Thinking about becoming a digital nomad, but don’t know where to start? If you’re planning your digital nomad journey for the very first time, you’ll find plenty of useful tips here.
In this guide, you’ll get a great overview of what it’s like to be a digital nomad, how to get started, and, more importantly, you’ll learn what kind of jobs you can do as a digital nomad with no experience.
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I recommend SafetyWing Nomad Insurance. I've been using it since 2019 and I can assure you it's the perfect solution for nomads like you and me.But first, let’s take a minute to discuss what exactly is a digital nomad.
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely or from a laptop while being abroad and moving around. The term “digital nomad” is actually quite controversial.
Many people seem to prefer “location independent”.
Although, it doesn’t really matter – making a living out of your laptop is pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Getting Started As A Digital Nomad
I became a digital nomad in 2015 (about a year after I started traveling). I started as a blogger, and sometimes, let’s be honest, I’m pretty impressed with myself (ha!).
As English isn’t my mother tongue, I’m still amazed that people dare to read these lines. I came a long way to get here! I only have to look back at my older posts, and I feel slightly ashamed, but somehow, my determination paid off.
Starting a travel blog helped me understand social media.
I didn’t know anything about Twitter, algorithms, website hosting, Pinterest… name it! I had to search… research, and watched some tutorials, call support, read blogs (many blogs)… and over time, it worked.
I realized that I could use this knowledge somehow, and this is how I started as a virtual assistant and a social media manager in 2015.
I did lots of odd remote jobs – and I gained more experience eventually. The only thing holding you back is basically yourself – you can easily work digitally if you’re committed to making it work.
So whether you prefer to do copywriting, design websites, code websites, handle social media… it’s possible.
Your skills can give you opportunities if you know how to use them! If you’re a native English speaker, you could even teach English online.
How To Land Your First Clients As A Digital Nomad
The first step is to think about the skills and interests you have.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What kind of skills do you already have?
- Can you use these skills to start an online business?
- What are your main interests?
- How much time/money are you ready to invest?
Once you come up with ideas, you can start brainstorming.
- Will you be starting a niche site? A blog?
- Will you start as a freelancer?
- Will you start an online shop?
- Will you start a personal brand?
- Will you work remotely?
Most people will end up freelancing at first until they can properly launch their own business or make a decent income from it.
During that period, it’s a great way to improve your network and spread the word.
Freelancing or finding a remote position is perfect at the beginning, as you first need money to survive on a daily basis… especially if you’re already abroad.
If you’re still at home, then you might have more resources to get started on your own projects.
There are a few platforms where you can find freelance work.
Now, let’s be honest – these platforms aren’t amazing because you could end up paying hefty fees and working for very little money.
But, still, it’s a great way to get started if you have little or no experience. You can check out Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr. (That’s how I landed my two first clients!)
The second best way to start up is to join Facebook groups like these (kindly note that there are many more groups):
You’ll be able to connect with other freelancers, bloggers, and business owners. That’s how I landed my first real long-term client too.
I left an honest message on the wall saying something like; I don’t have a lot of experience as a virtual assistant, but I’d like to give it a go!
And magic happened; a blogger I’d met during a press trip messaged me to discuss a potential collaboration.
At the same time, I proposed my services to grow smaller Instagram accounts which worked well for me.
And if you do a great job, your clients will mention you to others, and you could get referrals from it. That’s what happened to me.
Here’s a list of good online courses to try on Udemy if you want to develop new skills (they regularly have sales):
- Web Developer Bootcamp
- WordPress for Beginners
- Graphic Design Bootcamp
- Digital Marketing Course
- SEO – this is my own course (not on UDEMY)
Final Thoughts On Becoming A Digital Nomad With No Skills
Getting started as a digital nomad is challenging and can even be overwhelming.
Having lots of savings and time to work on your project or for your clients will make a difference in your income/business.
I’d recommend you start planning in advance before you begin traveling as a digital nomad.
Want to learn more about what it’s like to live abroad? Read one of the following posts:
