Are you one of the employees who experienced remote work during COVID-19 (or before) and you want to be doing this full time?
Remote work is not the future, it has quickly become a reality. The breakout of COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to work remotely and thus increased the speed by which this option was already becoming available. This is thanks to the internet and increasingly digitized work opportunities.
Digital nomads are people who benefited from the remote work option and took it to the next level; they used the fact that they don’t need to be physically present for a job to fulfill their dream of travelling around the world.
To become a digital nomad, you need to have a remote job, or a skill which you can monetize remotely, a destination and you are set. But is that all?
While these may be the basic requirements, it might not to be not that simple for some people.
Being a digital nomad is choosing a very different lifestyle than that of the 9 to 5 job. The how and why and what you need for this transition can be very different from one person to another.
Do I need a course to become a digital nomad?
First, let’s make the distinction between 2 types of courses. There are courses that will help you learn a skill which you can use to become a digital nomad, i.e.: Photography, blogging, software development, copywriting, video editing…etc.
And there are courses you can take to prepare you to become a digital nomad. These courses usually advertise that they will teach you the steps to become a digital nomad.
Category 1
If you are wondering whether you should take up photography, financing, coding or one of the courses that fall under the category of skills, then by all means go ahead. Learning a new skill is something valuable whether you do it as a job or not.
If you are not sure, check first if there is a skill you already have that you can capitalize on for your nomad life. If not, taking up a new skill would be helpful.
The things you can do as a digital nomad are countless; just make sure you pick something you would enjoy. Do your research and try to balance between what your heart wants and the needs of the market.
Category 2
These is where you need to be very careful, and think more than twice.
If you google how to become a digital nomad, you will get ads on courses that can help you become one; before you click any of them, take your time to think about the below.
What could be the problem?
Here are some of the common problems you need to consider before signing up to these courses,
- Some are after your money: Many of these courses are just used as a way to make money; this means they might not offer helpful or accurate content.
- Some don’t consider personal differences: Many of the available online courses advertise inaccurate criteria, standards and values and link it to becoming a digital nomad.
For example, digital nomads have to be vegan, or that anyone can become a digital nomad.
No matter how much you agree with any of these, you need to consider if this type of life is suitable for you.
Being a digital nomad, is a way of life, it doesn’t come with predefined rules. Similarly, it’s not all adventure and fun, you need to plan your finances well, you need to handle clients, to deal with unforeseen circumstances and in many cases loneliness. So, it all comes to you as a person, your preferences, strengths and how you aspire to live.
- Some are only relevant to a specific segment: Some courses can be irrelevant to you. For example, some courses are designed for specific markets i.e.: USA and the helpful tips and processes they suggest, may not be relevant to you if you are not American.
- Too many unneeded skills: Some curriculums designed to help you become a nomad include buying a bunch of courses that could be totally irrelevant to you. They try to sell it as an essential skill to becoming a digital nomad.
Some of these include Yoga and tarot reading classes as part of the preparation to becoming a digital nomad.
- Limited to a personal experience: The majority of the courses are offered by, or include testimonials of, actual digital nomads. These can fall sometimes into the trap of offering advice limited to the experience of the specific person, which might differ greatly from yours.
So, what if I want to take one of the digital nomad courses?
If you decide to take one of these courses, you need to do your homework and take the time to find the right one for you. There are good and bad courses on the market and you need to find the relevant, helpful ones for you.
Before paying for the course and especially if it is a financial burden, take a look online to see if the information you need is available for free. There are so many good resources on starting your digital nomad journey available online for free, and some are offered by actual digital nomads.
If you are working / planning to work remotely for a specific company or client, ask them if they cover the costs for these courses. Upskilling yourself, in many cases, falls on your own shoulders, however, some employers see it as an investment in their employee as it strengthens loyalty and reduces turnover.
Read the course description thoroughly and use the digital nomad groups on social media and other digital nomad channels to ask for reviews. Check if anyone took this course or knows the instructor and whether they would recommend it.
In general, remember that you are looking for resources, trying to plan YOUR experience, so make sure that if you select a course, it is a helpful one for you and the digital nomad life you are designing.
Did you take/are you planning to take a course to become a digital nomad? Which one?
Let us know!
