You read my post 4 Ways Moving Abroad Can Radically Improve Your Finances and now you’re thinking: “Ok, great. I get the saving money part, but what about making it?”
There has never been a better time to be a digital nomad or American expat. No matter what skills you have, there is a job for you, that can be done remotely, from anywhere in the world with a strong internet connection.
1. Keep Your Job and Work Remotely
Does your employer allow people to work from home occasionally? Well they might be open to the idea of you working from home every day… from another country. Or maybe you’ll be their first remote employee, a trend setter! You never know what’s possible if you don’t ask and you may well be surprised.
The labor market is tight, you’re a good employee, and they don’t want to lose you. I’m not saying run into your boss’ office and proclaim “I want to move to Thailand!” Ease them into it. Start by proposing working from home one or two days a week.
Still a little nervous? Programs like Remote Year will work with you to help get your employer’s approval.
Ok, you’ve tried everything and your employer is still not on board. Don’t worry, lots of other employers are. Here are just a few resources for finding remote work that may allow you to move abroad:
Remote Jobs for Digital Nomads on Facebook
Infinite Nomad Remote Job Board
58 Resources for Digital Nomads to Make Money While Traveling
2. Become an Entrepreneur
Full of ideas and always had the entrepreneurial itch? Moving abroad could help you start your own business. It could allow you to focus more of your energy and dramatically reduce your expenses so that you can still pay the bills as your business gets off the ground.
Become an Independent Contractor – The easiest way to start your own business is to take what you’re already doing as a career and switch to working as a consultant to your old employer. They may like it because they’ll save on paying you benefits, and you’ll enjoy the new flexibility.
Make and Sell Online Courses – Have a skill, passion, or hobby that other people would love to learn? Shoot some videos, make some PowerPoints, and build a website to sell your classes.
Short on Business Ideas – Maybe being an entrepreneur runs in your veins, but you’re short on ideas. Check out Pat Flynn’s website Smart Passive Income and you’ll be sure to find some inspiration.
3. Teach English
Teaching English has been, and remains to be, one of the easiest ways for Americans to become expats. A teaching degree is helpful and can lead to higher salaries, but it is not required so long as English is your native language. If you’re interested in teaching English in person and being part of a community of expat teachers, check out: International TEFL Academy and Go Abroad.
Prefer to travel the world as a digital nomad setting your own teaching schedule? Then VIPKid may be the gig for you.
4. Writing & Editing
Another common digital nomad job is to write for yourself, write for others, or edit the writing of others.
Write for yourself: You can write a book, a blog, draw comics, anything! As long as it is a topic that you’re passionate about you can be successful because of the magic of advertising. Travel blogs, politics, finance, sports… it may take time to build an online following, but if you’re putting out good content the readers will come.
Write for others: Have writing skills and a passion, but don’t want to spend the time building an online following? Become a freelance writer for an established blog, media outlet, or website. Content is king and if you can help drive traffic to other people’s websites you can be paid for those clicks.
Edit for others: Writers need copy editors! Everyone needs someone else to review their work and you could set your own schedule, reading, reviewing, and editing blog posts and articles before they’re published.
5. Join the Digital Gig Economy
You’ve got skills and people are willing to pay! Do you work in marketing, finance, legal, design, sales, product management, medicine? There are people looking for help with everything and you can be the one to help them. Check out sites like Fiverr, Upwork, or become a virtual assistant for a business in an industry you know and love.
Try All Five
If you’re serious about moving abroad and making money while traveling, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Most people find success by using a combination of these 5 ways. Eventually one of your income streams will take off and you’ll be able to cut back on some of the others.
Where there is a will there is a way. Want to hear some great success stories? Check out this post about people that have done it! https://christhefreelancer.com/digital-nomad-jobs/
