What exactly is a Digital Nomad? The Complete Guide to Digital Nomads and Career Choices (2023) |

If you're contemplating making the transition to a digital nomad, you're not alone. An analysis by MBO Partners found that 17 million Americans were digital nomads by 2023. It also showed that 88% of digital nomads reported being extremely satisfied with their jobs While the majority of digital nomads say they travel with children! The report also found there are more than 70 million Americans are looking to become digital nomads - and they're also seeing a similar level of interest in countries around the world.

In this post, we'll give you an overview of what it means to be a digital nomad. Then, we'll go through some possible pros and cons of a nomadic lifestyle and explore some careers for digital nomads. Then we'll give you an overview of what you need to know and some tried-and-true methods to help you make your nomadic dream become a possibility.

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What is an electronic nomad?

Digital nomads are people who travels around the globe and works from home. Digital nomads take advantage of the latest possibilities in digital technology, and usually require only a laptop in order to earn a living. It allows them to travel, using technologies to run a business or work at a firm that offers a remote work policy.

It's not clear who coined the concept of digital nomads, however, it became popularized in an article published in 1997 written by Tsugio Makimoto as well as David Manners, who argued that the advancement of technology could allow people to return to a nomadic state and work anywhere. In 2023, there were 17 million Americans with digital nomads.

A lot of popular destinations have a strong love-hate relationship with digital nomads. Digital nomads can have been accused of destroying landscapes and crowding out locals. However, many nations also view nomads as an opportunity to attract tourists into the country and even to fill a labor gap. The appeal of this was enhanced since the decline of short-term tourism during the pandemic. Many nations have begun to offer "digital nomad visas", encouraging nomads to stay and visit.

What is the reason to become an online nomad?

There are many good reasons to think about being an online nomad. Naturally, the most important reason is to travel! If you've always wanted see the world and experience diverse cultures, then being a digital nomad allows you to go on a journey.

Digital nomads often profit from the costs of living differences between countries. Earning a high salary from their home country, as well as having a lower costs of living in their host country/ies means that they can have an abundance of cash.

However, not all is well for digital nomads. Many of them do not realize the strain can be incurred when you stay in a foreign country for extended period of time, shut away from the home support network, and with a different society. It is possible to estimate the cost also. Although the price for living could be cheaper in the host country, they've got to factor in travel as well as health insurance and travel.

Pros and cons of becoming a digital nomad

    Pros

• Get to work from amazing, inspiring places that you love.        
  
• You can save money by visiting places with a lower cost of living than your home country (your money goes farther).        
  
• Meet new friends from around the globe.        
  
• Make the lifestyle you'd like to live and be where you'd like.        
  
• There is a chance that you will feel a sense of personal growth and inspire that you would never experience at home.        
  
• It is a great possibilities to learn by exposing yourself to new cultures, languages and more.        
  
• Benefit from time differences (e.g. working later in the morning and keeping mornings free ).    
  
• Earn by renting out your house or apartment (if applicable).        
  

    Cons

• Isolation and loneliness as it is difficult to meet new people in unfamiliar areas.        
  
• If you lose an income source it may be difficult to locate a replacement. And you might not be qualified to work in a home country.      
  
• Moving can be difficult to maintain relationships. Many nomads have trouble with romance and love.        
  
• The unexpected expenses could eat out the savings that you can earn when you live in a more affordable location.        
  
• The time zone difference can be challenging too-especially in the case of trying to work while your team sleeps or vice versa.        
  
• Visa and legal issues can cause a lot of anxiety and additional expenses.        
  
• It is important to ensure you are legally compliant at home as well as in host countries (some countries require that nomads pay taxes! ).    
  
• Your career can be limited from afar.        
  
• If you aren't able to access high-speed internet, it could hinder your ability to work.        
  
• The impact on the environment is a result of traveling, and in certain instances, nomads can negatively impact the local population (e.g. market for housing ).    
  

