Mark Cohen, Metlife, How to Become a Digital Nomad

The lifestyle of a digital nomad has become increasingly popular and appealing to people of all ages. If you’re considering becoming a digital nomad, it’s important to remember that it is not nearly as easy as many people make it seem. If you want to make remote work your full-time career, you need to be strategic about how you make it happen. With careful planning and hard work, you can position your skills in a way that allows you to become a digital nomad. Follow these tips in order to become a digital nomad.

Handle obligations at home

Before you embark on your life as a digital nomad, you need to make sure your finances and focus are not being drained by unnecessary obligations at home. If you’re renting a residence or have a mortgage to pay, consider getting rid of these expenses. Rent out your home and end your lease so you do not have to pay money on somewhere you aren’t living. If you have monthly payments for a car, pay it off or sell it before you begin traveling (unless you’re planning on driving everywhere you need to go). The less monthly concerns you have, the easier a digital nomadic life will be.

Identify your skills and experience

Before becoming a digital nomad, take the time to identify what experience and skills you can offer clients. Hone your skills and make a portfolio that you can use to show potential customers. You’ll need to be able to clearly convey what you can offer and figure out the type of work you can do while traveling.

Start gathering work

If you want to succeed as a digital nomad, start gathering clients and work before you begin your adventure. If you want to genuinely thrive, consider working on developing clients and work as a digital nomad while still working another job. That way, you can have a secure stream of income as soon as you begin traveling.

Develop new skills

In order to continue succeeding as a digital nomad, you need to continue developing your existing skills and working on new ones. You’ll keep your career interesting and your mind sharp.

Create a plan for your lifestyle

To be a full-time digital nomad, you’ll need to have a solid idea of how much income you earn each month and what type of lifestyle you’d like to have. Do you want to stay in one area the majority of the time and simply work from home? Do you want to travel for set months of the year or live in different exotic locations for extended periods of time? Make a plan for your lifestyle so you can determine what kind of and how much work you need to do.

About the Author

Mark Cohen is a financial professional who has previously worked at BCG Securities and Metlife. Mark has extensive experience working as a financial advisor and enjoys being able to help others successfully manage their personal finances. He feels that working in finance provides a challenging environment where there are constant developments and changes. Mark Cohen has enjoyed great success in his career and achieved much at the various companies he's worked at, including building a talented team of investors, being recognized in the top one percent of financial advisors in the country, and being recognized in the top 20 of advisors throughout the country.