Digital Nomad Success: How to Do It with No Skills
By
Theodore Henderson
The Wisdom Man
What is digital nomad success? First, lets again define a digital nomad. Digital nomads are people who only use mobile and portable internet-ready devices to remotely do their jobs. They may use some combination of wireless Internet, smartphones, Voice over IP, and/or cloud-based applications to be a remote worker where they live or travel.
These digital nomads will also use co-working spaces, coffee shops, cafes, “house sitting” setups, and shared offices. In essence, they primarily make their living leveraging technological resources to digital deliver their work. This allows them to work from anywhere they wish, hence the title “digital nomad.”
If you are asking yourself, aren’t they remote workers who are “working from home?” They may also be entrepreneurs, business owners, and self-employed consultants. Either way, the answer is yes, but the home may be very mobile or halfway around the world!
Taking the Leap: How to Embark on a Digital Nomad Success Journey
In a sense, digital nomads are just your next-level work from home warriors. Because most of them have entirely online-based jobs, they can readily pack their bags and move from city to city as if they’re on an endless adventure. Well, as long as they are truly successful and their paycheck allows this lifestyle.
Are you ready to see the world and become a digital nomad success yourself?
Here are 5 tips that can help you plan out your first journey, even if you don’t exactly consider yourself “skilled.”
1. Eliminate Location-based Limitations
To be a fully-fledged digital nomad, you need to be ready to give up the things keeping you tethered to your current location. Such as apartment leases, vehicle payments, debts, etc. After all, to be a digital nomad means being in a prolonged “no strings attached” state.
If you are 10,000 miles away for a year or more, do you really want to handle calls from your condo regarding plumbing issues? Or do you want to pay the hefty sum of having a management company manage your property in your absence?
Being comfortable with this type of break is the most critical step.
2. Take a Chance on Jobs That Require Minimal Skills
There are plenty of work opportunities online that don’t require elaborate degrees, multiple pricey certifications, or years of job experience. All you need is the patience to learn how it’s done. Examples of jobs that could result in digital nomad success include:
English Language Tutor
Many in the world whose first language isn’t English are now interested in learning this global language. There’s no shortage of students who are willing to learn from you.
A word of caution. You can always choose to teach English if you really want to remain longer somewhere during your travels, and you’re in a “bind” to make ends meet.
The caution centers around the fact that there are fewer schools than before who don’t care about a TEFL certification or TESOL certification. Luckily, there is a range of schools and prices to choose from to obtain a necessary certification.
Don’t forget you will be in a foreign country and you will canvas and contact local organizations and schools where you can offer your services. Also, many of these employers will require a contract of 6 months or more. Therefore you may have to stick with a school and not be a digital nomad. Unless, of course, you tutor online!
These teaching positions tend to be breakeven or just above, so you will be able to pay your bills but probably not save much. You’ll be looking at local wages, most likely wherever you land.
Web Content Creator
Online content is the future of information, so websites are continually looking for excellent writers who can translate their ideas into compelling thought pieces.
Transcriptionist
Many audio and video files require transcription in written form for various reasons. Depending on the data and the speaker’s accent, the job may be challenging, but it will be accessible once you get used to it.
Virtual Assistant
If you don’t mind organizing things for your client, much like a secretary does, many small businesses are looking for help. Register with a company like Fiverr to gain access to people or businesses who have tasks for a virtual assistant.
Write and Publish an E-book
Don’t make the mistake many digital nomads do and overlook writing about your experience or on a topic you are passionate about. Take advantage of Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform to do it. Of course, you will need to already have writing skills or learn quickly.
Next, you should brainstorm ideas for your planned book, and develop the creative writing skills to make it an exciting read.
**Click the image below for free video training, information on digital publishing, and web content creation.
Make a Deal With Your Current Employer
You love your job but really want to live abroad. If most of what you do is computer and phone-based, then you may be in luck. If you have a forward-thinking company and a flexible boss as well as company policy, you might be able to convince them to give you an overseas assignment. Let’s be honest. As long you are good at what you do, it doesn’t matter where you are.
