What exactly is What is a Digital Nomad? A Complete Guide + Careers options (2023) |

If you're thinking about being a virtual nomad, you're not alone. The report by MBO Partners found that 17 million Americans were digital nomads by 2023. The report also revealed that 80% of digital nomads said they were extremely satisfied with their jobs and 24% of them say they travel with children! AND the report found there are 70 million Americans are looking to become digital nomads - and there's a similar interest level across the globe.

In this article we'll provide an overview of what it means to be a digital nomad, walk through some aspects of the advantages and disadvantages of the nomadic life, and explore some careers for digital nomads. We'll then provide you with an overview of what you need to know and some tried-and-true strategies to make your dreams of a nomadic life a realisation.

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What is an electronic nomad?

Digital nomads are those who is a traveler when working remotely. Digital nomads take advantage of the possibilities offered by working online, and typically only need a laptop to earn a living. This gives them the flexibility to move around, using technologies to run an enterprise or for a company that has the policy of remote working.

It's unclear who came up with the term digital nomad, however, it became popularized in an article published in 1997 written by Tsugio Makimoto, and David Manners, who argued that the advancement of technology could allow individuals to go back to a non-stop lifestyle, working from any location. By 2023, there would be 17 million Americans who were digital nomads.

A lot of popular destinations are in a relationship of love and hate to digital travelers. Digital nomads may have a reputation for ruining landscapes and displacing locals. However, many nations also view nomads as a way to bring tourist dollars into the country as well as fill labor shortages. It became more appealing when short-term tourism declined during the pandemic. A growing number of countries are giving out "digital nomad visas", encouraging nomads to stay and visit.

How do you became an online nomad?

There are many excellent reasons to think about becoming a digital nomad. Of course, the first is to travel! If you've ever wanted to see the world and experience diverse cultures, then being a digital nomad allows you to do this.

Digital nomads often take advantage of the cost of living disparities between nations. Earning a high salary in their country of origin and having a low price of living within the host country/s allows them to have greater cash flow.

However, not all is well for those who travel digitally. A lot of people do not realize the strain it takes to try to stay in a foreign country for extended durations, being cut out of your support network, and with a different society. Some may also estimate expenses as well. Even though the cost of living might be lower in a country of the host but they must factor into flights or health insurance as well as excursions.

Pros and cons of being a digital nomad

    Pros

• Get to work from incredible, inspirational places you are awed by.        
  
• Save money in places where the cost of living than your home country (your dollars go farther).        
  
• Meet new friends from around the globe.        
  
• Create the life you'd like to live and be where you'd like.        
  
• You might be able to experience personal growth and motivation that you would never experience in your own home.        
  
• The web offers amazing learning opportunities from being exposed to different cultures, languages as well as other languages.        
  
• Profit from the time difference (e.g. working later in the morning while preserving mornings ).    
  
• Earn by renting out your house or apartment (if appropriate).        
  

    Cons

• The loneliness and the isolation of it is difficult to find friends in new areas.        
  
• If you lose an income source it may be difficult to get another. You may not be legally qualified to work in the host country.      
  
• It can be a challenge to maintain relationships. Many nomads have trouble to find love and dating.        
  
• Inexpensive expenses can take away at the savings that you can earn from living in a cheaper place.        
  
• Time zone differences could be a problem, particularly if you're trying to work while your team sleeps or vice versa.        
  
• Visas and legal problems could cause lots of stress and extra expenses.        
  
• It is important to ensure you are legally compliant in both your home and your host country (some countries require that nomads pay tax! ).    
  
• Your career can be constrained by distance.        
  
• If you can't access the internet at a high speed, it may hinder the ability of your work.        
  
• It has an impact on the environment when you travel and in some cases, nomads can negatively impact local communities (e.g. housing markets ).    
  

Careers for digital nomads

There are a myriad of opportunities for digital nomads to work. The year 2025 will see 32.6 million Americans are expected to work remotely with 16% of companies already being totally remote. This means the possibilities for careers as digital nomads will only get better and greater. If you go into an office and use a computer or phone to work, there's a good possibility that your work can be done from home.