Careers for digital nomads

There are a myriad of careers for digital nomads. The year 2025 will see 32.6 million Americans are expected to work remotely and 16% of businesses are already completely remote. This means the possibilities for careers as digital nomads are going to get better and more lucrative. If you're in an office space and utilize computers or phones to perform your job, there's a great chance your job is done remotely.

Here are some suggestions:

• Community Manager: A community manager is person who is responsible for the management of an online community. it's the perfect career for remote working. The best online community platforms make it easy to run a thriving community. Whether you 're working for the brand or a business or you manage your own private community, it's an amazing job for wanderers!    
  

• Freelance Writing Writers who are freelance write for magazines and newspapers. They also write novels for CEOs, or create blogs for companies. Since writing is usually done on one's own this is a fantastic job for digital nomads.    
  
• Graphic Design: Graphic design professionals are able to create some of the greatest brands from the comfort of a laptop. This makes it an excellent digital nomad profession.      
  
• Teaching or online tutoring E-learning's rapid growth means that online tutoring and teaching is an option for the digital nomad, regardless of whether you're teaching in the virtual campus or launching an online course of your own.    
  

• Digital Marketing: Whether building Facebook ads or doing SEO, the process of marketing through digital can be described as... online. This makes it a great job choice to digital-nomads.    
  
• Software Development: Developers of software develop software and tools, either as a company. It's all done on the internet, so it's a great alternative for remote jobs.    
  
• Web Development: Creating websites is an excellent job of digital nomads.      
  
• Virtual Assistants are usually able to assist managers with administrative tasks like answering emails, posting on social media, scheduling appointments and so on. This is a great job for those who work from home.    
  
• Remote Customer Service: When companies do customer service online or via phone, it doesn't usually need to be a location for the person providing service. It can be a great career option for a digital nomad.    
  

• Telemedicine: Not all health services can be delivered online, but an astonishing amount is. From psychiatry and counseling to specialist consults to nursing interviews, remote healthcare positions are increasing.    
  
• Market Researcher: If you're doing market research for a business or other organizations may be remote.      
  
• Content Creator Content Creators are on the move, producing podcasts, Facebook posts, YouTube videos and many more. If you earn your livelihood from content-whether working as a part of a business or yourself-you can probably do it at home.    
  
• Consultant: Consulting falls into one of the biggest buckets, but it's basically about establishing your own service business and advising and working for businesses on a part-time basis. This is a fantastic career option for remote work.    
  
• Professional Service: Bookkeepers lawyers, accountants and HR. There's many professional services that can lend themselves well to digital nomadic life.      
  
• Service Business: Finally, service businesses can be great for digital nomads. Architects, Conservation scientists, engineers as well. could be great for remote work depending the work you do.    
  

How to become an online nomad

1. Find a job or earn money which permits you to travel. The movement to become a digital nomad was primarily concentrated on entrepreneurs who were digital. Tim Ferriss' famous book-The 4-Hour Workweek-stressed using technology to expand flexible business and allow freedom to travel (if you want). However, the rise of remote work means the possibility of becoming a digital nomad is still possible with a 9-to-5 job.    
   
2. Make the necessary preparations: it's becoming easier every day however, being an online nomad can be complicated. You have to think about finding accommodation in another country as well as managing visas, filing taxes, accessing your bank account via a foreign location, along with a host of other things (we've included a list below). Do not be afraid-people are doing this often. Do get started with your plan.    
   
3. Take a trial drive Before you commit to becoming a full-time nomad, you can take an experiment. Take a couple of weeks during a vacation to determine if this is going to be something you enjoy. While launching into life as an online nomad may sound romantic, many people find negativity means that this isn't for them.    
   
4. Choose your travel style: Do you wish to have your entire year scheduled out? Or would you rather move from month to month whatever the winds take you? There's no right or wrong answer. Planning far in advance gives the benefit of having more accommodations to choose from and cheaper flights however it restricts your ability to be spontaneous. Without a plan, you're that you are being unplanned, and you may be limited by the flights as well as the accommodations readily available. Most nomads do better with at least a loose strategy, and in fact having a plan is an integral part of enjoyable!    
   
