You must be hearing a lot about becoming a digital nomad these days. But is working as a digital nomad as cool as the name sounds? If you are tired of sitting at a work desk with the last bay of employees as your horizon, get ready to change the scenery. How? By becoming a digital nomad, you can actually travel to different places, even different countries to work remotely. However, the process is not as simple as it sounds. So, here we are with all that you need to know on how to become a digital nomad in 2024.
This Blog Includes:
Who or What is a Digital Nomad?
A big confusion, is it who or what? Digital Nomads are people working remotely or virtually from various locations from around the world. As they are allowed to shift their locations throughout their work, they have a sort of nomadic life. Hence, the people who work on digital platforms while living a nomadic life are called Digital Nomads. They can stay in a location from a few days to up to 2 years based on their visa and of course, their willingness to stay.
Here is a List of Digital Nomad Jobs for you to start with
Where Do They Work From?
Yes, there are a lot of questions. One of them is what is the point of travelling if you are going to sit in a hotel room and work from there. However, digital nomads do not usually work from within a hotel room, they rather travel to cafes, restaurants, parks, beaches, planes, coworking spaces and many other places. So you do not naturally need to sit in one place and work. At times people also choose to live within local colonies and camps to make the best of their experience.
How is it Different From Work From Home?
In work-from-home jobs, you have to register a location or base from where you would be operating and a work system is set up there. Employees are generally not allowed to move from there except under certain conditions. Being a digital nomad you are not tied to a city or a country in particular.
9 Steps to Become a Digital Nomad
It is not like you decided to be a digital nomad today and you pack your bags tomorrow to leave. There is an entire process to do the same. Here are the 10 easy steps to become a digital nomad.
#1 Be Sure
First of all, identify your interest. If you are not dedicatedly interested in being a digital nomad then this road might have a heavy toll on you. Travelling while you work is not an easy task, you might have to work on a flight while experiencing jet lag. Also, you will have to plan properly if you take time to adjust to new scenarios. Lastly, you need to remember that you will not be on holiday but working at several different places and conditions.
#2 Plan
Now that you are sure, you will need a proper plan. To begin with, you will have to create a self-assessment considering all your skills and how those can be used to get remote jobs. Any skills that allow you to work in a decentralized workspace will do the job. Most jobs are transforming these days to be able to work online but several skills exclusive to be able to work in an online environment. You must be tech-savvy and a pro in Microsoft Suite. Moreover, having additional skills such as Digital marketing, data analysis, web development, UI & UX design etc will improve your chances of employment.
#3 Make a Smart Choice
Deciding a destination or multiple destinations for the nomadic career is very crucial and it is really important to do it smartly. Why? At the beginning of your career if you start workstations at locations like London and Los Angeles you are going to burn your pockets soon. In fact just imagine, working at beautiful destinations whose currency value is less than that in India. This helps you spend less on yourself and you can therefore save more. At the same time when you are deciding on a destination, you must choose a place where you can work comfortably with easy access to wifi and resources to work without disturbances.
Do you know there are Digital Nomad Visas That Allow Easy Application, Longer Stay & Low Visa Fee in 2023? Check Details Here
#4 Money Management
It is not like you will be earning loads from the start, so you need to start planning your finances before starting your career as a digital nomad. This involves budgeting your expenses for savings, what you send home and your travel expenses. The savings and money you send home are static, and your travel expenses have to be calculated the same way as you calculate a normal traveling budget.
Calculate the travelling costs, lodging, food, and other bills and miscellaneous expenses. Keep a money plan for the month ready and if you are going for a longer duration keep a long-term budget ready. You will have to plan better in case you are a freelance employee. Do not forget to look at lenient visa laws and best-ranking places for digital nomads.
#5 Networking
The best way to get the best opportunities and hacks to live in a place is Networking. It is the best way to get job opportunities. Engaging and building a portfolio on online platforms such as LinkedIn etc majorly helps in making an online presence. Connect with the right people and look for tips and strategies to earn better. You might want to have a part-time job as well along with a regular job, these connections will help you understand all such rules better. You can also be aware of and attend conferences and workshops related to your field in the country you are in and level up your game. Your knowledge, career, personality and life all can grow better with better networking.
#6 Display Who You Are
It is not what you think you are but what you end up doing. Therefore, it is essential to build a strong portfolio that speaks for itself and highlights your skills and expertise. A resume is just not enough nowadays, you require much more than that. Also, while selecting projects you must be extremely careful about your niche and judge the purpose of the project to know if it aligns with your expertise. In an ideal portfolio, there is quality over quantity. Moreover, your work ethic, skills, knowledge etc must be displayed through your portfolio.
Do You Know All About Portfolios?
#7 Research Best Jobs
Best jobs mean jobs that pay you well and also offer job security along with many other benefits such as medical insurance, paid leaves etc. Companies that are flexible to the working of digital nomads and flexible working hours and target-based projects will be ideal choices for you. Moreover, add jobs with global requirements and clientele to your list. So you can learn something new wherever you go, attend related sessions and find like-minded people.
#8 Visas
Visas in different countries for digital nomads are offered for different durations and are known by various names. You need to apply for the right visa, be sure about the duration and terms of the visa agreement and abide by it. It is, however, better to choose destinations with flexible visa policies and longer visa durations for stay.
What is a Digital Nomad Visa: A Guide to your dreams of becoming one yourself.
#9 Be Handy
Pach light and always be on your toes, that is the crux of becoming the best digital nomad and continuing your career as one without being burnt out by pressure. You need to restructure your lifestyle a bit to adjust to new places and also be minimalistic in your requirements. Also, planning shopping for items is a smart way to go about moving abroad. You should pack items that could be costly or scarce in the destination you are going to depending on your dependence on them whereas purchase the rest in the right quantities at the destination.
FAQs
Digital Nomads are people working remotely or virtually from various locations from around the world. They can stay in a location from a few days to up to 2 years based on their visa and of course, their willingness to stay.
Digital nomads do not usually work from within a hotel room, they rather travel to cafes, restaurants, parks, beaches, planes, coworking spaces and many other places. At times people also choose to live within local colonies and camps to make the best of their experience.
In work-from-home jobs, you have to register a location or base from where you would be operating and a work system is set up there. Employees are generally not allowed to move from there except under certain conditions. Being a digital nomad you are not tied to a city or a country in particular.
If you were bothered about how to become a digital nomad this was your fast-track way to achieve the target. If you are looking for ways to work abroad, follow Leverage edu.