Here are some suggestions:

• Community Manager: A community manager is someone who oversees an online community. this is a great job that allows remote working. Community platforms on the internet make it easy to run a thriving community. No matter if you're part of an organization or brand, or running your own paid community, it's an amazing job for nomads!    
  

• Freelance Writing: Freelance writers write for newspapers, magazines and other publications. However, they can also ghostwrite books for CEOs and write blogs for brand. Since writing is usually accomplished on their own and on their own, it's an ideal job for digital nomads.    
  
• Graphic Design Graphic designers can create the world's greatest brands from an laptop. It's a great digital nomad career.      
  
• Online Teaching and Tutoring: The rise of e-learning means that online tutoring and teaching is a real possibility for those who are digital nomads, regardless of whether you're teaching in an online college or launching your own online course.    
  

• Digital Marketing: Whether creating Facebook ads or doing SEO, the process of marketing through digital will be... the digital. This makes it a great career to digital-nomads.    
  
• Software Development: Developers of software design programs and tools-either working as an organization. Work is conducted online, so it's a great alternative for remote jobs.    
  
• Web Development: Creating websites is a great profession for digital nomads.      
  
• Virtual Assistants usually assist leaders with administrative tasks, replying to emails, posting to social media, scheduling appointments etc. They are a fantastic fit for those who work from home.    
  
• Remote Customer Support: When businesses provide customer support online or via phone, it's not likely to matter where the representative lives. This could be an excellent career option for a digital nomad.    
  

• Telemedicine: Not all medical treatment can be performed remotely, but a surprising quantity could be. From psychiatry and counseling to nurse interviews and specialist consultations Remote healthcare jobs are increasing.    
  
• Market Researcher: If you're working doing market research on behalf of a company, things like surveys might be done remotely.      
  
• Content Creators The days of content creators are over, with people creating podcasts, social media posts, YouTube videos and many more. If you make your living through content-whether for a company or for you, it's possible to work from home.    
  
• Consultant: Consulting falls into a big bucket, but it's basically about establishing your own service business in addition to advising businesses on a part-time basis. It's an excellent career choice working remotely.    
  
• Professional Services Bookkeepers attorneys, accountants, HR. There are many professional services that lend themselves very well to a digital nomadic.      
  
• Service Businesses: Finally, service businesses can be great for digital nomadic travelers. Engineers, conservation engineers, scientists as well. are all suitable for remote work depending upon the tasks you perform.    
  

How do you become a digital nomad

1. Find employment or income which allows you to travel. The first digital nomad movement was primarily concentrated on entrepreneurs who were digital. Tim Ferriss' famous book-The 4-Hour Workweek-stressed the use of technology to expand flexible business and allow freedom to travel (if you want). However, the rise of remote work means you can become an online nomad remains possible with a 9-to-5 job.    
   
2. Do the planning: it's improving every day, but being a digital nomad is still complicated. It's important to consider the possibility of locating accommodation in a different country, managing visas, filing taxes, making access to your bank from abroad, as well as a myriad of other things (we've provided a checklist in the following). Don't be intimidated-people do this every day. However, you must get going on your plan.    
   
3. Test drive: Before you decide to become an all-time traveler, take taking a drive test. Try a few weeks during a vacation to see if it's actually going to be something you like. Although the idea of becoming a digital nomad is romantic, many people find it difficult to accept they're not suitable for it.    
   
4. Pick your style of travel: Do you prefer to plan your entire year planned out? Do you prefer to move from month to month whatever the winds take you? There's no right or wrong answer. Making a plan in advance can give the benefit that you have more accommodation options to pick from as well as cheaper flights, but it limits your ability to be spontaneous. Planning without a schedule means being spontaneous, but you may be limited by the flights and accommodation options available. Many nomads work better with at least a loose strategy, and in fact having a plan is an integral part of enjoyable!    
   
