Question of the week: “I want to become a digital nomad, should I quit my job?”

The first step to becoming a digital nomad is to have a plan, and one of the things to consider is whether or when you should quit your job to become a digital nomad.

Before packing up your things into storage and booking the next flight out to Chiang Mai, you will want to ask yourself how you intend to support yourself for at least the next couple of months.

If you already have a job that you love but just want to work from somewhere not your office, then see if your company is open to the idea of letting you work remotely from home. You can choose to omit out the fact that you’ll be working from another country if you fear that mentioning that might give them the wrong impression!

If your boss is hesitant but not completely against the idea, suggest doing a week or month trial of letting you work from home. You will want to proof to your boss that you are equally efficient and dedicated working from home as you are in the office.

Thinking of leaving your company and becoming your own boss? Start by offering freelancing services for skills that you already have. Reach out to your friends and network and start asking around to see if anyone needs help; hit Facebook groups and forums and start offering your services (but don’t spam!).

Before leaving my country, I used to work in advertising and marketing and worked hard trying to get some clients for my marketing and social media services as well as building up Women Digital Nomads. While it was slightly frustrating to have to wait out for a little while, in hindsight I’m glad I did because it ensured I had some income coming in for the first couple of months as a digital nomad living in Mexico.

My job in advertising, before I left home to become a digital nomad.

If you are an administrative staff, become a Virtual Assistant and offer VA services. Customer service or sales rep? Become a remote customer service agent - you can find customer service jobs here. Have a TEFL cert? Teach English online. Be creative with the services you can offer - be a translator, traveling yoga instructor, traveling bartender for those who prefer not to work in front of a laptop etc.

Besides trying to find a remote job/freelance work before you leave, try to have some savings too. Depending on the lifestyle you want to lead, you should have at least enough money to cover your expenses for the first few months.

Ideally, you don’t want to find yourself struggling while living abroad and worrying about getting an income. The best part of being a digital nomad is the freedom the lifestyle gives you, but you won’t be able to enjoy that freedom if you have to constantly worry about your finance, paying your rent or your student debt.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Share your story in the comments.