What Is a Digital Nomad? An entire guide to digital nomads as well as career options (2023) |

If you're considering making the transition to a digital nomad you're in good company. 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 and 24% of digital nomads report that they are traveling with their kids! The report also revealed there are 70 % of Americans are interested in becoming digital nomads-and the same level of interest exists all over the world.

In this post we'll provide an overview of what it means to be a digital nomad, walk through some possible pros and cons of a nomadic lifestyle and explore some careers for digital nomads. In the next article, we'll provide an overview of what you need to know and some tried-and-true strategies to make your dreams of a nomadic life a possibility.

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What exactly is an electronic nomad?

Digital nomads are people who travels around the globe when working from home. Digital nomads take advantage of the latest possibilities in digital work, and often require only a laptop in order to earn a living. It allows them to travel and use technologies to run a business or work in a business that follows a remote work policy.

It's not clear who coined the term digital nomad, however it became popularized by a 1997 book written by Tsugio Makimoto, and David Manners, who argued that the advancement of technology could allow individuals to go back to a nomadic state working from any location. In 2023, there were 17 million Americans with digital nomads.

Numerous popular destinations have a strong love-hate relationship to digital travelers. Digital nomads can have been accused of destroying landscapes and displacing locals. Many countries see nomads as an opportunity to boost tourism dollars in the country, and to fill a labor gap. The appeal of this was enhanced as short-term tourism collapsed in the wake of the epidemic. A growing number of nations are offering "digital Nomad Visas" which encourage nomads to come and stay.

How do you do you want to be an online nomad?

There are many great reasons to consider being a digital nomad. Naturally, the most important reason is to travel! If you've always wanted to explore the world, and to experience new cultures, being a digital nomad allows you to travel the world.

Digital nomads often benefit from the price of living disparities between nations. Earning a high salary in their country of origin and having a low costs of living in the host country/s allows them to have an abundance of cash.

There are some challenges for those who travel digitally. They often underestimate the toll that can be incurred when you live abroad for long period of time, shut away from the home networks of support, and living in an unfamiliar society. It is possible to estimate the cost as well. Although the price of living may be less in a host country, they've got to factor into flights as well as health insurance and excursions.

The pros and cons of being an online nomad

    Pros

• Work from amazing, inspiring places that you love.        
  
• Spend less money in areas that have a cheaper cost of living than your home country (your dollars go further).        
  
• Make new friends all over the world.        
  
• Design the life you want and live where you'd like.        
  
• It's possible to experience personal growth and inspiration unlike you've ever experienced at home.        
  
• It is a great learning opportunities from being exposed to various languages, cultures as well as other languages.        
  
• Profit from the time difference (e.g. working later during the day as well as allowing mornings to be free ).    
  
• Earn money by renting your house or apartment (if the case).        
  

    Cons

• Loneliness and isolation as it can be hard to meet new people in unfamiliar areas.        
  
• If you have to lose the source of income, it could be hard to find 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.        
  
• Unexpected expenses can eat off the savings that you can earn when you live in a more affordable location.        
  
• Time zone variations can be challenging too-especially when you're working while your team sleeps or vice versa.        
  
• Legal and Visa issues can cause a lot of anxiety and additional expenses.        
  
• Need to make sure you're legally compliant in both your home and the host country (some nations require nomads to pay taxes! ).    
  
• Your job prospects are limited by distance.        
  
• If you don't have access to high-speed internet, it could hinder the ability of your work.        
  
• There's an environmental impact to travel and in some cases, nomads can negatively impact local populations (e.g. market for housing ).    
  

Careers for digital nomads

There are literally a multitude of jobs for digital nomads. The year 2025 will see 32.6 million Americans are expected to work remotely while 16% of firms already being totally remote. This means the possibilities for careers as digital nomads are only going to grow and more lucrative. If you're in an office and use a computer or phone to perform your job, there's a great possibility that your work can be done via remote access.