5. Get ready to go! becoming a digital nomad seems overwhelming, at the end of the day you're just making a decision and heading off to live things in another place. Beware of the temptation to pack too much (you'll be grateful that you didn't need to carry a lot). And start the adventure!    
   

Digital nomad checklist

There are many things to contemplate when considering becoming digital nomads. Here are a few tips we've gathered from people who've tried it:

• Make sure you have the right software and tech: Bring your laptop, relevant tech you need to complete your task Also, don't forget your electric adapters to the countries you'll travel to. Be aware that you are able to purchase or lease equipment for technical use in most countries too. For example, if you like to work on a second monitor this could be available on arrival.    
  
• Backups to 2-factor IDs: Over the last 5 years, 2-factor authentication has become necessary to log into every system. If you typically receive a text on your phone-and you don't have it-life gets much more difficult. Set up backups for all of your important logons. If you're looking for anything related to Google it is possible to use the Google authenticator application. In other words, you should think about what you'll do to log into your accounts at banks, use tax software, etc.    
  
• Calculate tax liabilities: Plan for how to pay and pay taxes from overseas (if applicable).      
  
• Make sure you have a current passport. Take your passport along with all other necessary documents. Keep in mind that some countries will refuse to grant a visa when your passport expires in less than 6 months. Therefore, ensure you have plenty of room for your calendar.    
  
• Take out medical insurance. Things occur. You should be covered. Your existing insurance might provide some coverage, but most digital travelers require extra travel medical insurance.    
  
• Make sure you know the requirements for your visa In the case of the US and you are a resident of the US, you're able to travel to most countries without applying for a visa, unless you're staying for a long period of time. If you're planning on a lengthy stay, you might need to apply for an appropriate visa through an embassy or consulate before you travel. If that's the case you should start earlier to allow yourself lots of time.    
  
• Examine the work-related requirements to determine if you permitted to live in your nomad country? Will they try to tax your income? Every country has its own rules that isn't easy to follow. Be sure to check out digital nomad blog and forums, as well the official websites of government. Certain governments may allow your earning money but only if it's inside the boundaries of the country. If you're employed by an organization that has office locations in different countries, you might be able to organize a work experience in conjunction with them.    
  
• Find train or plane tickets and accommodation platforms like Airbnb are great to do this, however there are new ones all the time. Like, for instance, Berlin startup Habyt promises regular rentals. Applications like Hopper can track airfare and give you suggestions on how to book for the lowest prices.    
  

How to become a digital nomad

• Be patient: Having to jump between places daily makes it hard to remain productive. It also can be a drain on your finances. Experienced nomads know that it's worthwhile to stay in one place for weeks and even months at a time to create a schedule and to save some money. As an example, Airbnb has discounts for monthly bookings that can put your expenses for living as a nomadic at or lower than renting in any other city in the U.S.    
  
• Choose a timetable that works: It can be hard to be productive on the road. Be sure to create your own schedule of work that works for you.    
  
• Stay aware of the cultural difference: Nomads face many surprises when they try to carry out the way they'd do in their home nations. In particular, many countries do not allow you to use your laptop at an office or cafe (or even if they do, they don't have WiFi). It is necessary to adjust your daily routine depending on the society you're living in.    
  

• Connect with others: Ask digital nomads what they are looking for and they'll tell you: the feeling of loneliness. Look for ways to join communities where ever you go, whether it's a local nomad gathering or an online community. (Staying at one location for a longer period of time will help to make deeper relationships ).    
  
• Be cautious: Prior to agreeing to a three-year journey around the globe, start with a small amount. Start with a couple of weeks, or even a whole month of work in another place. You might find that you don't enjoy it and it might take longer to do remote work than you think. Ease yourself in.    
  

Get going!

We hope these tips have given you the confidence to embark on your own journey as a digital nomad! While it can be daunting but the increasing popularity of being a digital nomad as well as the tales from numerous nomads who are enjoying the adventure is a good indication that it's definitely worth a try!

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