As the name suggests, digital nomads are people who earn money by making use of modern technology to work from anywhere in the world — freelancing or doing contractual/permanent jobs.
Well, you can also sit by your favorite beach, have your laptop with you and work all day long while enjoying the fresh sea breeze by being a digital nomad.
Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it?
So, how to be a digital nomad? Are there any specific lifestyle changes that you need to undertake to become a remote worker with a steady income? To answer all these questions, we have put together this guide, especially for aspiring digital nomads with little or no experience.
What Is a Digital Nomad?
As discussed above, digital nomads are professionals who rely on telecommunication technologies, like mobile devices supporting seamless internet connectivity, to work and earn remotely. For most people in today’s world, adopting a digital nomad lifestyle could be an experience, especially if they are travel buffs. It is like breaking free from the shackles of the 9 to 5 routine.
The Benefits of Being a Digital Nomad
- For a majority of people, the most important benefit of being a digital nomad is that they can work whenever they think it is best for them regardless of their location. As a digital nomad, you’ll always be able to enjoy liberty — the ability to decide when and where you want to work.
- Freedom to have unlimited travel. You can explore as much as you want to satisfy your wanderlust. The best part about it is that you won’t be worried about a limited vacation or your time off from work.
- By traveling to different parts of the world, you can learn tons of amazing new things every day, exploring new cultures and traditions. It is one of the biggest pros of being a digital nomad.
- You’ll be meeting new people, which would only add to your travel experience. A digital nomad may have friends in different countries.
- Since you’ll not be bound to stay inside your cubicle all day long, by working remotely, you can always follow a healthy and active lifestyle.
The Downsides of Being a Digital Nomad
- As a digital nomad, you won’t be staying at one place. This could make it hard for you to form relationships as people usually do in the workplace. It is a major drawback of being a digital nomad.
- Managing time along with your work routine becomes a bit difficult when you are a remote worker. It is not something that you can’t overcome. All you need is determination and a little help from your time management skills.
- Many people aren’t familiar with the concept of location independent lifestyle. In most cases, you’ll find yourself explaining your nature of work or what you do to earn a livelihood to the people in your social circle.
Digital Nomad Job Examples
People from the tech industry that have a work routine powered by the internet and cloud-based servers could easily do a remote job. Some of the most common digital nomad job examples have been shared as under:
- Web or App Development
- Running an eCommerce Platform
- Infopreneurship (Based on Blogging & Affiliate Marketing)
- Online Marketing (having Social Media Marketing, SEO or PPC skills)
- Copywriting/Content Writing
- UI/Graphic Design and Web Development
- Coaching and Consulting
How to Become a Digital Nomad
Choose a City With A Digital Nomad Community
First of all, pick a role according to your field of specialization from the available work-from-home job options. Then, do your research on the digital nomad communities around the world. If you want to become a digital nomad and make the most of your traveling experience, make sure you choose a travel destination that is also frequently visited by other digital nomads. You can also join a particular digital nomad community and plan your trips as a part of groups.
This way you can also socialize and develop relationships with other like-minded people while working remotely. But, as a beginner, there is no need to rush. Just observe everything in your field and you’ll get a hang of it slowly and gradually.
Decide What to Do With Your Stuff
One of the most important tips on how to be a digital nomad is about getting your stuff sorted to get ready for the new chapter of your life. Find a feasible solution to get rid of all your old possessions, especially the ones that bound you to a particular place. As a remote worker and a traveler, you’ll be spending more time exploring new places instead of being stuck in one place. Make sure you have all those things in your possession that you can easily take with you wherever you go.
Figure Out How You Want to Live
As a digital nomad, it would be ideal for you to live in a co-living space where you can catch up with other people as well. Rent accommodations for short stays cause you’ll be traveling frequently to new places. Keeping in view the ballooning popularity of this remote working trend in today’s world, now there are many different types of accommodations available in different countries, which are specially designed for digital nomads.
Pick the Right Bank Account and Credit Cards
There may be plenty of options available when it comes to choosing a bank. However, as a digital nomad, you’ll be traveling more frequently than many other people, so you need to choose a bank account that goes with you to as many destinations as possible. The same goes for your credit card. Make sure to keep some cash with you. As your bank and credit card service may not be available everywhere you go.
Get Travel Insurance
Ever thought of getting a travel insurance plan? Well, it is one of the most important tips on how to be a digital nomad. It will keep you from bearing many different types of financial losses. The policy is designed to reimburse the money that you could lose on making non-refundable payments in case your travel plans are delayed because of a genuine reason.
Create a Plan and Stick to It
As a digital nomad, you’ll be following no fixed daily work schedule. So, it would naturally become more important for you to create a plan and stick to it to keep track of time. Setting some goals and working according to plans would naturally make you more productive. Living the nomadic lifestyle, you need to be clear about when and where you want to work and how much time you need on a regular basis to get done with your work-related tasks properly to keep things running smoothly.
This marks the end of our comprehensive guide on how to be a digital nomad for beginners.
The purpose of sharing all these details is to help you come up with an informed decision, so you can start off with your digital lifestyle on the right foot.
