This is a special post written for those of you who are just starting and beginning to learn online. I hope it will give you some new ideas and help you decide the next steps you are going to have to take. Plus, it should give you a better idea of whether this lifestyle is right for you.
The first thing we need to make clear is that everyone reading this article will be in a slightly different position. Many of you probably already have the right skills but just need to do a better job of selling them, others might not even have an online skill at all. It is not a solution for everyone.
A person who worked like this is called Digital Nomed, working remotely allows us to travel the world and see many amazing places. We can stay and work everywhere we need and there are numerous extra benefits. Not bad, right? And the good news is that a remote job can be easier than you think.
Remote Job LifeStyle
There are so many types of remote job that it is really difficult to give a single description. However, what they all have in common is that they spend at least a few months of the year abroad, change destinations frequently (usually every few weeks, but can stay up to 6 months), and earn their living while working online.However, remember that the words “Remote job” and “location independent” are often confused, but there is a big difference. In reality, not all digital nomads earn enough money to be able to live and work anywhere in the world.
While you'll be fine running your business and enjoying a good quality of life as a digital nomad for less than $1,000 a month. You will be restricted to the low cost of living countries in South East Asia and many other destinations that you will find in the destination guide. You'll need a lot more than that to be completely location independent and able to run your business from places like London, Munich, or San Francisco. This is why it is much easier to become a digital nomad than to become location independent, which should always be your ultimate goal.
You may think that you do not have the knowledge to work online, but you are probably wrong. Knowing how to type and work with a PC can be enough to get you started and get a simple remote job that allows you to work from anywhere in a few weeks. It is even better if you use some of your knowledge in other fields and combine it.
The truth is that often you cannot use your current knowledge when you start as a digital nomad and you feel like you have wasted your time studying the wrong skills. That can be the biggest tradeoff for opting for this lifestyle, and you can only decide for yourself if it's worth the effort.
Before outlining some ways to become a digital nomad I would also like to give you a few more thoughts on the good and bad things about this lifestyle.
The good…
To summarize, there are three main reasons why people decide to become digital nomads........
Enjoy a good quality of life for less money:
One of the best things about being a digital nomad is that you don't need to make a lot of money to get started. If you choose to spend your time in Southeast Asia, or most workstation guide destinations, you can enjoy a great quality of life for around $1,000 a month. You will have to work a lot more and earn a lot more money to achieve the same quality of life in most Western countries.An important step to being independent:
there is a big difference between location independence and being a digital nomad. However, becoming a digital nomad can be a big step toward building a location-independent business. That is one of the reasons why many people move to digital nomad hubs with a low cost of living like Bali or Chiang Mai. They are great places to meet other digital nomads, collaborate, and learn from each other. Being in an environment like this means that you will have a much better chance of creating an independent business or start-up than trying to do it alone from home.Travel the world while working online
Being a digital nomad allows you to travel the world. Once you've figured out how to be productive, you can reward yourself and go on vacation to many amazing countries around the world. Do you want to escape your country and learn to surf in Bali, or work from Rio for a few months? You can do what your budget and workload allow.And the bad...
As great as traveling the world and living in incredible places sounds, you also have to keep in mind that this lifestyle is not going to last forever. I am starting to see a trend of digital nomads returning to their home countries. Even those who have lived and loved this lifestyle for many years. Some work and travel for 6 months, others for 10 years, but none will do it forever. Keep this in mind before you spend all your time and energy going down this path.
If the only reason you want to become a digital nomad is to travel, a year-long world trip as a backpacker can sometimes be a better option. It's a lot less stressful and it doesn't have to be that expensive.
At some point in our lives, we all want to have some kind of constant base/comfort zone that we can return to.
That's why it's so important that you take the time to build a business that gives you true freedom and enough income to live where you want. Because in the best of both worlds you should be able to have both: A real base in one of your favorite places and the ability to go with your location-independent business at work whenever you feel like it.
Are you still interested? Okay, let's talk about the great ways to get into this lifestyle fast because you can probably start doing it faster than you think!
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10 ways to get a Remote Job
You may think that the best way to become a digital nomad is to take the entrepreneurial path and start your own online business. This will certainly give you the most freedom, but it is very difficult to be successful, especially if you are not very experienced. And in fact, most digital nomads don't start like that, but instead, start with remote work or freelance work. This means that they are paid to gain more experience and skills. Plus, it's usually pretty quick and easy.In general, there are many different ways to get started as a digital nomad. I think anyone who wants a life with more freedom and less 9-5 can do it. Keep in mind that you can start in a matter of weeks or it may take more time and effort.
Your best path depends not only on your current skills, experience, and budget but also on your willingness to fail. So let's start with the 10 ways to be a digital nomad with no skills to work online (yet)…
1. Get a job that teaches you the skills you need to know
If you're young and not in a rush to become a digital nomad right away, a good way to start would be to get a job with a company that teaches you the skills to work online. This is a good way to get paid to learn. If you apply for a job at an Online Marketing agency, for example, you will learn many skills that are perfect for becoming a digital nomad one day.
It's probably the least exciting way to start, but it's also the safest. Also, you may be able to take on some freelance clients while you work, making it easier for you to deal with clients in the future. Believe me, that's how I started ;).
