elizabeth Mackenzie, 18 December 2022.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has been a big conversation in all parts of the world. More people have realized that their jobs don’t require them to work from home. This has led to a vast decrease in on-site working and an increase in remote or hybrid working. If you are someone who would love to travel the world, this might be the perfect time for you to become a digital nomad.
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is a professional who earns a living through remote working while traveling and working from different locations. Digital nomads can be professionals in any chosen field, as long as the work can be done over the Internet.
Steps to help you become a digital nomad
Working as a digital nomad cannot be achieved in one day. Certain requirements need to be completed before you begin this journey. Below are steps to help you get started and live your dream life.
Follow these steps to help you live your dream life as a digital nomad.
1. Build and hone your tech skills
The first step you need to take in your digital nomad journey is to learn a skill or improve the ones you have. If you already have a job or a skill you’re excellent at, you must polish those skills to make yourself hirable by anyone anywhere in the world. Some popular roles for digital nomads include virtual assistant, software engineer, and data scientist.
Gaining tech skills can often lead to some of the more lucrative remote jobs. According to Glassdoor, a remote software developer earns an average salary of $89,941 in the US.
2. Get a remote job
Once you have honed your skills, you can find a remote job in your location or abroad or ask your boss to let you work entirely remotely. You can find a remote job using websites or platforms designed specifically for remote workers, or job boards like Indeed. These websites and platforms post available positions for people with different skillsets from clients in various locations.
Work remotely. Get a remote tech job in your location or abroad.
3. Research countries or cities with a digital nomad community
It is helpful to find a community of digital nomads as a beginner. Once you’ve landed a remote or online job, you should begin to research cities that have digital nomad communities. This will help you get the support you need in any country or city you choose to work from. According to Statista, Bangkok, Thailand is currently the most popular destination for remote workers, but there are a wide array of other popular cities.
4. Choose locations that align with your working hours
When you have found cities with digital nomad communities, you can then begin to choose the countries you want to visit. When making this decision, it is important for you to consider your working hours and how it aligns with the cities on your list. You may find it difficult to enjoy your time or socialize if you work from a location with a significant time zone difference.
5. Save up some money
After choosing your preferred destinations, you should save up as much as possible. You can find out how much you’ll need by researching the amount required to live in a country for a particular period. This will give you a headstart on how much you need to save.
Digital nomads should get travel insurance.
6. Get travel insurance
Not all countries provide international insurance. So, you should get travel insurance that will cover any medical emergencies you may have. It may not be immediately obvious to plan for details like health insurance if you don’t have much experience traveling, but you will definitely want a plan in place before the morning you wake up sick in a foreign country.
7. Decide what to do with your property
Before you take the big step and leave home, you must decide what to do with your things. You may be able to store important items with family members or friends, but you will likely need to downsize before you start traveling. Additionally, you can lease your apartment, find a long-term tenant, or try home-sharing.
8. Create a working plan
Once you have decided what to do with your things, you should create a plan you can stick with. The first thing to do is to figure out the first city you want to visit, how long you plan to stay there, how much you intend to spend, where you will live, and other essential factors. You should make this plan by doing thorough research on the location.
Create a working plan you can stick with as a digital nomad.
9. Take the big step
After sorting all the steps listed above, you are ready to begin your life as a digital nomad. You can pack your bags and get on your flight to your destination. You can find the next city or country to visit when you have settled at your first destination.
Conclusion
Working as a digital nomad allows you many pleasures of life, but it isn’t always easy. It has downsides, but it will be a fun journey with a working plan and lots of research. For those wanting to build tech skills to land a remote job in the tech sector, you can enroll in a coding bootcamp like General Assembly, App Academy, or Thinkful. Other skills can be learned on MOOCs like Udemy.