Dive in to some of the best digital nomad jobs this year

Working remotely. Ask any employee that has worked remotely and they will tell you that it has its perks. Thanks to the rise of the internet, digital nomad jobs are on the rise with no end in sight. In fact, according to this source, it has been speculated that by 2035, there will be over 1 billion digital nomad jobs available.

Today, we are going to go over exactly what digital nomad jobs are. Along with that, we are going to take a look at some popular digital nomad jobs that offer plenty of entry-level positions. Lastly, we are going to wrap up by taking a look at whether or not having a digital nomad job could be the best fit for you.

Why Is Being a Digital Nomad so Great?

One of the employment sector's best kept secrets is being a digital nomad. In its simplest form, a digital nomad is someone who works entirely online. Along with that, they have the luxury of traveling wherever they want whenever they want. This is because of the fact that they do not have a certain location that ties them down for work. Here are some of the top reasons that make digital nomad jobs simply awesome.

Travel Where You Want, When You Want

For starters, digital nomad jobs allow you to be just that – a digital nomad. You can literally work from anywhere in the world without having to be constrained to a desk. A luxury that many digital nomads enjoy is traveling the world all while being able to fund their lifestyle. From the traveling aspect alone, being a digital nomad certainly has its perks.

You Set Your Own Schedule

The great thing about having digital nomad jobs is the fact that you can literally set your own schedule. For the most part, you can decide how many clients you want to take on. Along with that, you can set how little or how much you work.

It Is a Great Side Hustle

In today’s economy, there is no such thing as not having a side hustle. In fact, for many grads who have landed a career position, it is almost unheard of if they do not have a side hustle to go along with it. Because of the ample flexibility that digital nomad jobs provide, it is so easy to pick up a couple of clients and have them supplement your income.

Be Your Own Boss

Another one of the best perks of having digital nomad jobs is the fact that you get to be your own boss. Besides picking out your own clients (for the most part). You also will often get to set your own pay scale. If you are a freelancer and have the portfolio to back up your credibility,  then you can make some serious cash by setting your own salary.

Best Digital Nomad Jobs in 2018

Now that your interest has peaked, here are some of the top digital nomad jobs that are rather easy to set your foot in. From coding to art, there is a little bit of something for everyone.

1. Become a Product Photographer

Credit: Nelly Photography / Facebook

If you have a knack for photography, then one of the best nomad jobs to keep an eye out for is product photography. By being a product photographer, a majority of your work can be done at home. As a product photographer myself, I can say some of my best photography sessions have been working with small business owners who need ​their products photographed.

For most people, starting off your career as a product photographer might seem like a daunting task. In fact, it is quite the opposite. If you are an established photographer, then becoming a product photographer is rather simple. One of my most favorite roads to success has been using a variety of online freelancing websites. With freelancing websites such as Fiverr.com and Upwork.com, you have have access to so much. You can literally take your pick of hundreds and thousands of gigs all over the world.

The nice thing about these freelance websites is the fact that you get to pick the projects you work on. You can narrow down local jobs or even International jobs and never have to leave your home. For many of your freelance work done here, there are even additional perks. For example, many of my clients allow me to keep the products that I have photographed.

When it comes to the pay scale, being a product photographer can be pretty lucrative. However, there are some things to keep in mind. Of course, the best way to get a bang for your buck is negotiating the price for contracted work. It should be noted that there are some downsides. If you are going to use a site such as a Upwork, you will get charged for its service. Take a tip from the pro. Establish connections on that website to a point where you have a solid client base. Then move your workflow off freelance websites so that you don't have to pay commission.

2. Edit Photos Online

If you are a photographer, then there are plenty of ways for you to snag some of the best digital nomad jobs. In fact, some of the best digital nomad jobs are the ones that require photography skills. With the rise of the internet, it has never been easier to get in touch with a photographer to make your photos that much more beautiful.

A great way to make extra cash on the side is by editing photographs. As an editor, I retouch photos via Photoshop and Lightroom. Once edited, I simply send them back to my clients. The great thing about being a photography editor is the fact that you get to be your own boss. Along with that, you get to set your own rates. Not only that, but you get to work in the specific niche that you enjoy. For example, as a small town photographer, I am not too thrilled about photographing weddings as I am editing the end results. As an online photo editor, I get to work from the comfort of my home and work on photos that I did not take.

