Digital nomads. A one-time trend or the new normal?
The idea of traveling the world while making a healthy full-time salary once sounded like a pipe dream. But in 2019 and beyond, it’s more possible than ever.
While the popular media may portray a digital nomad as a freelance photographer with 100,000 Instagram followers and daily adventures jumping off waterfalls, the reality is much more approachable.
The stats back it up: according to Flexjobs, more digital nomads are employed by a company (35%) than are freelancers (28%) or business owners (18%).
Even more surprising? The majority of digital nomads are not pesky whippersnappers (millennials) living their 20s in exotic locations. The data shows that only 27% identify as millennials or gen Z, a full 41% identify as gen X, and a surprising 32% identify as baby boomers or the silent generation.
In addition, the balance heavily favors women, with a split of digital nomads at 70% women and 30% men.
A 2017 Gallup poll found that a third of US-based employees would consider changing jobs if it meant they could work remotely and have a more flexible schedule. If you belong to this 33%, here are the best careers you could pursue to give yourself the ultimate freedom to travel:
How to Become a Digital Nomad
Want to become a digital nomad yourself? Create a plan to release yourself from the burden of a desk job, setting a specific date. You’ll want to start saving for the transition phase to give yourself a soft landing if things don’t work out perfectly.
If your current job role isn’t one that’s remote-friendly, you should learn the skills you need to make a shift to a path that’s easier to do remotely. For example, if you’re a traditional marketer at a local company, you would want to upskill yourself with digital marketing and analytics training to transition to a more digital job. Are you in the movie industry that requires you to be on-location in Los Angeles? Perhaps you can learn to be a freelance travel photographer so your job can follow you anywhere.
Once you free yourself from your desk job start researching the locations you want to embark on to start your new nomad lifestyle.
Checking out local blogs and lists of top things to know before you move somewhere new and make a huge life change, will provide some much-needed guidance for you as you transition. It’s a pro tip, especially if you are headed somewhere out in the middle of the ocean, like Hawaii, or to an entirely new country where they speak a different language. Some of our favorite countries to start exploring are Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Canada, the U.S, Thailand, and Hong Kong.