Show yourself to be reliable and productive, and your current employer may just solve the travel abroad issue for you.
Creative Designing and Graphic Design
If you have an interest in logo designing and creative artistic illustrations, then you can monetize your skills by becoming a freelancer. Fiverr and Upwork are ideal sites for selling your services.
Have a natural inclination towards technical designs? There’s always growing demand for web designers, and app developers are still in order. Many online and even free courses will teach web designer skillset. It may be worth it also if you only set up your own site and market yourself.
Graphic Design
Graphic design is an excellent choice for digital nomads because it can be done online. And, as nomads require, it is location independent. If you are already skilled at design or are interested in acquiring this knowledge, you can potentially earn a good income while working on the road. Take some online courses and get comfortable honing your graphic design skills.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing has been around for many years. It is one of the legitimate and straightforward ways of earning money online. You could either promote affiliate product sales through a blog or a social media platform. There are plenty of courses and resources available online which explain affiliate marketing success.
**Click the image below for free video training and information on a “done for you” affiliate marketing system.
Starting your own YouTube channel
If you have a way with video creation, then consider starting a YouTube channel. Focus on what you are passionate about and record videos or how-to tutorials. You could vlog about your digital nomad adventures, other travel topics, food, etc. The opportunities are plentiful.
3. Look Through Online Job Boards
Once you’ve gone through your possible “no experience” job options, it’s time to look for vacancies on online freelancer job boards like Fiverr, Freelancer, Flexjobs, or Upwork. Of course, other reputable websites offer jobs for aspiring freelancers, which you can try finding on digital nomad forums.
4. Decide Where You Want to Go to
When you finally land an online gig, it’s time to decide where your first adventure will be! After learning how much you can potentially earn per month, it will become more accessible to factor in the costs of living in the places you wish to go to.
While there is no exact number for the global number of digital nomads or at last the freelancer version, the stats according to 99firms.com show that this type of working is most popular in Europe where 35.5% of freelancers are located. Next come to Latin America and Asia with 29.2% and 28% of freelancers, respectively. Africa accounts for 10.1% of freelancers worldwide.
**Click the image below for free information on attracting new clients, web content creation, and growing your business.
Conclusion – Opportunities Abound in the Digital World
Thriving as a digital nomad may seem impossible at first, especially if you don’t have any confidence in what you currently know. Fortunately, the digital world presents many opportunities for people who are willing to take the leap. These days, it’s not hard to find an online job that you can get paid for — even if you’re inexperienced.
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As you can see, the Internet presents unlimited possibilities to create a source of income by garnering the right skills. These are the best skills for digital nomads. One or more of these skills can be combined with each other as they overlap pretty effortlessly. For example, you can have your own coaching business while running your blog on the side. You can offer any freelance work while doing the virtual assistant job or anything that makes sense to you.
There is one caution. Do some soul searching to see if you really want to live this lifestyle. Are you serious about creating digital nomad success working remotely as a freelancer? Or having an online business (online store, content creation, digital marketing, etc.)? If you are, then develop a written plan with clear goals and get moving.
See our previous post These 3 Secrets Will Transform You into a Successful Digital Nomad! for more on working remotely around the world. Also for additional research on being a member of the gig economy, digital nomad, or freelancer community see the Bureau of Labor Statistics research.
About The Author
Theodore Henderson works with business owners, entrepreneurs, and corporate professionals on their business skills, marketing, and leadership strategies. He is an Amazon best-selling author, a Certified Career Coach, Business Skills & Leadership Coach, and a Certified Social Media Security Professional Powered by CompTIA. Visit The Wisdom4Business Blog for the complimentary series on business startup and entrepreneurship.
There are some affiliate links below and I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post at no additional cost to you, but these are all products I highly recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.