What is a Digital Nomad

A digital nomad is someone who works online to make money to sustain a nomadic lifestyle. And if you are travelling Australia and working online then you are a digital nomad.

What are Digital Nomad Jobs

Digital nomad jobs are basically any professions or jobs that can be done online and that can be combined with traveling. They include, but not limited to, teaching English online, being a VA, website designer, social media manager, travel blogger, create and sell ebooks or a product or a course, do accounting and/or book keeping, translating, IT and graphic designing and drop shipping to name a few.

READ MORE: 18 Digital Nomad Jobs

Pros and Cons of being a Digital Nomad in Australia

The Pros: 

• You can live in any part of Australia and make money to support your new lifestyle. 
• Stay as long as you like in one place and immerse yourself into the local culture. 
• You can move on to another place whenever you like. You could follow the sun if you want!

The Cons:

• To fund your lifestyle you need to work to enable your Australian nomadic life. The amount of work you need to do will depend on how much income you are generating and how much you need to live your digital nomadic lifestyle in Australia. 
• Your client/s may give you a deadline and you have to work at inconvenient hours to get the job done.

How to find a Digital Nomad Job

Before I get into the types of jobs you can do as a digital nomad I will answer the question “How do I find a Digital Nomad Job”? So here goes, here are my suggestions on how to find a digital nomad job.

• Ask your current employer if you can work remotely. This can sometimes be an option but if not I suggest
• Set up a website and/or a social media channel and market, market, market yourself and your services or products.
• Approach potential clients – get yourself a media kit which sets out your rates and send out emails to targeted clients.
• Register a profile through specific websites – there are many online sites to register with such as Fivvr, Airtasker, Upwork, Freelancer, FlexJobs and Remote to name a few. 

Tip: To be a digital nomad I would suggest you choose one service to offer. Concentrate on that to grow it before expanding. It is better to be a specialist at one rather than mediocre at many.

How to be a Digital Nomad

In my opinion to be a digital nomad you need two things. Firstly skills that you can use on an online platform and secondly, the right equipment that allows you to work online.

Skills Needed to Work Online

Everyone has skills, even if you don’t realise it. You then adapt these skills to an online platform. And if you don’t have skills you can always do a course to help you get skills. For instance, I like to write and travel so I did a travel writing course and then a proofreading and editing course. Now I offer writing services and proofreading skills via an online platform, my website. And I have a number of clients that I provide travel articles for and also I proofread other people’s work. The best part is, I get paid to do these things and even better is I can do them from wherever I may be. I also have a travel writing course I teach. Find details about my travel writing course here.

Equipment Required to Work Online

The other thing you need to be a digital nomad is the right equipment. Depending on what digital job you intend to do you will need equipment. Equipment I suggest includes a laptop with appropriate software. A powerbank to ensure electronics are always charged. An electronics carrier bag to keep electronic bits and pieces in. A camera or GoPro with accessories. A laptop stand to help you work ergonomically and comfortably. And access to a fast wifi connection either at your accommodation, in your van, in a coffee shop or in a co-working space.

A Laptop Stand for comfort. Purchase from Amazon Australia here.

A comfortable Work Space Or Home Away From Home Office

As well as having the right equipment for your digital nomad life you also need a comfortable environment to work in. This can be in your van, hostel, coffee shop, while housesitting or at a co-working space. As you will be spending your time working on a laptop you need to ensure your furniture is ergonomically friendly. As I spend a lot of time with my laptop I have discovered this great laptop stand as shown above. It helps me be more comfortable whether I am working in bed, a lounge chair or at a table. 

Once you know the skill or skills, your equipment and your work space you can begin your digital nomad lifestyle. You might want to set up your digital business before you get on the road. Then you can concentrate on making money while you are travelling.

Final words

I hope this post has helped you gain a clearer picture of the possibilities of becoming a digital nomad, or not while travelling Australia. There is no harm in travelling around Australia purely as a traveller who has saved and resigned from their job and then hit the road. If the digital nomad lifestyle doesn’t eventuate you can always pick up physical work along the way. Head over to my Job Types page to see what jobs you could get. Most of all, enjoy your time living, working and playing in Australia – however you do it.