These are some suggestions:

• Community Manager Community Manager: A community manager is one who manages an online community. is the ideal job for remote jobs. Online community platforms that are top of the line allow you to easily manage an active community. If you're employed by an organization or brand, or running your own paid community, it's a great career for nomads!    
  

• Freelance Writing Writers who are freelance write for newspapers and magazines. They also write books for CEOs or write blogs for companies. Since writing is usually accomplished on their own and on their own, it's an ideal job for a digital nomad.    
  
• Graphic Design Graphic design professionals are able to create some of the most famous brands using an laptop. It's a great digital nomad career.      
  
• Teaching or online tutoring E-learning's rapid growth allows online tutoring or teaching an option for digital nomads, whether you're teaching at a virtual college or running your own online course.    
  

• Digital Marketing: Whether building Facebook advertisements or working on SEO, marketing in the digital age can be described as... the digital. It's a fantastic career for digital nomads.    
  
• Software Development: Software developers design software and tools, either on their own or with a company. Work is conducted online, so it's a great alternative for remote jobs.    
  
• Web Development: Creating websites is an excellent job to digital nomadic.      
  
• Virtual Assistants: Usually help leaders with administrative tasks, responding to emails, posting on social networks, scheduling appointments, etc. They are a fantastic fit for those who work from home.    
  
• Remote Customer Service: When firms provide customer service via the internet or via phone, it doesn't usually matter where the representative lives. It could be a good job for someone who is the digital wanderer.    
  

• Telemedicine: Not every health services can be delivered via the internet, however a significant quantity could be. From counseling and psychiatry specialist consults to nursing interviews Remote healthcare jobs are on the rise.    
  
• Market Researcher When you're in the business of conducting market research for a company such as surveys may be remote.      
  
• Content Creators Content Creators are over, with people creating podcasts, social media posts, YouTube videos, and much more. If you make your living through content-whether for a company or for yourself-you can probably do it from home.    
  
• Consultant: Consulting is a big bucket, but it is basically about setting up your own business of service as well as advising firms on a per-project basis. It's a great career working remotely.    
  
• Professional Services Bookkeepers lawyers, accountants and HR. There are many professional services that can lend themselves very well to a digital nomadic.      
  
• Service Businesses: Finally, service businesses can be great for digital nomads. Engineers, conservation scientists, engineers and so on., can be good for remote jobs based upon the tasks you perform.    
  

How to be a digital nomad

1. Find employment or income that lets you travel: The first digital nomad movement was mostly focussed on digital entrepreneurs. Tim Ferriss' famous book-The 4-Hour Workweek-stressed the use of technology to expand flexible business as well as the ability to travel (if you want). However, the rise of remote work means that becoming an online nomad remains feasible with a 9-to-5 work schedule.    
   
2. Do the planning: it's improving every day However, becoming an online nomad can be complicated. You have to think about getting accommodation in another nation as well as managing visas, filing taxes, making access to your account from abroad as well as a myriad of additional things (we've added a checklist below). Don't be intimidated-people do this all the time. Do get started with your plan.    
   
3. Try a test run: Before you decide to become a full-time nomad, you can take a test drive. Try a few weeks on a working holiday and determine if this is possible to would enjoy. Although the idea of becoming a digital nomad sounds beautiful, many find negativity means that it's not for them.    
   
4. Choose your travel style: Do you wish to have your next year entirely scheduled out? Do you prefer to go month-to-month where the wind will take you? It's not a bad choice. Planning far in advance gives the benefit of having a wider selection of accommodations choose from and cheaper flights However, it also limits your ability to be spontaneous. Going without a plan means being spontaneous, but you may be restricted by the flight options as well as the accommodations available. Most nomads do better by keeping a basic strategy, and in fact making plans is a part of the fun!    
   
