5 Remote Work Opportunities to Become a Digital Nomad

I love to travel, you love to travel. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this. But like many people, finding a balance between work, life and the jet setting lifestyle is a big issue and all my life I’ve been committed to finding a lasting solution. And boy did I find it!

When I was 10 years old, my dad unboxed a carton of old books which he’d moved from our old house in Lagos Nigeria. In those cartons were textbooks he used in his elementary school days - dating back to the mid-’50s and some newer ones he acquired in the ’70s and ’80s. My dad was an avid reader, he loved books!

As I was rummaging through the old pile, I found one that caught my eye - it was the last of the 16 volumes of the Junior World Encyclopaedia (world atlas and maps). For the next year or so, I probably read this volume more than 100 times. Every page had something new to teach me about countries, geography, cultures and people from all over the world.

Today when I look back to try to remember why I love to travel so much, I can’t think of another defining moment than the days and nights when I was flipping through the pages of that encyclopaedia.

As I type this, I’ve been to about 7 countries and I’m just getting started.

I digress.

Back to the original problem of balancing work and travel. Less than a year ago, I was working as a sales consultant at an automotive dealership, working 10-12hr days. Very early into my role, I knew that lifestyle wasn’t for me even though I was making great money.

Behind the scenes, however, I was sharpening a very crucial skill that would eventually free me from the 9-5 lifestyle, give me the flexibility I needed and ultimately the confidence to get rid of all my possessions and start travelling.

If you’re in the same situation where you are thinking about travelling but are wondering HOW to do it without risking anything, I’ll outline 5 remote work opportunities you can consider.

1. Teach English Online: The demand for English teachers is super high and there’s never been a better time to start. If English is your first language or you come from an English speaking country, you already have the most important qualification. Next up is finding platforms that allow you to sign up, and as soon as you’re approved, you’re ready to start earning money.

Here’s a list of websites you can look at

Skooli

VIPKID

DaDa

Qkids

iTutorGroup

2. Become a writer: If you have a talent for writing, there’s money to be made online. A lot of businesses will pay you to have professional articles, blog posts, email newsletters written for marketing purposes. For them, it’s just one way to get that burden of creating content taken care of.

I was talking to a digital nomad friend here in Mexico City the other day, she dropped out of college to travel and now she writes professionally to fund her travel lifestyle. In a week she writes about 4-5 blog posts and gets paid for them. If you can get paid to do something you like and are already good at, would you do it?

3. Graphic and web design: similar to writing, the barrier to entry is quite low. If you have some creative inclination and can make very good designs, businesses will pay you to get designs done for them. You may want to look at freelancer websites like Fiverr, Upwork etc. to get started, but as you improve your skill, you need a more sustainable and predictable way of generating clients. That’s when this can really turn into a business. You can also join Facebook groups as a means of finding opportunities. The more you reach out, the better your chances of finding clients and the more money you make.

4. Photography and Videography: If you have a decent camera and can take very good pictures, this is an opportunity to can pursue. I’ve read stories of a lot of digital nomads who are able to fund their travels by taking pictures and making marketing videos for vacation companies, tour companies etc. A lot of these companies want to present themselves as best as they can online, so if you offer to make their marketing videos for, say free stay for a few nights, that would have offset some of the cost you’d incur in hotel/Airbnb fees. So give this a try.

5. Digital Marketing: This is probably the most important one on this list. Of course, there’s a subtle bias there because that’s what I do 😂. But learning digital marketing skill changed my life. Remember when I said I was learning a crucial skill while I was working in a sales position? Well, yeah. Now you know.

A few years ago, I was trying to start an eCommerce store like everyone on the internet. In the process, I was running Facebook Ads and losing money. Even though at the time it looked like I was losing money and was never going to make any back, little did I know that I was also learning a skill that would later prove very useful. Today, I work remotely for a Marketing Agency in the United States, while I serve my clients in freelance capacities. Now, I work in countries with weaker currencies than the dollar while I earn in dollars - Geo-arbitrage!

You see, plane tickets and Airbnb’s can add up pretty fast, and if not having money in a foreign country where you know nobody can be very distressing. So, as you look to your future of travel, find creative ways to make money, it doesn’t have to be one stream of income. I have at least 4 streams currently. That way, I can fully live out my nomadic lifestyle with one less thing to worry about.

If you enjoyed this article, I want to invite you to my private community where I share my top strategies for working remotely while travelling - for free of course haha. Besides, that I also share funny stories and highlights from my travels across the world.

You can also find me on Instagram. I post daily. While I’m not doing any of these things, I’m probably filming my next Youtube video - or editing.

Anyways, thanks for reading. Until next time!