Trip Alertz For Jetsetters, By Jetsetters
Being a digital nomad is the dream for a lot of people right now. As remote working becomes increasingly the norm, the opportunities to make the step from the 9-5 to a life of full-time travel and adventure have never been better.
If you think it’s time to make the step from turning your digital nomad dreams into a reality, keep reading. We’ve noted 5 key things you’re going to need to get things off the ground and your career on the road moving.
Tweak Your CV for Remote Work
You need to make sure that your CV and job searching techniques properly hit the right notes to land jobs that will help you succeed as a digital nomad.
It’s well worth using a resume builder to quickly whip up a stylish and optimized new CV template. This will help you quickly and easily make edits to target a variety of different jobs, whilst you’re on the move with a professional and well-designed document.
There are a few things you’ll need to consider to make your resume as powerful as possible in this regard. You’ll need to hype up soft skills such as:
- Independence
- Creativity
- Communication
- Organization
- Flexibility
- Calm under pressure
These will be essential to show that you can produce results whilst working outside of a conventional office. However, the most important skills that can move you forward in the digital nomad world of careers are usually in marketing, IT or by getting an online teacher contract.
Some of the industries which rely on a lot of remote workers around the globe include:
- Writing
- Digital marketing
- Creative design
- Tutoring and coaching
- Video blogging
- IT and programming
These are the sort of jobs that will be best suited to your new lifestyle. It’s therefore essential that you can hype up any abilities or experience you already have in these sectors.
Seek Out Cities With Known Digital Nomad Hubs
To excel as a digital nomad you need to make sure you can work effectively anywhere. A good way to do this is to get to know the international cities where most remote entrepreneurs operate.
Places that draw in lots of digital nomads will have a few necessities that you’re going to need such as:
- Decent internet connection
- Co-working facilities
- Lots of networking opportunities
Obviously, the fun of being a digital nomad is getting out off the beaten track at times. However, it’s really important to make sure you’ve got a good jumping-off point, or central hub to return to when you go out into the wilderness.
According to Nomad List users, the top ten places to set up a temporary base on the road include:
- Lisbon
- Prague
- Canggu
- Mexico City
- Berlin
- Saint Petersburg
- Warsaw
- Budapest
- Porto
- Bangkok
Get Your International Finances Sorted
Don’t worry this isn’t as complicated as it sounds. However, you will want to make sure any money you are making as you move around the world can be easily accessed no matter where you are.
Now, most banks charge cross border fees. That’s just a fact of life, but a little shopping around can help you find credit card companies and banks that can take the sting out of this reality.
There are a lot of specialist banks and credit providers offering cards you can use anywhere with little to no cross-border fees. Companies like Wise and Payoneer, are good payment options for when you’re changing countries often.
It’s also worth considering an accountant to handle any of your tax needs, especially if you’re from the US. They will be able to make sure everything is properly recorded and you have the right advice so you don’t run into any issues along the way with tax authorities.
Invest in Good Equipment
As a digital nomad, you’re going to be really relying on your work equipment such as your laptop, phone and maybe even a camera or two. As a result, making sure you have durable and dependable tech is going to be one of your first considerations.
The same goes for protective equipment such as carry cases and rucksacks. These will help your tech and other valuables last much longer on the road.
This will be a high upfront cost but, in a lot of cases, it will be worth the expense. It’s much more expensive to keep replacing items frequently than it is to get a good long-lasting device.
Some of the other essentials you shouldn’t leave home without include:
- International SIM card
- VPN
- 4G dongle or phone for hotspots
It’s probably worth getting hold of a good USB pen drive and access to a good cloud service subscription like Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive too. That way you’ll be able to keep everything backed up and safe in case of the worst.
Don’t Forget Insurance
Moving around the world with expensive equipment is a risk wherever you end up. Losing your hard work or means of income without any insurance is a scary prospect, so it’s essential you make sure you’re protected.
Obviously, travel insurance goes a lot further than just protecting your possessions. It also provides protection for you, should you suffer an injury or get sick.
We’ve all seen crowd funders for travellers who’ve ended up with steep hospital bills as they didn’t have the right coverage. You’ll want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you on your journey.
Luckily as digital nomads become more common around the world, you won’t have much trouble finding a suitable provider. Companies like are Safety Wing and World Nomads both come recommended by remote workers around the world and there are also many other new providers entering the market at the moment too.
Of course, insurance is a cost that you’ll want to factor into your budgeting before you go. Whatever you do though, don’t leave without a safety net in place.
Planning your transition to digital nomad life is something that you will need to spend a bit of time on. Fortunately, by following these 5 tips you’ll find the whole process much easier to navigate.
