Digital Nomads are people who work from home or from anywhere on the planet using an Internet connection and an electronic device. It is a very interesting trend, made even more popular after the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is becoming a lifestyle. Honestly, I can say that if there is something good after the pandemic, it is the possibility of working from home... In this episode, we are talking about the benefits of being a digital nomad, with Xiomara Maldonado from Chicago.
An article published by the New York Times in 2017 says that in a survey of more than 15,000 employees, 43% of them spent at least some time working remotely. Employees are pressuring companies to see the practice as beneficial.
In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, a survey conducted by Statista and published by LinkedIn found that 80% of workers globally would prefer to continue with this approach, at least for some time. . The study also revealed five trends, one of which is having a hybrid approach – a mix of remote and in-office work – this provides a balance for both staff and leadership teams.
Xiomara Maldonado, university professor and digital nomad, tells us that she has worked and carried out tasks in a hybrid way since 1992, supported by the technologies available at all times, that is why she considers herself a "digital nomad by vocation"
For many people, working from home represents an isolation that they do not like to submit to due to the lack of socialization. They feel lonely, depressed and in a rut. However, Maldonado that the isolation produced by COVID in 2021 accelerated this trend that she was already experiencing and believes that the workplace is not the only space to socialize and that on the contrary we drink "value the family space, the community of neighbors and friends to share moments, parties and meetings in person".
The pandemic also revealed that both employees and employers have the ability to perform their jobs remotely, to the point that consensus has been reached on the work, personal, psychological and economic benefits of working as a digital nomad. Flexibility, travel time and fuel savings are just some of them.
With remote work or as a digital nomad, the work or business modality is broader. To know if you can be a digital nomad, you must observe the skills, abilities, knowledge, abilities and personal possibilities. Then do a market study, reviewing the labor supply and demand and comparing them with our resume
The most common remote jobs are: programmer, web designer, copywriter, proofreader, video editor, translator, photographer, interior designer, cartoonist, graphic designer. The business options are also wide: online sales, real estate, among other business ideas.
How to become a digital nomad?
To be a digital nomad, it is essential to have a good understanding of the new information and communication technologies, which are nothing more than the new media that, in recent years, have facilitated the flow of information, the Internet, computers, tablets, cell phones, and which are revolutionizing our lives, our way of communicating and relating, learning, entertaining and working.
As in any professional career, training and learning are essential. Being a digital nomad especially requires unlearning everything that has traditionally been learned about performing a job in the workplace. Xiomara Maldonado says that there are free and paid options available online for training. Her Instagram Ser Nómada Digital offers tools to learn about remote job options and means of training...
The digital nomad does not need an office or a fixed desk to carry out his role. Neither of a fixed address, but you do need discipline and organization. Establishing work schedules is important to achieve a balance between work and home. Making it clear to the family that being at home does not mean being 100% available to them is elementary. Maldonado says that "the concept of obligation is replaced by responsibility" and that the greatest advantage of being a digital nomad is the possibility of "adapting work to our lives and not our lives to work."
Are you ready to become a digital nomad?