2020 served as an inflection point for location independent jobs, remote work, and digital nomadism. One step beyond a remote work option, “location independent” refers to a career or job that is separate of any requirement to be in a specific physical location. Not all location independent professionals “work for big tech or tiny startups.” While some careers lend themselves to digital nomadism more quickly than others, professionals from all different disciplines are making the switch. If you’re switching to a location independent career, love to travel, and want company from other leading professionals, check out WiFi Artists’ upcoming trips and consider sending us an application. Check out these 8 location independent careers for inspiration on your next career move.
Teacher or Tutor
Educators impact others, regardless of age, the field of study, or (for some) physical proximity. The importance of physical classrooms continues to change. Some schools and universities have become entirely online in recent years.
Leading teachers and tutors build curriculum for multiple settings.For those who can’t work the entire calendar year remotely, it’s possible to work as a digital nomad seasonally.
Scheduling for remote teachers and tutors is essential. During the pandemic, professionals learned to offer precise office hours, attend staff meetings, and budget time for lesson planning. Maintaining a work-life balance and taking time to oneself can be difficult in education. Physical distance from students and governing institutions helps maintain personal peace.
Accountant
Independent and company accountants are uniquely positioned to embrace location independence, whether a global accounts manager or personal finance expert; the remote work or digital nomad lifestyle is completely achievable.
The finance sector embraced software (often abbreviated to “fin-tech”), and accounting offices disappear every quarter. Video calls and managing finances via software are the norms. Talking to employers about remote work options can be difficult, but if any industry can understand a need to find the right balance, it’s accounting. Side note: the CEO/Founder of WiFi Artists is an expert CPA. He’s living proof that accountants can help clients from anywhere in the world.
Digital Marketer
If you peer over the shoulder of remote workers at coffee shops and coworking spaces around the globe, you’ll see Google docs open, perhaps some Adobe software, and a social media page or two.
Digital marketers are some of the most abundant digital nomads. Some lean towards SEO, copywriting, and website design. Others manage client relationships, social media, or create content.
Marketing technology software simplifies workflows and helps keep team members on task. Aiding every industry with messaging, creativity, and (sometimes) analytical expertise, digital marketers help lead the digital nomad revolution.
Business Development Managers
Business development managers have a reputation for being self-sufficient.
Their primary tasks, finding and retaining new clients or strategic partners, mean they often operate one-on-one. Business development managers typically travel multiple months of the year. Leaning into that requirement and becoming location independent can aid business development managers in achieving their goals.
Business development teams expand prospective client lists by traveling the world. It’s also great practice to meet new people and experience new cultures outside of a professional context. In addition, the flexibility and self-motivation required by the business development job function serve them well in digital nomadism.
Software Sales Professionals
While a lot of professional sales still involve handshakes and stuffy office buildings, some industries approach buyers differently. In the business-to-business software sales space, deals can close without a physical meeting. Many sales teams are segmented by geography, so matching your digital nomad lifestyle to the timezone of your target accounts is often essential. However, those who don’t mind the occasional late night or early morning meeting will find professional sales as a digital nomad entirely possible. Especially for those in sales support, enablement or account management roles, remote work is the future (and the present). The transition from in-person to entirely remote isn’t always seamless. If adopting new professional habits and managing communications across time zones is your specialty, you can perform all job functions remotely, whether you do cold-outbound calls or close massive deals.
Customer Service Representative First off, thank you to all the customer service representatives. Solving other people’s problems, whether simple or complex, is personally taxing. But, as savvy thinkers and process-oriented peacemakers, customer service professionals are often the human voice of the brand’s customers love.
The need for physical call centers has sharply declined. Customer service professionals now have the flexibility to work from anywhere. The joy and satisfaction of remote work are well deserved by those who offer energy and compassion to customers around the globe. Software like Zendesk and Drift, combined with phone and video conferencing software, makes remote customer service work possible.
Graphic Designer With small laptops and tablets becoming increasingly powerful for computing and creating powerful visuals, graphic designers are great candidates for digital nomadism. Traditional studio time is no longer a requirement for the job. Instead, video calls and project management software ease the stress of client and internal marketing team meetings. Beyond typical sales and advertising collateral, graphic designers deliver companies' most critical visual assets for social media, websites, and mobile applications. Wherever a brand is on display, a graphic designer has a say.
Freelancing and Entrepreneurship Saving these for last for two reasons:
1. Neither are typical, full-time employment and carry a perceived level of risk
2. Both require planning, stability, and time to build a stable income
Freelancers and entrepreneurs perform a lot of the job functions above. However, the skillset to manage clients, keep detailed financials, and acquire new business takes time to learn.
WiFi Artists loves having entrepreneurs and creatives in our group. The passion and multidisciplinary perspective bring insight and energy to others. As their own boss, entrepreneurs make the rules of the workplaces, team, and product/service offering (perfect for location independence). Not having to answer to anyone is a beautiful thing for those energized by being personally accountable.
Job Boards for Location Independent Careers
Start a new job search within your network, and use typical job boards (LinkedIn and Indeed) as a second step. Additionally, the job boards listed below are a great way to filter out non-remote-friendly options.
Cheers to more remote careers, work-life balance, and interconnected industry.
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