Live, Dream, Travel: The Best Jobs for a Digital Nomad

 

Not too long ago, a great many workers’ days started with an alarm clock and a commute to a suffocating cubicle.  Now, with the world at our fingertips, a growing proportion of work is conducted entirely online.

What this means is that you do not need to be based in any one city, or even one continent, to get the job done. Today’s employee can wake up in Berlin, log into a job in New York, conduct a conference call in Tokyo, and fall asleep on a beach in Indonesia. This might sound like a fantasy, but it’s reality for a digital nomad.

Of course, not every job will accommodate this lifestyle. If you’re looking to be a firefighter or a surgeon, you’ll likely find it best to stay in one spot. On the other hand, if you’d rather set out into the world with just your laptop or tablet to keep you connected, there are plenty of jobs in this economy that can give you the free movement you’re looking for.

Freelance Writing

Blogs and other web outposts are constantly looking for fresh takes, and as you’ve probably seen, quality writing is at a premium. If you have the talent to string words together in a way that people will want to read, you can get work on a per-piece basis for one of the many content-rich sites out there. You might not ever meet your editor in person, but all that matters is the words on the page (or screen, more likely).

Graphic Design

Along those same lines, there is a vital need out there for compelling visuals. Even the best verbal content can fall flat without a well-designed graphic component. Graphic design work is certainly out there for those with the skills for it. Even better, tablet computers have made great leaps forward so that you can do what you need with a stylus on a touchscreen, with no need for a big expensive workstation.

Translator

What better way for a world citizen to earn their way than as a translator? The versatility that comes with being a digital nomad means you can immerse yourself in languages in a way that would have been difficult if you were stuck at a desk back home. Need to check a primary source in Swedish? Easier to do in Stockholm than in Seattle.

Executive Assistant

Don’t laugh, this isn’t as out there as it might sound. Being an executive assistant goes much further than getting coffee. More important is the ability to organize and communicate rapidly, all of which can be done online. Being a ‘virtual assistant’ gives you the opportunity to work flexible hours while satisfying the needs of multiple clients. Whether you do this while on the beach or on a rooftop deck isn’t something they’re worried about.

Digital Publishing

Once you put in the work to build an audience, a successful blog can bring in quite a bit of income. Revenue from advertisements, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing can fund your travels, while you stay plugged in wherever you go. If you’ve got the content, and the views, it’s more than possible to make a good living. You don’t have to be in Silicon Valley to be a player in digital media. Of course, you can jet there if you so desire. It’s up to you.

Coder

It’s not only media jobs that digital nomads can thrive in. The explosion of apps and web solutions means that there’s a huge need for talented code writers, many of whom telecommute from all around the world. As computers have gone from gray boxes in rows of cubicles, coders have gone from office drones to any type of person you can imagine. In this world, being a computer expert doesn’t mean you’re cooped up in a basement anymore.

Tutoring

Thanks to cheap and easy video conferencing, tutoring in nearly any subject you can think of can be done completely online. Whether helping people learn a language, sharpen their math skills, learn an instrument, or even become a dancer, if you’ve got the know-how, sharing it (and getting paid for it) is easier than you might imagine.

A “world of opportunity” is no longer just a metaphor. We’re at a unique point in time where those who want to travel the world and stay employed don’t necessarily have to choose one or the other. If you’ve got the skills and can use them while staying connected, the possibilities are global.

8 Critical Skills for Today’s Workplace

 

From economic downturns to increasing automation, the job market seems to change from month to month. But even during this economic uncertainty, the fact of the matter is, there are a number of necessary skills one should have for our digital workplace.

1. Microsoft Office

It may seem basic, but don’t scorn the sacred triumvirate of Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. As simple as they may seem, these three are also universal, vital programs for day-to-day business operations–no matter what industry you may be in.

Take Excel, for instance: even if your first thought is of finance, where analysts constantly crunch data in endless rows of formatted cells and special formulas, its versatility lends itself to many fields, including basic accounting, product sales, and even scheduling and booking.

Along the same lines, be sure to understand Google Drive, which offers a cloud-based, free-to-use version of Excel, Word, and Powerpoint. Not only is Drive a close match for the functionality of Microsoft Office, it is also superior to other, comparable tools (such as Dropbox). The key to Drive’s success is its ability to collaborate, allowing different users to come together to work on projects across different time zones and locations.

