How To

Remote Working: How to Work from Anywhere As A Digital Nomad.

Gone are the days when people used to travel thousands of miles in search of jobs. As working becomes more and more digital, a lot of jobs are now done on computers. More tools and software are emerging that aid people in their work. The nature of work itself is changing, with many being done purely through computers and laptops.

Virtual offices are now setup by many people, in which they are connected to their work from remote locations. Increasing internet speeds and compact, yet powerful laptops have only made it easier. A survey by Gallup shows that in a 4 year gap from 2012 to 2016, the number of people who remotely worked increased from 34% to 43%.

Remote Working and Wandering

Very similar to remote working, Wandering is a way of life that differs fundamentally due to one reason: These people are not working from their homes. The same rules of working away from physically where rest of the team or offices are located goes for both. In the case of remote working, the person in question is working from a location that is fixed. It can be a home or a specific secondary office.

The Wanderer, on the other hand, is truly what the name implies. He or she does not have a remote office to work out of. The Wanderer works from anywhere. This can be another location within the city, country or even a continent.

Going Wandering Worldwide

The wandering lifestyle may see very attractive at first glance. Surely, the excitement of working from exotic locations seem very appealing. Sipping on a margarita on a beach while tapping away on your laptop, dressed casually in a floral print shirt with sandals on the feet is the kind of image that comes in mind. Yet, people tend to forget that to reach that tropical location, a visa is required to enter the country.

Depending on your nationality, different countries have different requirements to allow foreigners to stay. Many countries, who are very friendly, do not even have a visa requirement for short stays (such as 3 months). Another rising type of visa is the working holiday. Many countries, realizing that a lot of young people enter their countries to work for a couple of years as the host offers better opportunities of earnings. This has led to the holiday work visa. Wanderers can apply for this kind of visa and explore the country as they work through their laptop as well. A drawback, though, of a work visa, is that it has an age restriction. So if you are planning to adopt the wanderer lifestyle, do check if you are not over the age limit.

Furthermore, if you are going to go places, you have to plan well in advance. Planning is the fine line between a wanderer and a drifter. You would not like to end up in a place where internet is shoddy and you are late to submit your report, would you? Similarly, understand that different countries have different economic conditions and cultures. Renting out a room in Laos will be cheap, but not in Tokyo. Another important thing to look out for will be the time difference. Ending up in a place which is 10 hours behind your office would be see you being awake late at nights, perhaps into early mornings too.

Wandering Career and Finances

Being a globe trotter can be a lot of fun and the wide range of experiences can be exciting. Yet, as a wanderer, the two most important factors to consider are the career choices and finances.

One can only be a wanderer if the career chosen is something that can be done remotely. A face to face weekly meeting with the sales team will stop you short of backpacking Eastern Europe. Selecting a career that can be done over a computer, along with the ability to work without supervision (or able to supervise juniors) is key. It is also not necessary to have a fulltime job too. Freelancing gives you the pleasure of flexible hours and make you your own boss. Yet, having a fulltime job means a steady stream of income. Best types of jobs for wanderers are:

  • Graphic Designer
  • Programmer
  • Content Writer
  • Data Entry
  • Digital Marketing
  • Web developer
  • Virtual Assistant

And many more.

Doing work is all about financially supporting yourself. Always ensure that your expenses are in control and never should these outstrip your earning.

Not for Everyone

Remote workers can work remotely from home.   However, wondering the globe for nomads sounds very exciting, but takes extreme patience and a lot of sacrifices to be one. Change in atmosphere, weather, the people, language barriers, food and other factors can be draining.

If you really want to be a wanderer, you should first research a location near yours. The vicinity and the research will help you settle in better. Try to stay at least a month. If you think you have it figured out, you can take bigger steps. In the end, it is all about you and your abilities.

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