Being a digital nomad is one of the ideas that are most heard now when we talk about lifestyle, the new work paradigm, or what are the professions of the future. However, despite the fact that we hear this term here and there, very few people really know what it means to be a digital nomad and/or what is the reality of this way of living.
It is estimated that by 2035 there will be one billion digital nomads in the world, each one with its specific characteristics and way of working.
Digital nomads are people who use new technologies to work and travel anywhere in the world. This type of work has been created thanks to the wishes of young people to live unique experiences without neglecting their obligations, thus changing the perspective of having a satisfactory life.
Working remotely – and mostly self-employed – digital nomads, takes the opportunity to travel, unlike an expatriate who is sedentary. They live at least six months of the year abroad and stays in the country of their choice for a few days, weeks, or months. “The world is my office”: that could be their motto! A computer and an Internet connection to connect to the rest of the planet, are the two essential tools for the digital nomad.
What do the statistics say?
Indeed, according to the California think tank Institute for the Future, 85% of jobs in 2030 do not yet exist today. Although there are very few digital nomad stats are available on the number of digital nomads in the world, but as of now there are over 4.8 million independent workers and it is estimated that by 2035 there will be one billion of them around the world. For this reason, it is very important to know what their characteristics and way of working are, but do you know what kind of digital nomads there are?
- Remote Employee
Although these are people who belong to a company or have a stable job, they have the freedom to carry out their activities from anywhere in the world. They decide and completely manage the time of their stay in the place, which gives them the possibility of being able to plan in advance and peace of mind the trip to their next destination.
ConnectSolutions reported that this type of work increases the productivity of employees by up to 70%, benefiting their health conditions, since 45% sleep more, 53% say they have reduced their stress level, and 44% claim to have a more positive attitude.
- Freelancer
It is a worker who, in addition to having different clients, has the possibility of setting their own hours as well as the way of working. He has a lot of freedom and normally takes care of all the expenses generated by his activity, as well as having the opportunity to travel and have projects of international stature. According to a report, there are an estimated 59 million freelancers, of which 42% correspond to women between the ages of 21 and 30.
- Entrepreneurs
These are people who focus on their own project or business that requires greater concentration and responsibilities. They generally have teams that work online anywhere on the planet and run the business from or near their home.
These are some of the digital nomads that exist today, however, it is likely that in the future new profiles will be created and with it, greater openness for society will be achieved. Ultimately, this new lifestyle shows you that there is another way of doing things.
If your desire is to travel, work for something that fulfills you, and have a good remuneration (it always seems that it is at odds to earn money and work in something that you are passionate about), you can do it.
Is this the future of work?
Work does not take place where our office is located. Now work takes place where our computer is located. The phenomenon of digital nomads and remote work appeared in the 1990s but has become really popular since the 2010s, thanks to the proliferation of different cloud tools, to the improvement of connectivity to the Internet all over the world, the improvement of mobile technologies, the ease of renting accommodation or moving around, the ease of learning on the Internet, and of course the increase in the number of freelance jobs available.
For example, you can work from 8 hours to 12 hours, go to the beach, then get back to the computer from 2 pm to 5 pm, before going to visit a remarkable site. Or work for a period of time, 12 hours a day, in a professionally stimulating environment, then devote another period to discovering the country and its inhabitants. The idea is not to stay locked between four walls in front of your computer, even if it is at the end of the planet.
