By now digital nomadism should’ve peaked your interest. But where to start? What kind of jobs can you do remotely?
In this fourth part of the digital nomad series, we take a closer look at which jobs are best suited for a digital nomad lifestyle. Discover the top digital nomad jobs that nomads around the world are doing successfully doing, and how you can work while traveling as well.
What do digital nomads do?
They come in all shapes and sizes: digital nomads.
From the outside, it may be hard to see exactly what they’re doing.
Employees who have been given permission to work remotely, okay. Coders who take their laptops and headphones everywhere, sure. But how can this genius entrepreneur spend the whole day chilling by the pool? And how about the cryptoboys who can’t stop talking about blockchain technology and the sluts who sell their nude photos on OnlyFans?
If you look at the one thing they have in common, it’s pretty simple: they can do everything on a laptop or a smartphone. And for them to be a digital nomad, they have to make sure they can work online and that they are free to travel.
As we saw in part 3, there are practically three types of digital nomads: someone can have a remote job, work as a freelancer or be an entrepreneur.
But what kind of work do they actually do? Let’s find out.
List of jobs that you can do remotely
Alright, by now digital nomadism should’ve peaked your interest. But where to start? What kind of jobs can you do remotely?
It’s pretty simple: think of all the stuff you can do on computers.
Developer jobs
It should come as no surprise to you that there are many jobs within IT that can be done remotely. If you know how to code, you should already know your way around a computer. Stuff like app development, game design, API integrations, and user testing can all be done remotely.
But there are also jobs in IT that don’t necessarily require programming knowledge. For example, there is also a need for project management, cost planning and PR for apps and websites.
Marketing jobs
There’s also many jobs in marketing that you can do, such as search engine optimization, search Engine advertising, social media management, conducting online surveys. If you’re good at languages, you might consider doing translations, proofreading documents for spelling errors, or create subtitles for videos. You can create summaries of books, copywrite blog articles, or write scripts for podcasts or videos.
Creative jobs
But if all those marketing jobs sound too boring for you, and you’re looking for something where you can express your creativity, the possibilities are never-ending.
It may not be convenient to have to haul around a painter’s easel on every trip. You won’t be able to use some of the traditional materials during your digital nomad adventure, but that immediately challenges you to be creative.
If you have a voice that’s pleasant to listen to, you can record voice-overs or jingles. Or when you have a good ear for music, you might want to produce music or create SFXs.
If you’re more of a visual person, you can create animations, edit videos or use a camera to capture stock footage. You can works a graphic designer and design logos, websites or corporate branding. Or you can specialize in 3D modeling and start working for architecture firms, 3D printing facilities, industrial projects, or provide visual effects for movies.
Let your creative mind run wild and think of what crazy professions you can come up with.
Teaching jobs
If my digital nomad journey taught me something, it’s that there always some kind of teacher in my hostel.
There are countless teaching jobs you do remotely. You can teach languages, instruments, yoga, coding, public speaking, storytelling, dancing, the list goes on and on. You can also become a personal coach and do one on one interviews to help people get the most out of their lives. Practically all the stuff that people would learn in class rooms or auditoria, there is an opportunity to teach the same thing online.
Office jobs
You may be far away from the office, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do office work.
At any office, many supportive jobs often go unnoticed. Think of all the tasks that arise in a traditional office situation, such as data entry, recruitment or customer support. You can become a virtual assistant to some CEO and handle emails, schedule meetings and order flowers to his attention-deprived wife.
Non-digital nomads
The above roundup of nomad jobs is by no means finite.
But what all these jobs have in common is that they require a computer and internet connection. If you don’t want to be glued to your laptop for work, it is good to know that there are more outdoorsy jobs you can do. While travelling I’ve met people that did more physical jobs.
Think of teaching jobs (yoga teachers, surf instructors, life coaches, teaching English at local schools), selling physical products (jewelry, gemstones), working for local businesses (hostels, modeling, or offering physical services (dogwalkers, au pairs, hairdressers, masseuses, and yes, prostitutes). I wouldn’t recommend that last one, because a paid blow job can get you in a lot of trouble in some of the most popular digital nomad destinations.
The downside of non-digital jobs
The drawbacks of working a non-digital job is that you will have to arrange a work permit. After all, jobs in the physical world are much easier to regulate than what happens on one’s computer. When a government finds out you are working illegally in their country, it can lead to a hefty fine or deportation.
Also, with local jobs you are often subject to local wages, which will likely be less than what you are used to. And it’s not always easy to find work in another country, especially if you’re not used to the culture, don’t speak the language or people are racist.
How to convince your boss
to let you work as a digital nomad
When considering a digital nomad job, ask yourself one question:
Why would I be better off performing this job as a digital nomad, rather than at the office?
If you can formulate a good answer to this question, you have a golden proposition that will convince any boss.
Maybe you can do this kind of task faster because of the time zone difference, or perhaps the work is better done at night. Maybe a large portion of your customers are in your travel area. Maybe you can work more cheaply because of the local wages. Maybe the company can move to a smaller office that way. Maybe it will bring down your overall living expenses and enable you to work less.
Weird digital nomad jobs
We already mentioned quite a few digital nomad jobs. But if you take a look at freelancer platforms, you’ll find that there’s really no limit to the gigs you can do online.
You can do tarot readings on Zoom. You can make cartoony drawings of people. You can become a celebrity impersonator. This guy looked in the mirror one day and thought: ‘hey, I look like Jesus, let’s use that to my benefit.’ So he offers to film himself in a white robe and send you birthday wishes dressed as Jesus.
And then there’s are girls that sell their nudes on OnlyFans. Still, wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’s an option.
Only recommended if you’re hot though.
How To Become a Digital Nomad
Why More People Choose to Become a Digital Nomad
Becoming a digital nomad has become extremely popular. In this first part of the series, we explain why the interest in digital nomadism has skyrocketed.
The Pros and Cons of Being a Digital Nomad
Being a digital nomad almost sounds like too good to be true. Traveling the world while taking your work with you. What are the downsides and benefits?
The Three Types of Digital Nomads
There are 3 types of digital nomads, with varying degrees of independence and security. Let’s see what differs remote employees, freelancers and entrepreneurs.
