Digital Nomads Jobs Are Rising in New Era of Work

Digital nomads can work from anywhere in the world, and being one is an attractive option for remote employees. In this post, we delve into what living a digital nomad lifestyle entails, what jobs you can hold as one and more.?

By Brandi Fowler

The pandemic completely shifted the way employees look at work, and not being required to go into the office five days a week made returning to pre-2020 work conditions less desirable.

Owl Labs’ 2021 State of Remote Work report found that one in three employees would quit their job if they could no longer work remotely after the pandemic. More than half (56 percent) said they would resign or look for a new job that offered flexibility for when they work.

Although more companies are transitioning from fully remote to hybrid models, some companies offer 100 percent remote work opportunities.

Those jobs are attractive to digital nomads.?

“A digital nomad is someone that can work online from anywhere in the world, the person doesn't need to go physically to an office because the job can be done from anywhere using a device,” remote career coach Juliana Rabbi said.?

“Because of that, there is a lot of flexibility for where the person can choose where to work from,” Rabbi said. “So, maybe their own house, coffee shop, a workspace in another city, or even another country.”

To learn more about the digital nomad world, including how to become one and what jobs to seek out to do it, I chatted with Rabbi, Remote Year founder and Spot co-founder Greg Caplan , and digital nomad Meena Thiruvengadam .?

How to Become a Digital Nomad

First understand that a digital nomad is not a job, but a lifestyle, Rabbi said.?

To become one, start by seeking out positions that are fully remote with companies that offer flexibility to work from anywhere.

“I've seen people working as online teachers, project managers, engineers, developers, in marketing and sales, as translators, lawyers, writers, in HR recruitment, accountants, administrators, etc.,” Rabbi said.?

To find remote work opportunities, Rabbi suggested starting with LinkedIn.

“Search for jobs, insert the job title you are looking for, and instead of selecting a location, choose remote,” Rabbi said.

As you search for remote jobs, carefully look at the job listing. Also ask during the interview process if the position is remote or if they expect office work a certain number of times a week.

?“I’ve noticed that some companies are taking advantage of the remote situation, and they list jobs as remote but are not actually fully remote,” Rabbi said. “So be careful.”

There are job boards to search for remote work like FlexJobs (for people based in the U.S.), Dynamite Circle , We Work Remotely , and Remote OK , Rabbi said.

Networking is crucial.

“If being a digital nomad is your goal, you should intentionally start networking with people who work in remote companies who are digital nomads,” Rabbi said. “Be surrounded by those people, have conversations with them, and also let them know you want to make the transition into a digital nomad lifestyle."

If you are employed, you also need to talk to your boss about your desire to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle.?

“This is the best time to tell your boss,” Thiruvengadam said. “You have more power than you ever have before.”

At the same time, be aware of your work environment.?

“There are some corporate cultures that are just not for it, and if you are in one of those corporate cultures, then your decision is, is this the kind of job or career that I really want?” Thiruvengadam said.

Thiruvengadam also suggested coming up with a strong plan before chatting with your boss.?

“Make it so your boss can't say no to you working in a different time zone,” Thiruvengadam said. “You can also present it as an experiment so your boss doesn't think you will work remotely forever. You can say, ‘I want to do this for a couple weeks. This is how you'll get a hold of me. These are the hours that I'll be working. Let's try it out.’ People are sometimes much more open to an experiment.”

Top tips for Living a Digital Nomad Life

There are a few things to keep in mind when working as a digital nomad: Having strong internet connection, good electricity, and affordable accommodations can make working from that place easier.

Make sure your desired location has everything you need technology-wise. Find reliable internet connections and learn ahead of time if there are constant internet issues or power outages/disruptions.

“I landed in Costa Rica once and learned about brownouts — when the internet or power goes out — and I didn’t know about it ahead of time,” Thiruvengadam said.?

Thiruvengadam also recommended sampling the digital nomad life before committing to it. Programs like Remote Year are a great way to do that.?

Remote Year is a program in which remote workers choose travel packages, such as a month in Bali, and pay a fee that takes care of their airfare, accommodations and workspace for that time frame.

“Taking a leap and doing something as life-changing as being a digital nomad and traveling full-time, it is a big decision,” Caplan said. “And I think Remote Year provides people with that level of trust, safety and comfort. So on the one hand, it is just making sure that you have the right travel experience.”

Also, do research on which countries and U.S. cities are going the extra mile to support digital nomad lifestyles.?

“Companies are getting more sophisticated with how they support digital nomads from a compliance perspective, and we are starting to see countries getting more excited about supporting that,” Caplan said.

Caplan and his team worked with Estonia to develop a digital nomad visa that made it beneficial and easy for people to come there and work remotely. “Since then, we've seen more and more countries develop similar kinds of legislation.”?

“There's one emerging in Italy, there's already one in Portugal,” Caplan said. “Digital nomad visas are becoming more popular because these countries realize that remote workers provide a lot of value by coming in, spending money, and paying taxes.”

It is already happening in America too.

“Tulsa had a $10,000 stipend for people to come and work remotely from Tulsa, and at least five different cities and states have also created these incentives," Caplan said.

The Pros and Cons of Digital Nomad Life?

Flexibility and freedom were the top pros of digital nomad life that Rabbi, Caplan and Thiruvengadam all echoed.?

“It shows in the minimum things like working in comfortable clothes because I don't need to dress up to go to the office and no daily commute to the office, which saves time, money and cuts down stress,” Rabbi said.?

“You can also decide which moments of the day you want to work,” Rabbi said. “You make better choices according to your mood, what works better for you, and your work volume.”

As for cons, if you don’t manage your time well, that could be detrimental.? “You can spend way too much time at home working,” Rabbi said. “What people see is a digital nomad working with their laptop by the beach with a margarita in their hands, but the reality is nobody brings a laptop to the beach because of the sun’s reflection or other issues like needing to charge it.”?

You have to make time to go for a walk, socialize, meet new people, etc., Rabbi said. “Balance working from home with working from cafes and workspaces so that you can socialize.”

Next, set boundaries about your working hours.?

“There is no one saying, we are turning off the light and you need to leave the office,” Rabbi said. “You need to be the one doing that, which is not always easy.”

The choice to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle is a big decision, and there are many ways to go about it. Make the choice that works for you, and remember that you can scale it back or kick it up at any time.?

(Editing by Todd Dybas )