By Kelly Joyner.
The world of work has gone through some unimaginable changes over the last few years. The rise of remote working has resulted in a transformation, making working life unrecognizable from what it was just a decade ago. These days, professionals are no longer tied to the office, the nine-to-five, or even to a geographical location. Workers in a huge number of industries and sectors are free to go from desk job to globe trotter and discover the life of a working expat.
The ‘digital nomad’ life offers a unique combination of adventure, professional advancement, cultural immersion, and exploration. It can be a difficult transition, however, and one that involves a significant amount of research, planning, and organization, as well as a certain mindset that embraces flexibility and adaptability, and loves to face new challenges.
If you are considering making the shift and embracing a more adventurous way of living, working, and exploring the world, read on! Whether you are working for a season on a cruise line sailing from Galveston or starting your own marketing business from a hammock on a beach in Thailand, here are a few tips, guides, and insights for anyone embarking on this exciting adventure.
Contents
Embracing Cultural Diversity
One of the best and most important parts of being a working expat abroad is the chance to get to know a different culture from your own. It is a rewarding, fascinating, and transformative experience, and one that needs to be embraced and appreciated. Immersing yourself fully in the traditions, customs, and day-to-day life of your new home is a significant experience and one that you should take seriously. Some expats have a tendency to stick to expat-only social groups, but by doing this they miss out on the most rewarding aspects of exploring the world.
The shift from office worker to digital nomad isn’t always seamless, and working remotely requires a significant degree of adaptability and flexibility. There are all sorts of challenges and considerations to take into account, from working across time zones to the lack of face-to-face communication. Asynchronous working doesn’t just happen, and while there is a huge variety of technological solutions to make collaboration and communication across great distances easy, it still requires thought and work.
Expats also often encounter challenges when it comes to different work cultures, communication styles, and business practices, and will need to understand and adapt to a whole new context. However, embracing these challenges can be an enormous benefit to your career, as it offers a whole new perspective on the global marketplace, making you more adept at navigating professional situations and exponentially more employable.
Building Global Networks
Working as an expat abroad offers amazing opportunities to connect with fellow professionals around the world. Building a global professional network is both vital to your success as a digital nomad and one of the most rewarding and important parts of your new life. Engaging with new colleagues from all over the world unlocks extraordinary possibilities for personal and professional growth and career advancement, making it an essential part of the expat life.
Balancing Work and Life
A healthy work-life balance is an important part of working as an expat abroad. It can be all too easy to embrace the adventure of traveling the world a little too much and forget about your professional responsibilities. Equally, without the structure of office hours, it is equally possible to end up letting work bleed into your leisure time and never fully switching off. Make sure you set yourself clear boundaries between work and personal life, ensuring that you have plenty of time both to fulfil your working responsibilities and relax and enjoy yourself.
Your thoughts on Desk Job to Globe Trotter?
Have you ever thought of making this leap? Or do you know of anyone who has? Do you have any other tips for making this transition? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
I am Kelly Joyner. A lover of the great outdoors, fitness fanatic and founder of RegularityFitness.com
- Kelly Joynerhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/kelly-joyner/
- Kelly Joynerhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/kelly-joyner/
Im currently looking for a new job. I’m hoping that I can find remote work but then again going to the office helps with people interaction.
It would be awesome to have a job where you could work from home or on the road! Sounds like the perfect job!
Love this and I do enjoy working from home myself. It is a great thing for sure and so many amazoing benefits as well. Love that I can work from anywhere too.
I really like the way how some people can balance work and traveling I can say now that they can enjoy their life even if they are busy in work.
Being my own boss was not something that I ever dreamed of. It would be a fun adventure to do so. thanks for sharing
As a mom, it’s heartening to know that the world offers such diverse opportunities for professional growth and exploration. Embracing cultural diversity while navigating professional transitions seems like an incredible journey worth considering. Building global networks and balancing work-life dynamics are definitely crucial aspects.
Now this is something I have dreamed of having especially to travel with the kids. A lot of wonderful memories are for sure to be made with this lifestyle.
I’ve always wanted to be able to work while traveling, but even at my age, this isn’t possible. Even though I can only work from home now, I still dream of being able to work while traveling.
I always thought that I would enjoy traveling…and combining that travel with work.
LOL, then I discovered that I really don’t like leaving home. I think maybe if I had started when I was younger…now I”m just a tired old lady. It sounds like you have made a wonderful transition.
It is such a great pleasure to work and to be your own boss while enjoying traveling at the same time.
I’ve had this experience and gotta tell you, did not manage the balance. But learned it the hard way haha. Great post and informative.
Working and traveling would be a great way to make a living. Thanks for the tips on how to do this.
I honestly think this would be a lot of fun. I always thought about doing this someday.
This could be a fun job. It’s always nice to be able to see the world and work at the same time. I’d love the diversity.
This blog post about the adventures of a working expat is so inspiring! It’s amazing to read about someone who has embraced a life of travel and exploration.
What an adventure! I’ve always wanted to travel and work. My friend does this and she love being her own boss and seeing the world. It’s the perfect lifestyle for her
Pretty sure I’d enjoy this type of lifestyle. Or I would have at a different time in my life. The experience of extensive travel is one that is sure to make a lot of wonderful memories.
I mean, I feel like this could be the most amazing way to be your own boss ever if you play it right! I can’t think of anything better.