It's probably the least exciting way to start, but it's also the safest. Also, you may be able to take on some freelance clients while you work, making it easier for you to deal with clients in the future. Believe me, that's how I started ;).
2. Become self-employed in your free time
If your current experience cannot be used to work online (yet), and you need the money from your current job, you could start a freelance business in your spare time. Remember that you don't need a lot of money to get started, so pick an easy skill from this list to get up and running quickly and learn more skills to become even better.3. Get paid for online jobs
All you have to do is type the profession and type of job you want into the search bar of your internet machine and BAM – hundreds of search results appear for you to choose from. This is largely thanks to the job economy heavyweight websites like Upwork and Remote. co, and Freelancer.com. These websites are places where companies looking for part-time and ad hoc jobs post ads for freelancers to apply.
There are many professions these sites cater to, from writers, marketing managers, and video editors to human resource managers, and even lawyers. If you can do the work remotely, they will be listed on these sites. If you don't have any experience or professional qualifications, that's fine too. You can apply for jobs that require a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level of proficiency.
Be a Virtual Assistant
The need for virtual assistants is increasing and it is a good place to start. You can play the role of a personal assistant or secretary for people all over the world who need help with general administration that doesn't require you face-to-face. This typically involves scheduling, organizing itineraries, and booking daily appointments. The pay is decent and varies from client to client, but people tend to attend to a few clients as it's not usually considered a full-time job.Transcription
If you want to be a bit more practical, you can consider transcription work. It involves watching a video and writing down every word that is said, usually in an interview. It is a bit tedious but very simple and easy to carry out. You can find many sites online that require transcription services and the pay is not bad at all.Proofreading
Another good way to enter the world of freelancers is proofreading or proofreading. Every day a lot of written content is produced and published, which means that the job offer is only increasing, which is great. First of all, you will deal with spelling and grammar and sometimes content. It's not for everyone, but if you like to read a lot of different and interesting things, you can also get paid for it.
4. Study at an online university
You can get to know the lifestyle of digital nomads by studying online. Just enroll in an online university and you can travel the world while learning the skills to work online and spend much less than you would study in Paris. It's a great way to get a degree and keep open the option of starting in business one day (or just keep your parents sane). But if you are interested in learning about scholarship study abroad here you can see everything about scholarships..png)
5. Buy an existing online business
A super-fast, but also risky way to become a digital nomad is to simply buy an existing Online Business that is already making money or better yet passive income. You can shop for businesses on sites like Flippa.com. You will be able to see how much money the site already generates and its monetization strategies. This will generate sufficient profits to get began as a digital nomad.However, be sure to get some advice from experienced online entrepreneurs before you buy anything to reduce the chance of taking on a business that is doomed to fail.
6. Start with a job abroad
Another more exciting option is to simply move abroad and find a job that allows you to experience working online. A good way to do this is to get a Working Holiday visa in countries like Canada or Australia, for example. Why not gain more Online Marketing experience while working and living in Sydney or Vancouver?
Apart from that, there are many other possibilities to start working abroad, such as teaching English, working as a driving instructor, or on cruise ships, where you could further improve your skills to become a digital nomad in your spare time.7. Move your business to the Internet
Do you already have a physical business? This shouldn't stop you from working and traveling. Think about it. Many solutions will help you control your business from anywhere in the world without your physical presence. Web cameras, online accounting, and, of course, trusted staff to manage your daily business while you're away. It's possible!8. Convince your boss to allow remote work
Do you love your work but spend most of your time on your laptop, so your presence in the office is hardly necessary? Who knows, if you have a sympathetic boss you might be able to convince him to give you more freedom and allow you to do most of your work remotely. Don't tell him that you want to work from abroad at first, but instead show him that you can do your remote work from home before taking the next step. Yes, you can indeed become a digital nomad without leaving your job.9. Find a remote job
We all know that today many office jobs can be done from anywhere in the world. It's great to see that more and more companies today are allowing their staff to work remotely, as long as the work gets done.If you find it impossible to work remotely at your current job, you may find a better option online.
10. Start your own online business to be a digital nomad
You might think that the best way to be a digital nomad is to become an entrepreneur, create your own online business, and then maybe create some sort of passive income e-commerce business. While it's true that some of the most successful digital nomads I know to do this, it's also the hardest route to take if you're just starting.It takes a long time to acquire the necessary skills to run it successfully. I believe that it is better to learn fewer skills well and gain more experience before becoming a true entrepreneur.
Conclusion
Dear READERS: I hope this article has helped you to get a clearer idea of the possibilities of becoming a digital nomad. Living this lifestyle can be a truly life-changing experience, and you can start doing it much faster than you thought.If you want to work and travel, the most important thing right now is to TAKE ACTION and start working towards that goal. If you take one step at a time and always keep in mind that your ultimate goal should be not only to become a digital nomad but to create a 100% location-independent business so that you can return home whenever you want, you will have the time of your life.
The infrastructure is there and with the many remote and freelance opportunities, it's easier than ever to get started!
Do you have questions or more tips for other digital nomads who want to get started? Let me know in the comments