How to Become a Digital Nomad in 10 steps
Are you feeling stuck in your career? Are you looking for a way to escape the 9-5 grind and travel the world? If so, then you may be interested in becoming a digital nomad.
This is a term used for people who work online and can travel wherever they want. It’s a great lifestyle if you’re looking for freedom and flexibility.
In this blog post, we will outline 10 steps on how to become a digital nomad and change career paths. These are steps Lau and I followed as we transitioned towards our own nomadic life.
Make sure you're insured before you depart!
Lau
🔥 How to Become a Digital Nomad In 10 Steps
- Learn about the lifestyle
- Reflect on your current career
- Determine if you need to change industries
- Research different industries
- Obtaining new skills
- Seek a remote role within your company
- Become a freelancer
- Select where you want to work from
- Apply for a Digital Nomad Visa
- Make a financial plan
Why undertake a career change and become a Digital Nomad?
The central motivation for most nomads to pickup their lives and hit the road (or ocean) is the ability to work from anywhere in the world whilst experiencing different cultures and ways of living - at least this is what motivated us to take the leap. After living in Amsterdam for 7 years, 2 of those years in lock down, we needed a change.
For others, it may not only be the craving for adventure but that they simply aren’t happy with their current situation and feel ready for something different.
#1 Learn about the lifestyle
It may sound very obvious but spending some time researching what life is like as a digital nomad is a great first step you can take.
There are many great resources available online, so spend some time reading and watching content on youtube, medium, or wherever you hangout online, to get a sense of what the day-to-day reality of being a digital nomad looks like.
Also, if you happen to have any friends or family who are already living this lifestyle make sure to reach out to them to learn about their experiences. Once you’re sure this is the right lifestyle for you, it’s time to start planning your transition to nomadic life.
#2 Reflect on your current career
If you’re interested in becoming a digital nomad, it's a good idea to reflect on your current career and figure out whether you have the experience to work remotely or whether you need to re-skill.
You also need to figure out whether you want to be self-employed, or find an employer who is willing to let you work from afar…
These aren’t simple questions and will entail significant thought, research & consideration, so that when you FINALLY take the leap you’ll get the most from your digital nomad journey.
⚡️ Our Personal Experience
Before becoming a digital nomad Lau was a Nurse. As you can imagine, this is a particularly difficult role to do remotely. She worked as a transcriber for a while but is now focused on learning everything about social media.
I was a Marketing Manager in my previous role, so it was logical for me to kick start a freelance marketing business, as my skill set and experience were easy to transfer to a remote career - particularly after working with his team remotely for 2 years during COVID.
#3 Determine if you need to change industries
Deciding whether or not you need to change industries is an important step when considering becoming a digital nomad.
If you’re unhappy with your current industry or realize it doesn’t enable you to work remotely, you may find the thought of working in a completely new one daunting.
However, it’s important to remember that there are many advantages to starting fresh. New industries can offer new opportunities for growth and development, and they can provide a chance to learn new skills.
#4 Research different industries
If you are interested in changing industries, research is key. When it comes to making a big decision like changing careers, it’s important to do your homework.
That means taking the time to learn about different occupations, companies as well as figuring out what skills and qualifications you’ll need to be successful in your new field.
Spend some time exploring different job possibilities that interest you and see if there are any common threads between them and what you've already done.
Lau
#5 Obtaining new skills
Potentially one of the biggest challenges you’ll face when making the switch to digital nomadic life is obtaining the necessary skills to work online. Depending on your selected current career path, this may require some significant retraining.
However, there are many courses online that can help you learn a completely new skill set to successfully launch your new career.
#6 Seek a remote role within your company
If you're not sure if changing industries is the right move for you or you don’t want to become a freelancer, there are other options. If you love your current job, see if your company is open to remote work arrangements.
Lau and I took this approach in 2021 when we had our first taste of digital nomadic life, working remotely whilst traveling through Greece, Spain and Portugal for three months. It's during this experience we confirmed this lifestyle was truly for us.
To increase the chances of your boss saying yes make sure to read our article that provides 5 tips on how to ask your manager to work remotely.
Izaac Somers
#7 Become a freelancer
If you decide changing industries isn’t for you and you’ve also determined your company isn’t willing to allow you to work remotely, you could consider becoming a freelancer in your current industry; this will give you more flexibility and freedom to work from anywhere.
However, If you decide to go down this path you will need to invest time into developing your services, defining your market, building your brand and finding customers amonst other things.
If you want to go deeper into this topic we cover the main things you'll need to consider in our article - How to start freelancing in 11 steps.
Izaac Somers
#8 Select where you want to work from
As a digital nomad with a job that can be done from anywhere, the world is really your oyster in terms of where you could possibly work.
When deciding on the best place to call home (even for a period of the year), it is essential to do your research. Luckily we write guides and articles on some of the best digital nomad destinations, which should help with your search.
You should also make sure to keep in mind the following points when assessing the viability of a place.
💰 Cost of living
- As a digital nomad, the cost of living of a particular town, city or area dramatically impacts your overall budget.
⚡️ Internet speed and connectivity
- Reliable internet access is essential for successful remote work.
🖥️ Coworking spaces
- The number of coworking spaces in a specific area is a good indicator of the presence of an established digital nomad community.
🚑 Safety
- Safety should be prioritized when choosing a new residence, particularly for solo digital nomads.
#9 Apply for a Digital Nomad Visa
Depending on where you would like to live and work, you may be required by law to get a special kind of work permit called a Digital Nomad Visa. Luckily many desirable countries where you'd most likely want to base yourself have now established one.
However, each country has their own specific requirements and regulations so its important to do your research before applying. We break down the application process of every country that currently has a digital nomad visa available which you can find below.
#10 Make a financial plan
Making the decision to become a digital nomad can be a big lifestyle change, and it’s important to be prepared for it financially. One of the biggest concerns people have about becoming a digital nomad is whether they will be able to make ends meet - this was at least one of our big concerns.
However, by doing your research and creating a realistic budget before making the switch, you’ll be better prepared to handle any bumps on the road and enjoy a successful transition into the digital nomad lifestyle. We wrote an article that covers the topic in detail.
Lau
Conclusion
There you have it our 10 steps on how to become a digital nomad. We've covered the important of reflecting on your current job and skills set before making the switch, things to consider when selecting your new digital nomad base, legal requirements you need to be aware of before departing and much more.
Although it can seem like a daunting task make sure to remember there are plenty of people who have made the switch, so why can’t you?
By following the above steps you’ll be in a stronger position to make the transition with confidence. Good luck and if you have any questions hit us up on Instagram - @remotevagabond