The outbreak of COVID-19 had a very profound impact on all of our lives. We can all agree one of the most important things we lost along the way is the ability to travel and experience the world without any restrictions. Digital nomads whose entire livelihood is built around the ability to constantly move and look for new work opportunities had definitely got the worst bit of the bargain.
Does that mean you have to ditch your dreams of packing the bags and making the world your future workplace? Of course not. Granted, you will have to deal with a couple of challenges but that’s nothing you can’t overcome with a bit of effort and creativity. Let’s see if we can offer some help along the way.
Get your professional credentials in order
Living a life as a digital nomad requires a very stable source of income or at least the ability to easily find employment wherever you end up. Both these things require excellent professional credentials so start building your portfolio as soon as possible. Choosing some specific niche should allow you to reach higher levels of proficiency and get access to higher-paying clients without spreading yourself too thin. Also, forget about CVs and similar forms of biography – if you want to look like a true professional you need a professional-looking website.
Market yourself to an international audience
Taking into consideration the impact the COVID-19 will leave on endless national economies, going global is not that much of an option as the only way to secure stable employment. So, you have your professional website – here are other important steps you should take to put yourself on the global map:
- Make yourself visible where your intended audience is (forums, reviews, online events, etc.)
- Leverage social media to build a professional network
- Start blogging and make your website a source of valuable information
- Get your own reviews and ratings on relevant websites
Roll out a test run before traveling abroad
You can look at it as a form of nationwide “staycation” and get a taste of the nomad life before you commit to it. Even if you decide to leave your apartment for good, your home country is probably big enough to keep you engaged for a time while offering the comfort of national institutions and familiar COVID-19 regulations. So, while you are waiting for the situation in Europe to calm, you can always check some of the cozy Abilene apartments for rent and spend a couple of pleasant months in Texas or pack your camping gear and see what’s going on at the Great Lakes.
Figure out the finances
The life of a digital nomad is already filled with various challenges – you don’t have to make it harder by leaving the home without a rock-solid financial plan. So be sure to have a crystal-clear idea about your income, monthly expenses, rents, utilities, data plans, traffic costs, and all other things that make for a comfortable living abroad. Also, you should do your best to check the small details like national inflation, the fluctuation of rents, the state of the local economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, and similar details that can have an implication on your financial stability.
Make yourself a plan and stick to it
The situation here is very similar to the one with the personal finances we have just covered above – the fewer things you leave the better. Generally speaking, giving your personal and professional obligations some sense of structure and breaking the workload into SMART short-term objectives is an excellent way to keep yourself engaged and run through the tasks faster. Waking up and working in the same environment will help you build up a healthy sense of routine, spend your time more efficiently and make your stay abroad more worthwhile.
Join the local coworking space
Even despite all of your efforts to stay sharp your apartment will at some point start suffocating your productivity. The cure for this common disease can be found by joining the local coworking space where you will still have the freedom to organize the time at your own discretion but still work in a stimulating and productive environment. Also, these hubs are an excellent place to meet other digital nomads and aspiring professionals, find like minds, build up your professional network and engage in some incredibly productive impromptu brainstorming sessions.
We hope these few tips gave you some general idea about the steps you should take to build yourself a successful career as a digital nomad. Of course, the complete picture is much more complicated and this ongoing pandemic doesn’t make the life of a nomad any easier. But, some things you will need to figure on your own. Now, you know how to start your journey. How far it will take you to depend entirely on your dreams and the will to push forward.
