How to Become a Digital Nomad: Explained

Since 2014 an incredible movement of people adopting digital nomad lifestyles became evident around the globe. Improvement in telecommunication technologies, better cost of living, ease of access to online banking, and greater internet penetration allowed people to choose where they want to live practically.

According to a recent study by Any Place, 31% of digital nomads are women, and 69% are men, plus 54% of all digital nomads are more than 38 years old. Furthermore, over 1.9 million American digital nomads are part of the van life move, with 70% of digital nomads travel to five or more countries per year and 51% of digital nomads living in a hotel.    

What Is a Digital Nomad?

Now before we proceed ahead, let’s break down who a digital nomad actually represents.

What Is the Definition of Nomad?

To put it simply, a digital nomad is someone who uses telecommunication technologies to their advantage to find work from international clients. They find work and travel wherever their work takes them.

This leads them to often applying for and acquiring work visas. Hence, they live their lives without a permanent settlement and are capable and willing to travel abroad into foreign territories if they have must similar to a nomadic person.      

How to Live Like a Nomad?

Digital nomads typically have a financial cushion for themselves that allows them to make expenses while on the move. However, they do plan and strategize their opportunities according to their feasibilities, and quite a lot of them work through the help of digital gadgets and internet-based technologies.

You can find them busily working or networking via their computing devices in coffee shops, public libraries and local parks. They often carry their smartphone with them and use mobile hotspots for instant access to the internet, allowing them to stay connected with their clients and customers.    

How to Make Money as a Digital Nomad?

There is a tremendous range of opportunities online where remote workers and freelancers from various walks of life, skills, and professional qualifications can reach out and find work. This can include but not limited to:

• Tutor or teach, in fact, simply teaching English overseas can get you some nice positions at schools. Plus, you can also offer virtual tutoring jobs, online courses and showcase your expertise.
• Make money off extra space at your home or resident such as Airbnb or even offer your car through vehicle sharing services like Getaround.
• Go for passive incomes through the help of a blog where you target a particular but popular niche that offers you tons of opportunities to interact and engage with people.
• Offer to Copywrite, proofreading, or editing services through freelance services sites like ZipRecruiter, Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, etc.  

How Can You Become A Digital Nomad?

Now that you have a fair bit of idea of who a digital nomad is, let’s focus on how you can transform your life into that of a digitally nomadic person.  

Choose an Ideal Work/Profession for a Remote Life

The ideal remote work or profession for you to choose as a digital nomad depends on your particular skill sets, level of experience, job opportunity, market trends, and overall feasibility of the occupation itself. Hence, you need to focus, and all factors should themselves in such a way that they can gratify your needs and requirements to the fullest. Therefore you are looking at living expenses, lifestyle requirements, traveling, lodging, utilities, work-life balance, future growth, and everything else that you want to enjoy or want to pursue.

What Is A Remote Job?

When you are employed by a company or work as a member of the organization, you primarily operate outside a traditional office environment known as a remote job. Telecommuting is the closest comparison you can get with a remote job, and work-from-home can also be considered synonymous.

However, in a remote job, the chances are that your employer, nature of the job, and area of expertise may change from time to time. This means that you work quite like a freelancer and see where the opportunity itself takes you. Hence you can also end up working in a local co-working space or a coffee shop or even end up in a city across the planet.  

How to Become a Remote Programmer or Coder?

Here is a quick rundown of what you need to do:

1. Acquire, develop, and learn programming as a professional by obtaining tremendous educational qualifications and work experience.
2. Qualifications can include a Bachelor’s degree majoring in software development, Certificate IV in Information Technology (Programming)(ICT40120), or a Diploma of Software Development (ICT50715).
3. Seek out an internship program while studying as well as guidance or mentorship from an experienced Software Developer.
4. Most wanted skills include C++, C#, JavaScript, Kubernetes, Mainframe Computing, Mathematics, Postgresql, Python, and Relational Database, to name a few.
5. Programming certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate, Certified ScrumMaster, Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect, ITIL Foundation, etc.  