The only downside to this line of work is the fact that you often work as a ghostwriter. You will not necessarily be credited for your work. However, unless you are partnered up with the photographer who took the original print, you may get recognition. Then it is up to them whether or not they will contribute some of the work to you.

3. Become a Content Creator

If you have a knack and an in depth understanding of the English language, then this job is for you. One of the best digital nomad jobs to have is being a content creator. In a sense, a content creator is an individual who creates content for either a blog, website, or an online journal. Not only that, but there are plenty of travel companies that will hire you to travel through a country and write about it. For example, you can get paid to be a professional travel writer in Argentina. Content creators can either be credited for their work or serve as ghostwriters. Along with that, content creators typically have the freedom of choosing a niche. When they choose that niche, their work will be dedicated to that niche specifically.

In order to be successful at content creation, You will have to have a knack for writing. Usually, the type of writing that you will be dealing with is expository or creative. With content creation, You will often have to provide in depth content about a specific topic.

With many content creators, a great deal of research goes into the making of an article. Plus it does depend on what platform you are creating content for. Dependent on the platform, you may either be trying to simply inform your audience or persuade them about a product or service. One of the great features of content creation is the fact that you have the freedom to write about a range of topics in a range of settings. This freedom allows you to build a substantial portfolio. Having a strong portfolio can help you if you want to move up in the content creation world.

4. Become a Social Media Marketer

When you think of digital nomad jobs, one of the most popular jobs that should jump to your mind is a social media marketer. In a sense, social media marketing is a type of marketing that takes place online. The main goal of being a social media marketer is creating and sharing content on social media. This is with the mindset to achieve the goals that your company or brand has put forth.

One of the basic duties of a social media marketer is to manage social media pages for a brand or company. Along with that, a social media marketer will often times have the duty of responding to every post or comment that takes place on the company's social media platform. Lastly, social media marketers may also need to create content to help draw an audience to the brand.

In today’s day and age, every successful business needs a digital transformation and that requires social media presence too. The demand for managing and marketing the social media presence is one that requires a great deal of attention. Skills that social media marketers must possess include having an ample amount of creativity. Oftentimes both linguistically and artistically. Along with that, social media marketers need to understand how content works on the social web. They need to stay on the latest digital marketing trends. And lastly they need to establish an engaging atmosphere where they draw audiences in.

Anyone can start off as a social media marketer. However, more advanced gigs will require some formal education. If you would like to dip your feet in the water, you can easily do so. One of the best ways is to begin by reaching out to your local businesses. Even small town businesses need a social media presence. You can begin by volunteering your services to a local company. Then once you have gained some experience, you can even expand your base to get paying gigs.

Lastly, it should be noted that while this is one of the best digital nomad jobs to have, it is not a walk in the park. Contrary to what you may think, being able to manage a business' social media presence is in no way like trying to manage your own social media platform. Being a social media marketer is a finely crafted skill that you may need to work hard at to possess.

5. Become a Virtual Assistant

One of the best digital nomad jobs to take advantage of is becoming a virtual assistant. In a sense, a virtual assistant serves as an assistant to any client in a range of ways. While you can consider most all the digital nomad jobs as a virtual assistant, you can reign it in a bit. For example, virtual assistants can take care of all the needs of a client or specialize in one certain discipline. For example, taking over a company's email.

To become a virtual assistant (or a VA for short), you will need to have a specialization in some sort of discipline. For example, if you have a knack for managing websites and taking care of all the issues that may pop up website wise, then being a virtual assistant specifically for website management could be one of the best digital nomad jobs for you. If you are more of a creative individual with a specialty in art, then there's a job for you too. Becoming a virtual assistant for a company or brand and taking over all their needs when it comes to the artistic aspects may be best for you.

In a sense, it really all depends on what your skill is when it comes to being a virtual assistant. If you are looking for one of the best digital nomad jobs, hone in on that skill and advertise it to build a client base.

Lastly, virtual assistants are quite awesome digital nomad jobs for their flexibility. For starters, you are typically freelanced out and do not have to commit to any one client. Not only that, but it is common to balanced multiple clients at once. Essentially, you can be your own boss working your own pace with your own specified workload.