 

2. Public Speaking

Though it’s often labeled as a soft skill, public speaking is arguably one of the hardest to learn (yet most important) tools in your repertoire. After all, it’s an ability, that, unlike more nebulous qualities like loyalty or adaptability, can be easily assessed: either you can speak in a logical, eloquent, and engaging manner–or you can’t.

Best of all, public speaking is a transferable, desirable skill across a variety of sectors, such as law, television and film, marketing, and government, to name a few. Quite frankly, given the existence of public speaking organizations like Toastmasters International or the National Speakers Association, there’s really no excuse not to learn public speaking. Doing so, after all, will jump start your career and fast-track your life.

 

3. Foreign Languages

In an age of increasing globalization, being able to speak multiple languages fluently is incredibly valuable. If you, a proficient, multilingual speaker, work at an international corporation, you are likely to be first in line for a number of perks, from business trips to dynamic, emerging markets to spearheading your company’s expansion into a new country.

Basically, your employer will know that you can create and maintain professional relationships across many countries and cultures–without the embarrassing, potentially expensive mistakes that another, less fluent newcomer might make. Furthermore, people who speak multiple languages are usually more observant, have good memory, and are better at resolutions.

 

4. Social Media Management

You’ve probably seen it in your own life, but social media is the future of advertising, marketing, and branding–as well as the primary method for businesses to instantly interact with consumers. True, everyone and their mother might have a social media account, but to really create a clever, engaging online presence is half-science, half-art, and all skill. An effective social media manager will be creative, up-to-date on the latest news and trends, and most importantly, have eyes and ears for the perfect, pithy copy and the ideal image.

And it’s clear that social media will only grow, especially as consumers do the bulk of their reading and shopping online. So read up on the art of social media, get familiar with management tools like Hootsuite and Buffer, and you’ll have a job in no time.

 

5. Graphic Design

Though it’s true that graphic design is outsourced more and more for cost reasons, you’ll still be able to make a living from freelancing. If you choose to do so, it’s critical to be fluent with Adobe Creative Cloud, the gold standard of graphic design programs, which encompasses Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign, among others.

Just remember: especially in our world, where average attention spans are shorter than goldfish, every industry uses some form of visual media to pull in returning customers, new users, and cold prospects alike. Learning graphic design will open plenty of doors and jobs, and thanks to the power of the Internet, can even allow you to become a digital nomad, working full-time while traveling from one country to the next.

 

6. Content Writing and Blogging

Yet another skill that is particularly notable for being location-independent, content writing and blogging is a growth industry: in the last quarter of 2015 alone, it grew by 20%, or as much in two months as it did in the past two years.

The reason for this? In a nutshell, content marketing gives customers value, and sells your brand indirectly. The proof is in the numbers: even though content marketing costs 62% less than outbound marketing, it generates three times as many leads.

Clearly, content marketing isn’t going away anytime soon, and freelancing jobs will continue to increase. It’s in your best interest then, to write on a wide variety of topics, and do it well.

 

7. Web Development

Creating and running a website is a common and sought-after task for all industries–not to mention an ideal skillset for someone interested in working remotely.

After all, a well-made, engaging website will provide potential consumers a great first impression in today’s online world, serving as a critical marketing tool for online businesses. From a website, consumers can learn about a company’s history, products, and brand narrative, browsing product displays, promotions, and even team histories.

 

8. SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which consists of strategies and tips to boost a site’s search rankings, is a bit mysterious. After all, the algorithms of search giants are notoriously opaque, and the subject of endless speculation among marketers.

Still, in a country where 51% of the population shops online (totaling $22 trillion internationally), SEO is incredibly important. Since it often seems that there’s an infinite volume of information on the web, it’s in any organization’s best interest to stay current and high on search rankings, in order to pull in business (or for nonprofits, donors), generate buzz, and stay current. Clearly, any job seeker that can demonstrate this proficiency will be much in demand with employers.

Whether you’re a first-time applicant or seasoned worker seeking to change your company (or industry), creating or modifying a resume can be challenging. However, these skills can help elevate your resume, pushing it out of the slush pile and directly into the hiring manager’s hands. And in a world where thousands of job seekers compete for a small number of openings, that may be all you need.