How to Find a Remote Job?

• How to Apply For a Remote Job?

There are tons of job opportunities that show up all the time, and all you need to do is spend time, shuffle them, and pick the ones that are most suited to your vocations.

1. Numerous websites like Angel List, Dynamite Jobs, FlexJobs, Hubstaff Talent, JustRemote, Remotive, SolidGigs, and so many more offer job opportunities.
2. It would be best if you created your profile and signup. There are many freelancer websites as well that offer you membership at a nominal fee.
3. In most case scenarios, you can promote your skills and share them on your website, social media, and other platforms.
4. The more you network, the better chances you have to attract people looking for people who have the skills they need to complete a task or a project.
5. In many cases, you either get work based on hours you work or a project-based task where you are paid on the basis of accomplishing work-related milestones.  

How to Become Successful While Working and Traveling?

When you are required to travel due to your work requirements, it is best that you measure and evaluate your feasibilities, including:

1. Lodging expense, the rent you will be due to pay after every month while keeping a decent roof on top of your head.
2. Living expenses including food, daily commuting (if required), utilities (electricity, gas, water), electrical appliances, clothing, mobile/cellular packages, internet, etc.
3. Emergency contingencies such as medical expenses, healthcare expenses, insurance, security-related concerns, urgent travel, etc.
4. Work-life balance related issues such as the amount of work you do every day versus the downtime you get to relax and lay off to revitalize your energies.
5. You would like to pursue other hobbies or personal interests such as sports, entertainment, vacation travel, physical activities, and other undertakings.

Best Digital Nomad Jobs

As the job market operates, demand and supply forces also influence digital nomads’ trends and opportunities to find work and make a decent living for themselves. Here are some of the best and most wanted skills the market in 2021 is asking for at the moment:

• Affiliate Marketer
• Content Creator/Curator
• Customer Support Representative
• Digital Entrepreneur
• Graphic Designer
• Language Teacher
• Professional Skill Teacher
• Programmer, Software Language Expert, Coder
• SEM Specialist
• SEO  Specialist
• Social Media Marketer
• Web Developer/Designer
• Technical Support Representative
• Video Creator
• Writer, Blogger, Copywriter, Technical Writer

Becoming a part of the Nomad Community

No one can deny the importance of networking and how significant a role it plays to help you obtain all types of work opportunities and prospects along the way. Likewise, for a digital nomad, there are various communities online that they can join.

How to Find Nomad Communities Online?

When you are searching for nomad communities online, make sure that they are relevant to your skills, expertise, areas of interests, and like-mindedness. You would be better off with people who understand your talents and aptitudes rather than bumping into unknown people who have the vaguest idea of what you are capable of or where your true capacities lie.  

How to Become a Part of a Nomad Community?

While some communities are free to join, others may have specific requirements such as privacy concerns and join with an invitation only. The more members a community has, the better it is for you as you can have a lot of openings to work with other members, interact, and engage them.  

Best Nomad Communities to Follow

You can use search engine queries to get numerous results and do a little bit of research on your own to understand what type of community for a digital nomad you want to join. Examples include:

1. Digital Nomad Community.Net
2. Digital Nomad Reddit
3. Facebook Groups
4. Global Digital Nomad Network
5. Meetup.com
6. Nomadlist.com
7. Nomad Life 101
8. Slack Groups

Managing Payroll, Taxes and Insurance On The Road

Earning comes with taxes, aka income taxes, and there is simply no point to evade them as that would simply get you into trouble with authorities which is never a good idea. Hence it is best that you fill in your taxes and stay away from unwanted trouble.  

Managing Payroll While Working Remotely

1. Develop or build a contract with your employers, including reimbursements for the work that you deliver.
2. Working through recognized platforms or third parties like Freelancer, Fiverr, Upwork can readily resolve all issues regarding payroll.
3. Send out invoices with proper details, including the data, name of the employer, organization, and banking information.
4. Mutually set a payment method with your clients such as PayPal, wire transfer, or direct deposits to your bank account.  

