by: Lance Cody-Valdez

Working on a remote island might sound like an unattainable tropical fantasy for those of us who are office-bound, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, with the digital age and remote work becoming a way of life, it is seeming more and more possible for anyone to live and work on the move. If you’ve always dreamed of being a digital nomad but don’t know where to begin, here are some tips from All Ages of Geek on how to launch your career in this exciting industry.

Know what you’re good at

The first step to being able to work freely and independently is to have a firm grasp of what you’re good at. You can then start seeing which of these skills there is a demand for online and what you can do to work on improving these so that you can secure a remote position.

Advance your knowledge

If you feel like you need to sharpen up your skills in a certain area, then perhaps you need to think about furthering your knowledge online with a certified degree. There are many types of careers that one can venture into, such as IT, for example. Furthermore, there are a number of IT certifications online that could be just the thing to set you apart from your competition.

Searching for the right position

Fortunately, there are many places to find online work. Specifically, there are freelance job boards that cater to the digital nomad lifestyle, such as Freelancer, Upwork, etc. But actually, freelance jobs can be found on most mainstream job boards, such as LinkedIn and Indeed, too.

Reach out to others in the community

The best way to start finding opportunities in the digital nomad scene is to mix with other individuals on the same path as you. Joining a community of digital nomads will also help you build a support network that you can lean on in times of uncertainty, as well as the opportunity to make friendships no matter what part of the world you happen to be in.

Save on living expenses

Life on the road can be pretty expensive, especially if you are traveling often and have to make a plan accommodation-wise at every pitstop. This is where you can implement certain saving tactics so that you aren’t spending more than you need to. While hotels and apartments can often tend to be quite pricey, co-living spaces and Airbnbs usually provide the opportunity to stay somewhere affordably in the short term.

Look for cash savings/ reward programs

As a digital nomad, you’ll probably be visiting quite a few destinations which means you’ll be transacting on a regular basis. To save on bank charges and interest fees, choose banking services that are free to open and don’t charge you additional costs when transacting internationally. Also, look for banking accounts with travel rewards and cash backs that can end up helping out if you’re in a pickle financially, such as PayPal and Stack, for example.

Communication tools

As a digital nomad, you will rely a lot on communication tools to communicate effectively with clients and your team members even. Then there are a wealth of resources available that can help you stay in contact with whomever you need to in real-time, such as Skype, Zoom, Slack, and WhatsApp.

As you can see, becoming a digital nomad is a career that is quite in demand. Hence the importance of upskilling yourself accordingly in order to bag the remote job of your dreams.

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