6. Become a Copywriter

Being a copywriter is one of those digital nomad jobs where you hear about it, but you do not actually know what they do. When it comes to being a copywriter, you might be pleasantly surprised. As it is one of the best digital nomad jobs to have. Being a copywriter is not for everybody. If you have mastered the English language, and you have a knack for controlling and commanding it, then being a copywriter might be the best bet for you. When it comes to being a copywriter, your job is rather simple. In a sense, a copywriter is someone who writes with the purpose of persuasion. Typically, a copywriter will write for sales pages and other advertisements type platforms. Being a copywriter may require you to write long pitches or short brief pitches.

While being a copywriter might sound a lot like being a content writer, the two very distinctly. For starters, being a copywriter only pays out if you are good at it. When it comes to being a content writer,  your pay scale is not based on how many words you write. Instead, a copywriter will typically be paid based off of the success of their work. While this might be daunting to commit to, if you have a natural way for sales, then it is a task that is not too demanding.

7. Become a Graphic Designer

One of the most popular digital nomad jobs that have no sight of slowing down is being a graphic designer. Being a graphic designer is a great gig to have for so many reasons. For starters, this is one of those jobs where you do not necessarily have to have a degree in order to land yourself a digital nomad gig in graphic design.

For example, if you are talented, then your work will speak for itself. In fact, many graphic designers especially some of the best are self taught as opposed to university taught. If you have an in depth understanding of programs such as Lightroom, and Photoshop, then you have a great base to start with. Not only that but if you can accompany your understanding of such programs with artistic skills and creativity, this might be a job that you will excel at. Lastly, because many graphic designers do work remotely, you should have the ability to understand your client's vision without too much guidance or supervision.

Being a graphic designer can be one of the best digital nomad jobs because you have a variety of options when it comes to working. For the most part, your work can either be freelance work or long term contracted work with a specific company. Most graphic designers especially freelance ones have the ability to set their rate. Coupled with choosing your workload and client base, you truly get to relish in the freedom that these digital nomad jobs provide.

8. Become a Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO)

When it comes to some of the best digital nomad jobs, you cannot go far without running into a search engine optimization specialist. This whole jumble of words is usually referred to as SEO for short. In a sense, an SEO specialist is someone who has the ability to grow visibly organic search engine results. In other words, as a search engine optimization specialist, you help websites naturally and organically appear higher in search engine searches.

For example, if I write an article about best purses to buy in the fall, as a search engine optimization specialist, one of my duties would be to plant specific keywords and edit the article so that it would be more likely to appear higher when someone goes to search that topic.

What makes this position one of the best digital nomad jobs is the fact that it can be a really good gig to have if you like a technical job. It is especially a great fit if you are good at organizing and strategically working with keywords. For search engine optimization specialists that I know, they will tell you that they really enjoy their job. For starters, it is something that they genuinely have fun with. Not only that, but many SEO specialists can look forward to making a pretty decent living off of this job.

9. Become an Online Teacher

Credit: VIPKid

If you have a knack for teaching others, then this gig if for you. One of the best digital nomad jobs to have is becoming an online teacher. Currently, one of the high demands of being an online teacher is in the English language. In fact, students from all over the world are willing to pay top dollar for online teachers. Especially teachers who will teach them them how to speak English.

One of the locations of the world that has a high demand for English teachers is China. While it used to be that you had to fly to China and teach in one of their English schools there, the internet has had a hand in changing that approach. Thanks to the advancement in technology, many Chinese students are signing up with online teachers to learn the English language.

If you are interested in starting your online teaching career, then there are several platforms that you can choose from. One of the most popular platforms to become an English teacher is VIP kid. VIP kid is as hands on as it gets when it comes to teaching English online. Using colorful ”classroom”  learning the tools and expressive language, many teachers have mastered becoming an English teacher online. Another great platform to teach English on is Abc360. Abc360 is nearly the equivalent of VIP kid however it is geared more towards Brits, Aussies, and Kiwis.

While for many of these sites, having a college degree is a desired qualification. However, it does not necessarily break your chance of getting hired. If you can show equivalent qualifications, as well as pass the different interview stages, you could land yourself an online gig of being an English teacher. Lastly, you do not actually have to be qualified on paper as a teacher to be an online English teacher. In fact, many of the online English teachers have never been in the classroom themselves. While this might not be concerning to some. There are those who will argue that teaching online is not compared to the test of teaching in the classroom.

