How To Become A Digital Nomad

What is a Digital Nomad, and why is it a lifestyle, not a job? What tools does a digital nomad need to get work done while moving? These questions and more are answered in this blog article.

Digital Nomad Explained

To answer the question: ‘what is a digital nomad? We look a the last word: ‘Nomad’ and its definition. To be a nomad, you’re a person who moves from location to location, i.e., you’re never residing in one location for long.

Most humans today prefer the opposite lifestyle to that of a wanderer. Most people choose an area to live in and either buy or rent a house and stay there for some time. If we really enjoy the place we might remain there for years.

On the other hand, a nomad finds that lifestyle boring and restrictive. They prefer their surroundings to change regularly. Plus, the love of traveling to experience different locations invigorates them, especially if they can do it while they work.
Some examples of nomadic people in the earliest sense of the word are pastoral farmers, hunters, and gatherers. Modern-day wanderers are known as digital nomads. They take the tools of their trade or job with them while they travel by car, plane, boat, or other means of transport, all in the name of an exciting lifestyle.

Who Are The Digital Nomads?

Combining travel and work is a young person’s ultimate state of being. The need to settle down with a full-time job and occupy the same four walls depresses them.

What these people seek from life are days that are not routine. Digital nomads seek flexibility, uncertainty, variety, and the unknown. It’s a ‘flight or fight’ state that keeps them energized and ready for anything.

So how do these people fund their lifestyle? They work, and the GIG economy is booming, so there’s plenty of offshore remote work.

Digital Nomads Jobs

Anyone can become a digital nomad, and support their lifestyle with work. Here’s a list of freelance professions, that are popular with hundreds of thousands of people who prefer to be on the move:

• Computer Programmer
• Copywriter
• Translator
• Social Media Influencer
• Researcher
• Accountant
• Marketer
• Journalist
• Graphic Artist

With the popularity of this nomadic lifestyle, particularly among millennials, the GIG economy is growing – making it hard for companies to hire the workers they need to keep in business. During periods of high inflation – businesses struggle to meet the expectations of their customers and staff may have less to do – look for a more interesting role.

What’s also not helping is that Covid workers prefer more freedom and flexibility in where they work and what they do. Remote working has opened up a lot more variety of roles for digital nomads.

By 2035 there will be over a billion people living this lifestyle.

So what tools do they need to make it happen, wherever they choose to be at any given time? Let’s look at their usual tools of the trade.

Digital Nomad’s Tools Of The Trade

If you’re thinking about the life of a digital nomad, you’ll need to invest in the tools of the trade. The items we present below will require quite an investment; however, you’d find it hard to work online without them. Plus, your new roaming life will save you a fortune on consumer items everyone else has to buy, like Smart TV, sofas, and the latest fashion in shoes and clothes.

Here is a shortlist of what you’ll need to travel and work on the go.

Laptop/Tablet Computer

If you love Apple, you won’t need a laptop – the iPad will work just as well. With an iPhone, you can use it to share data and connectivity. Back up to the cloud, too, so your work is safe if you lose your tablet or phone. Definitely don’t go cheap on your devices – they must go the distance, so choose high quality, reliable, resilient, lightweight hardware with Bluetooth, wi-fi connectivity, and good battery life.

Smartphone

A smartphone is a prerequisite to success as a working wanderer. 🙂 Make sure you choose your smartphone wisely. It will need all the essential features, including; a camera and SMS messaging. Load Apps, too, including free messaging and phone calls.

Global SIM card or Local WiFi access

With the help of a global SIM card, your costs are kept to a minimum. With international SIM cards and other connectivity options, you can get online anywhere. Do your research as it too is a competitive market, and some providers may offer text messages and incoming calls free of charge.

Back-up battery pack

A battery pack is a good investment for workers on the move. These devices provide flexibility to work anywhere without needing to power up, and they may be able to charge up your devices. Of course, like all your devices, your external battery will need to be recharged when it runs out of juice.

Computer accessories

Invest in water-resistant and hard-shell covers for your laptop, tablet, and smartphone. Also, choose well when it comes to a day bag and travel bag for your most precious cargo – your tools of the trade.

Some jobs will require additional hardware. For example, journalists may need a printer or a portable scanner. Noise-canceling headphones and maybe a headset are good additions to getting work done while you’re on the move.

Summary

As technology has evolved, it has presented new work and lifestyle choices, including remote working and side hustles. However, that’s not enough excitement for everyone, so being a digital nomad is the life they want, and it works for millions worldwide. You, too, may choose the digital nomad lifestyle, if not all the time, definitely for some of the time, and why not? What a great way to travel the world!