Digital Nomad, to be or not to be?

Believe it or not the term “Nomads” is as ancient as civilization! It is usually used to describe a person who wanders from place to place, either in search of green grass as is the case of the cattle Nomads… or due to something else. From the beginning of time, there are people who just cannot stay in one place for long.  Are you like that? If you are, this article is for you!

Digital Nomads

The term Digital Nomad was first seen in the 1997 book by Tsugio Makimoto, and David Manners named Digital Nomads. Digital nomads are persons who can work from anywhere and as a result of not having regular office jobs, they are not tied down and so they can travel a lot.

Digital Nomads are location independent, although both terms are not interchangeable.  Previously, semi-retired persons, retirees or businessmen with a great passive source of income were the set of people most likely to adopt this lifestyle. With the advent of remote work and the age of smart working devices, a lot of people have gradually migrated to the digital nomad lifestyle. The beauty of this sort of lifestyle is that if you have financial independence, you can really experience life!

The perks of becoming part of this digital trend

So you are considering becoming a Digital Nomad?

• Flexible working hours

You get to set your working hours. This is especially good when you are working while traveling. Even if you work for a boss, all that matters is that you are delivering the job before the deadline. For example, a lot of people are most productive at night, and the digital nomad lifestyle allows them to work on their own hours. There’s hope for all the night owls!

• Work in pajamas

No more dressing up for work! Pajama party all day, every day! Since this lifestyle means you are working from anywhere other than a formal office, your dress sense really does not matter sometimes. After all, comfort is vital to productivity, right?

• Your own time

Working on your time is most satisfactory if you don’t have to report to anyone. Even when you must meet deadlines or report to someone, you still have the option of working when you want to as long as you are delivering on the job.

• Travel time

Travel to some of your favorite cities while making money? Yes, you can! The digital nomad lifestyle is one perfect way to combine work and vacation. A lot of digital nomads travel as a part of their job requirement “What a pity, right?”- Said none ever.

• New experiences

From cultural immersion to local food, drinks and sites, while traveling, you are exposed to numerous experiences that naturally come from going to a new place.

You don’t simply make great memories, but you also meet new challenges, learn a new language and even develop a new hobby.

• Global community

Not just the community of people you come across on your trip but an actual global community of digital nomads. They have events where you can meet up with likeminded people and share your personal and professional experience. The community is a great way for members to connect and network as this will always come in handy.

• No desk to be tied to

No office, no work desk and definitely no 9-5. Your office can be anywhere. You can work with anyone. Although you will have to meet deadlines, there will be no office/ work rules and regulations to abide to.

• Financial advantage

Many digital nomads earn good money which is a good thing. When working for someone with a higher currency than where you are, save. Use flat-sharing platforms like Coskhouse/Student-Room-Flat to look for affordable, convenient accommodation to help manage your finances better. Better safe than sorry, book through this well-known platform and assure you’ll have the perfect stay while abroad!

How to become a digital nomad

Working as a digital nomad means our job has to be online. Thankfully, there are a lot of jobs that can be done online, and they pay well too. There are so many ways to become a digital nomad, but the most common I would say is offering your skills online and getting paid for it.

What if you do not have the needed skills?

The truth is that if you can use a PC well, you have a marketable skill. All you have to do is to develop the skill which you can do while traveling and working. Since you intend to earn while traveling, it is best to save up some cash, enough to carry you through the early days. Another wise thing to do will be to have an established online job profile. That means you already have people paying for your work.

You can study online improving your skills while working and living as a digital nomad. There are numerous things you can do at a basic level online to make money. A lot of these jobs are remote freelance gigs that will fetch you good money. As your skills improve, so does your earning.

Another way you can become a digital nomad is to negotiate a remote working situation with your boss. This is mostly possible for tech companies.

You could also try the digital nomad life if you have a well-structured business that you can manage remotely. Alternatively, you can buy and run an online business. This means you can operate from anywhere in the world.