One of the questions I get asked most often is how I managed to quit my full-time job, make a living online, and travel the world. I have finally put together all my tips, tricks, and advice on how to achieve this lifestyle for yourself. Let’s get started.
- Find an online job/skills
First things first, to work online you obviously need to have profitable skills that are done online. I work in public relations and most of my job consists of writing pitches, press releases, and reaching out to the media. It is all done via email and phone, which is how I am able to work from anywhere, as long as I have Wi-Fi. So, if you sit behind a computer all day, chances are your job can be transferred to a digital nomad lifestyle!
Some of the most common careers of digital nomads include social media, marketing, graphic design, photography, writing, etc. If you don’t have a job that is digital, try to figure out if you have any online skills you can make money from. There are also plenty of courses you can enroll in to learn some of the most marketable online skills. The Bucketlist Bombshells really inspired me to pursue life as a digital nomad. I was first introduced to the concept of a digital nomad through their Facebook page. They offer courses in social media and graphic design.
If you can get your employer to agree to let you work remotely that is ideal. However, many companies don’t allow for that. You will probably have the most luck if you work for a start-up or a more progressive company that is already open to this shift that is happening in the workplace.
2. Securing clients
After you have figured out what you can do online, you need to find clients. Once I decided I wanted to become a digital nomad, I networked a lot. LinkedIn was the best tool for me. This is where I found my first long-term client. I would connect with clients I wanted to work with and once they accepted my request, I would send them a note. Most people accept connections, and once you are connected you have access to their email. So my advice is to send out a lot of connection requests and talk about what you want to do with as many people as possible. You never know where a conversation can lead.
Another platform I have used to get clients is Upwork. Upwork is a career platform that connects freelancers in all industries with potential jobs. I love it because most of the jobs are remote. You can search for the type of job you want, I mostly search under “public relations” and then when you find a posting you are interested in, you submit a proposal. Upwork is a great, free service to use to find multiple jobs/clients.
I recommend working with clients on at least a three months basis that way you know you have work for those months. Three months is a standard time frame for clients to test out your work and then decide if they want to continue for a six or 12-month contract.
3. Saving money
I stayed at my 9-5 job for about six months while I was working my side hustle before I made the leap, quit my job, moved out of my apartment, and left NYC. During this time, I was able to save a decent amount of money, paying bills with my full-time salary and stashing away the income from my freelance clients. Having this cushion helped me feel confident in my decision to leave it all behind. Even if you don’t have clients to work with on the side, you can still save money but you have to work harder at it. Ditch the daily coffee, bring lunch from home, go to cheaper gyms, limit happy hour drinks, you know the drill. Eventually, you will have enough to live in a cheap place for a while. Which brings me to my next point…
4. Deciding where to go
I DO NOT recommend hightailing it to Europe as you start your digital nomad lifestyle. Firstly, it is wildly expensive and you will burn through your hard earned money much, much quicker than you would in Central America or Southeast Asia. I highly recommend starting off in Guatemala, Bali, Mexico, or Thailand.
At the end of the day, don’t overthink it. You can always come back home and get another job, but you may never have the chance to do this again. So just DO IT! 🙂
Please DM me on Instagram if you have any questions at all.
XO,
Sarah
Wandering Publicist 