Is Having a Digital Nomad Job for Me?

While in theory, it sounds pleasant to be a digital nomad you do need to consider this career path carefully. For starters, the freedom of having digital nomad jobs is unmatched. You have the freedom of working from home and for the most part setting your own hours. Along with working from home that means that you have the freedom to virtually work anywhere you want.

In fact, one of the best parts with digital nomad jobs is the freedom to travel without having to worry about whether or not you will be able to work at the same time. Not only that, but many of the people I know who also have digital nomad jobs have the luxury of traveling the world whenever they please. When considering whether or not applying for digital Nomad jobs is a career path that you want to take on, you want to entertain the downsides as well. Here are some of the top concern that any digital nomad will tell you to keep an eye out for.

Do You Have the Right Technology?

When it comes to being a digital nomad, one of the most important things to consider is whether or not you have the right technology. Having the right technology is important for your success. For many digital nomad jobs, having the right technology can be the difference between gaining a new client or losing a client.

For example, you will want to make sure you have a laptop that is up for the challenge. If you are searching for digital nomad jobs that require additional programs such as Photoshop or Lightroom, then you will need to be able to get your hands on those programs. Not only that, but you will want to make sure that you can use them without interruption.

Lastly, it is imperative that you always have a proper internet connection. In order to rock any of the best digital nomad jobs on the market right now, you will need to have a game plan for how you always stay connected. As a remote worker, one of my best tips for staying connected is finding a local coffee shop to work from. For me, working in a coffee shop offers me the ability to focus on my work. Whereas when I am at home, the luxuries of Netflix and binge watching movies on my couch are all too alluring. When I work from home, I often end up falling asleep on the couch or goofing off.

Prepare to Have a Love / Hate Relationship with Your Computer.

Becoming a digital nomad will typically mean that you need to be connected 24/7. While this might not sound like a daunting task, being connected 24/7 will catch up to you. Unfortunately, you will just have to get used to it. Unless you do a really good job of managing it, chances are, you will grow tired of it. Having to be on your phone or laptop for a majority of the day will quickly lose its appeal. In fact, every now and then the sight of my laptop alone is enough to make me want to get outside and get away from being connected.

Because you are on your laptop for a majority of the day, you should begin to prepare yourself for health concerns. Common issues you can expect to deal with include dealing with sore eyes, and cramped fingers. The best way to avoid having a love / hate relationship with your computer is by defining a specific work schedule. This will allow you to know how long you should be on your computer throughout the day.

Overworking

As a digital nomad, the line between where work starts and work stops will often get blurred. Because of this, one of the biggest downsides of having a digital nomad job is not knowing where that line is. For many digital nomads, there is a joy and almost to rush in completing their task at hand. Because of this, many digital nomads tend to be on the computer for longer amounts of time than they should be. If you plan on getting your hands on some of the digital nomad jobs out there, keep this in mind. Make sure to plan out your schedule in order to avoid overworking.

Is Being a Digital Nomad Family Friendly?

When it comes to having one of the best digital nomad jobs, you will want to consider if it works with your personal life. For example, if you have a spouse who also works remotely, then being a digital nomad is almost a no brainer. It is something that you can easily do as you can work from anywhere. Especially since you can work anywhere in the world without having to worry about your spouse's schedule. However if you are more restricted in your family life, then you need to rethink this career path. For example, if you have a spouse who has an on site job, being a digital nomad can be tricky. Even more so, if you have children who need to go to school daily, then being a digital nomad may not be for you.

With that being said, in order to truly enjoy the benefits that digital nomad jobs have to offer, the typical digital nomad is someone who is not tied down. Typically, digital nomads should have the ability to move around the globe without restriction. If that does not apply to you, you can still have a remote job, you just would not necessarily be considered a digital nomad.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to today’s job field, the job market is changing faster than we can prepare ourselves for. In fact, many of today students are in school preparing themselves for a workforce with jobs that do not exist yet. There is good news though. Thanks to to the growth of the internet, you are literally just a couple of keystrokes away from learning these new skills. If working from home sounds like something you would be interested in doing, get excited. Starting off with some of these popular digital nomad jobs is a great way to go.

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