Filing Taxes as a Digital Nomad

1. If you are working with a recognized platform, they offer you taxation information and forms that you need to fill out once and for the rest of your tenure. All taxes are automatically filed.
2. Income tax liability concerns where the income is earned. Hence income tax becomes applicable where you are doing the actual work and what the client is paying you.
3. For self-employed individuals, you have to deal with self-employment tax or work with a tax preparer.
4. For a US citizen, you need to declare a domicile that serves as your home state, and this can help you when to file for taxes.
5. It is best that you have a tax accountant and have bookkeeping to track where your income was earned.
6. Software and tools like QuickBooks Online (plus version) can help you to file your taxes properly.  

Nomad Insurance Companies

Working as a nomad, you still require viable insurances to keep you safe from unforeseen events and mishaps. Some of the best insurance companies for digital nomads include:

1. Allianz Global Assistance
2. IMG Global
3. Integra Global
4. Safety Wing
5. Travelex Insurance Services
6. True Traveler
7. World Nomads

Finding Your Office and Home Across The Globe

A dedicated workspace is what you undoubtedly require when pursuing a digital nomad lifestyle. It allows you to focus your creative energies, work uninterruptedly for longer hours without disturbances, and manage work hours effectively to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Co-working Spaces

One of the best options that you have available is co-working spaces. As time has progressed and technology has been made more accessible to the general population, co-working spaces have popped all across major metropolitan cities, highly urbanized zones, and technologically advanced dwelling places.

Co-working spaces can be hired, and here you can enjoy peace of mind and complete privacy for the work you do as well as keep doors open for future networking prospects. At Master Thesis, pupils are also encouraged to study in shared environments that promote learning.  

Airbnb or Rentals

Similar to co-working spaces, services like Airbnb and office rental facilities can help you obtain dedicated workspaces. You can apply for them on an individual basis or look for the best opportunities and working environments offered through online ads.

You can also go online and enter queries on search engines to find out the best places that you can rent near to your location that can serve as a temporary office solution. Young learners who opt for personal statement service UK may find viable options that can serve as conducive learning environments for group work and project-related work.  

Hotel or Hostel

Big brands and well-established hotels also offer numerous packages to companies that want to operate outside traditional venues. This, however, is by far the most expensive and high-end option that people can afford. It all depends on whether you are capable of paying for these luxuries and that you have the means to satisfy these ends.      

F.A.Q

Here is a quick roundup of what we have covered so far:

What is a Nomad?

People who rarely spend time staying at a permanent residence. Often travelling to different places and where work opportunities take them.

How to Live As a Nomad?

Plan life accordingly based on living expenses, earnings, and numerous feasibilities that ensure the pursuit of a particular lifestyle that requires work-related travel.  

What Does Remote Work Mean?

Remote work is when you work outside a traditional office environment, synonymous with telecommuting and work-from-home culture as well as a freelancer.  

How to Work While Traveling?

Look for job opportunities that can sustain your traveling and living expenses. Utilize technological devices and gadgets along with fast internet connections that can enable you to stay connected and deliver required work for your clients. Apply for work Visas and find a suitable place to live and work.    

What Type Of Work Can Be Done From Home Remote Jobs?

All work that can be measured and translated into digital format can be completed from home remote jobs such as software programming, web design and development, graphic designing, copywriting, etc.

Digital Nomad How To Tell When Jobs Are Scams?

When the employer has no means to certify their credibility, trustworthiness, professional or personal standing. Furthermore, you might not be able to ascertain their work history, past accomplishments, user reviews, customer feedback, or any online presence that certifies their authenticity.  

 

Author Bio

Stella Lincoln currently works as the Assistant Editor at Assignment Assistance. This is where higher education students can buy research papers UK to acquire specialized help for their subjects and topics. During her free time, she likes to surf the internet for all the latest developments in the world of tech.