5. Take a bag and leave! the idea of becoming a digital nomad may seem overwhelming, at the end of the day you're just creating a plan 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 take on too much). Begin your journey!    
   

Digital nomad checklist

There are plenty of aspects to contemplate when considering becoming digital nomads. Here are a few suggestions we've learned from those who've done it:

• Examine your software and hardware Make sure you have your laptop with relevant tech you need to do your job Also, don't forget your electric adapters to the countries you'll visit. Remember that you can buy or lease equipment for technical use in many countries, too. For example, if you prefer working on a second monitor, it might be something you can easily find upon arrival.    
  
• Backups to 2-factor IDs: Since the last five years, 2-factor identifications have become necessary to log into every system. And if you normally get an SMS on your mobile-and you don't own it, things get more complicated. Make backups for every important login. For anything Google-related it is possible to use the Google authenticator software. Otherwise, think about how you'll; log into your bank accounts, tax software, etc.    
  
• Determine tax liabilities: Plan on how you will pay and report taxes from outside the country (if appropriate).      
  
• Make sure you have a current passport. Take your passport along with all other necessary documents. Be aware that certain countries may deny a visa if you have a passport that expires after 6 months, so make sure you have lots of calendar room.    
  
• Get medical insurance: Things can happen. Make sure you're covered. The insurance you already have might be able to cover certain things however, most digital nomads need to purchase an additional medical travel insurance.    
  
• Verify your visa requirements: If you are from the US, you can go to most countries without applying for a visa, except if you're going to be staying for an extended time. If you're planning on a lengthy stay it is possible that you require an appropriate visa through the consulate or embassy before departure. If this is the case you should start earlier to allow yourself lots of time.    
  
• Verify the requirements for work: Are you allowed to work in a nomad nation? Will they try to tax your earnings? Each country has its own rules, and it isn't easy to follow. Look up digital nomad blogs and forums as well as official government websites. Certain governments may allow you earning income but only if it's inside the borders of your country. If you're employed by a company that has offices in other countries, you might be able to organize a work experience with them    
  
• Find train or plane tickets and accommodation: Platforms like Airbnb can be good for this. However, they are constantly updated with new options every day. Like, for instance, Berlin startup Habyt promises monthly rentals. Apps such as Hopper will track your airfare and give you advice on when to make reservations for the lowest prices.    
  

How to become an online nomad

• Stay a while: Jumping between places each day can make it hard to remain productive-not to mention can be a drain on your financial situation. Experienced nomads know that it's best to remain in a single area for several weeks, or even for months in order to create a schedule and to save some cash. As an example, Airbnb has discounts for month-long bookings which could put your expenses for living as a nomadic within the same range or less than rent in any city in the U.S.    
  
• Choose a timetable that works: It can be hard to be productive while traveling. Make sure to develop a work schedule that works with your needs.    
  
• Stay aware of different cultures: Nomads experience a lot of unexpected surprises when trying to do things like they would in their home nations. For example, many places do not allow you to use your laptop at an office or cafe (or in the event that they do, there's no internet access). It is necessary to adjust your daily routine depending on the society you're living within.    
  

• Discover community Digital nomads: Ask them what gets to them and they'll be able to tell you about loneliness. Look for ways to join communities where ever you go and whether that's a local nomad gathering or a community on the internet. (Staying at one location for a longer period of time can also help you form stronger relationships ).    
  
• Begin small: Prior to committing to a 3-year trip across the globe, begin small. Start with a couple of weeks, or even a month at a different place. It is possible that it isn't something you enjoy, or maybe it will take longer to do remote work than you thought. Make it easier for yourself to get used to.    
  

Get going!

We hope these tips have given you the confidence to embark on your own journey as a digital nomad! Though it's not without risk, the growing acceptance of the digital nomad and the stories from numerous nomads who have enjoyed the journey suggest it's worth trying!

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