5. Get ready to go! the idea of becoming a digital nomad may seem overwhelming, at the end of the day you're just creating a plan and preparing to live your the same thing in another location. Resist the urge to overpack (you'll be grateful that you didn't have too much to carry). And start the adventure!    
   

Digital nomad checklist

There are plenty of aspects to think about from becoming an online nomad. Here are some of the suggestions we've learned from those who've done it:

• Make sure you have the right software and tech Take your laptop and the necessary tech to complete your task Don't forget to bring electric adapters to the countries you'll go to. Keep in mind that you can purchase or lease technical equipment in many countries, too. In case, for example, you prefer working on a second monitor, it might be an item you are able to find when you arrive.    
  
• Backups for 2-factor identifications: Over the last 5 years, 2-factor identifications have become necessary to log into everything. If you typically receive a text on your phone-and you don't own it, things get much more difficult. Make backups for every important login. For anything Google-related, you can use Google authenticator application. If not, consider the ways you'll log in to your accounts at banks, use tax software, etc.    
  
• Determine taxes: Plan for the payment and pay taxes from overseas (if appropriate).      
  
• Have a passport that is current: Take your passport along with all other necessary documents. Be aware that certain countries may refuse to grant a visa if you have a passport that expires after 6 months, so make sure you have lots of room for your calendar.    
  
• Get medical insurance: Things can happen. You should be covered. The insurance you already have might be able to cover certain things, but most digital nomads need to purchase an additional medical travel insurance.    
  
• Check your visa requirements: If you are from the US and you are a resident of the US, you're able to travel to most countries without applying for a visa, except if you're planning to stay for an extended time. If you're planning a long-stay, you might have to get the right visa at an embassy or consulate before you travel. If this is the case begin early and allow yourself lots of time.    
  
• Examine the work-related requirements to determine if you permitted to work in a nomad nation? Do they want to tax your earnings? Each nation has its own rules, and it could be difficult to understand. Look up digital nomad blogs and forums, as well in official government sites. Certain governments may allow you earning income provided it's within the boundaries of the country. If you work for an organization that has office locations in different countries, you might be able get a job together with them.    
  
• Get train tickets or plane tickets, and also an accommodation option platforms like Airbnb are great for this. However, they are constantly updated with new options every day. As an example, Berlin startup Habyt promises regular rentals. Apps like Hopper allow you to track flights as well as give tips on when to book for the lowest prices.    
  

Tips for successfully becoming a digital nomad

• Take a break: Moving around from one place to the next each day can make it hard to remain productive. It also is a strain on your budget. Experienced nomads know that it's worthwhile to stay in one area for several weeks, or even for months in order to create a schedule and to save some cash. In particular, Airbnb has discounts for regular bookings, which can bring the price of living as a nomad in line with or cheaper than renting in any other city within the U.S.    
  
• Find a work schedule which works for you: It could be challenging to work when you travel. Make sure to develop an effective work plan that is suitable with your needs.    
  
• Be in tune with the cultural difference: Nomads face lots of surprises when they try to carry out the way they would in their home countries. For example, many places do not allow you to set up your laptop in an office or cafe (or in the event that they do, they don't have wifi). It is necessary to adjust your life in some ways depending on the society you're living located in.    
  

• Find community: Ask digital nomads about their experiences and they'll be able to tell you about the feeling of loneliness. Find ways to plug into communities wherever you are, whether it's the local gathering for nomads or an online community. (Staying at one location for a longer period of time will help to make stronger relationships ).    
  
• Be cautious: Prior to agreeing to a 3-year trip across the globe, begin small. Consider spending a couple of weeks or even a month at a different place. It is possible that it isn't something you enjoy perhaps, or it could become more difficult to work remotely as you imagine. Ease yourself in.    
  

Get going!

These tips should have encouraged you to begin your own adventure as a digital nomad! Though it's not without risk, the growing popularity of being a digital nomad as well as the tales from hundreds of nomads who love the experience suggests it's at least worth a try!

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