Paul Hunkin is a 36 year old developer that’s been to 83 countries and works as a digital nomad. His original article is something of a plug for Upwork – a freelancing platform. Upwork’s 2021 survey estimates that 40.7 million American professionals were expecting to be fully remote in the next five years (consider those marketing numbers). Hunkins, however, does has five tips he learned from his decade doing remote work abroad that I thought were helpful:

1. Figure out how to make money before you leave
   You need to have marketable skills, a track record of earning a living online, and have a method to make money online abroad with those skills before you leave. Hunkins started doing freelance jobs while at home in New Zealand on Upwork. He built up his portfolio to the point he could charge $120/hour for jobs and $200 for hour-long consultations.
2. Pick a home base
   He spent the first few years traveling from place to place, but found it got exhausting always moving around. He established a home base to explore from even if he was not there all the time. Having a more permanent address also had tax benefits if he picked the right countries.
3. Ensure you have what you need
   Vetting what you need to do your job is important. Fast and stable network connectivity is critical if it’s your job so double-check. Easy transportation from where you are staying to key services is also important (mass transit, grocery, airport, etc). He preferred Airbnb’s since some have more comfortable dedicated work spaces. He also says you must be aware some countries like China or the Middle East that block apps like Skype and WhatsApp.
4. Stick to a daily routine
   “Wherever I am in the world, I get up at the same time, do my email, then plan the day.” He might spend part of his day exploring a new city, but ticks tedious tasks off his to-do list first. “You must get the work done before the fun stuff.” Hunkins always stays available – by iPad or phone – during client’s core business hours and works a 40 hour week every week.
5. Loneliness is a thing
   The social aspect of work disappears when you are in a different time zone, so meeting people outside the office is critical. Expat groups exist everywhere and that’s a great first place. You can find them on Facebook and expat Slack channels. He also suggested booking a co-working space to meet other like-minded folks.

Links:

• https://www.businessinsider.com/ceo-of-upwork-helping-gen-z-build-a-freelance-career-2021-6