Are you ready for the digital nomad lifestyle but don’t know where to start? Are you looking for a location-independent job that doesn’t involve heavy technical skills? Here are the 11 best digital nomad jobs with no experience or very little experience!
What Do I Need to Get Started?
Many of these jobs require a college degree, but several do not. All jobs will require a computer and a high-speed internet connection. You might also need software applications such as Microsoft Word or Excel, but Google has several free applications like Docs or Sheets to get you started. Skype is free to download. You might also need a headset with a microphone and a web cam.
Best Digital Nomad Jobs with Little to No Experience
1. Teach English Online
If you are a native English speaker with a bachelor’s degree, this is a great way to earn money online. Most options are based in China, teaching children ages 5 – 15. The most popular time to teach is weekdays after school for your students in China. You can expect to work early mornings if you are located in North America, or afternoons if you are located in Europe. There are many online ESL schools based in other regions like Latin America, and some schools focus on adult students who want to learn business English.
The best-known companies for teaching children are VIPKid, DaDa, Qkids, and Whales English. English First and Open English have options for both children and adult students. There are hundreds of language schools online. Find out more about teaching English online at OET Jobs.
You will need a headset with a microphone, a webcam, and a fast internet connection. You may also need additional gear like a small whiteboard. Many online English schools require that you have a 120 hour TESOL or TEFL certificate, but this can be acquired online with Groupon for as low as $20. If you find out that you really enjoy this type of work, you can for a full CELTA teaching certificate, which will allow you to work at longer term jobs at English schools around the world.
If you aren’t a native speaker of English, there are still many options to teach your native language online through websites like iTalki and Preply. These sites match up prospective language students with teachers. (Maybe you!) Many sites allow you to set your own rates and schedule.
2. Translation & Interpretation
If you are fluent in two languages, then this could be a great option for you. Translators need to have an understanding of both cultures, since translation work often involves interpreting abstract concepts that can’t be translated literally. Translation generally refers to written work. You might translate web content, entire books, or legal documents. This is a growing field, as organizations need to reach larger, more diverse global audiences. Interpretation refers to verbal work, which could take place over video conference. Find translation jobs at ProZ, TranslatorsCafe, and Gengo.
3. Transcription
Although there are many great speech-to-text software applications available, they are not without problems. Companies still need transcription work and closed captioning for meeting notes, videos, and content that needs to accessible to people that use assistive technologies. You will listen to an audio recording, then convert it to a typed manuscript. You must be a fast, accurate typist for this work to be profitable. Jobs typically pay by word, by page, or by minute. Find transcription jobs at TranscribeMe, Rev, and GoTranscript.
4. Online Tutoring
Typically online tutors need three things: good grades and test scores, the ability to explain things clearly, and patience. You will also need a bachelor’s degree for this job. There are tutoring jobs for every subject and academic level. Test prep tutoring can earn you a lot of money once you establish yourself. If you have high recent test scores in SAT, ACT, AP, IB, MCAT, LSAT, or GRE, then you will be in demand as a tutor. For specific subject tutoring, check out Tutor.com, TutorMe, and VarsityTutors. Larger educational organizations such as Princeton Review and Kaplan hire test prep tutors. If you don’t find a topic or company that fits your area of expertise, you can always design and sell your own courses or tutorials.
5. Content Writing
Content writing covers many types of writing. You might write the main content on an official company website, descriptions of inventory on an online retail website, or a blog post. Generally, you’ll want to learn a little bit about search engine optimization (SEO), since clients want their web content to appear at the top of search results. Content writing can be for any industry or topic, such as travel, science, small businesses, government, or hobbies. Although some of these jobs require more experience, you can still find a multitude of small jobs to start building your portfolio. If you have a particular hobby or college major that allows you to specialize, that’s a great place to start!
Content writing may require you to market or sell a company’s product. This type of content writing is called copywriting. If you can convince readers to buy a product, click an ad, or sign up for company email, then this job is a great fit for you!
6. Proofreading & Editing
You will need impeccable grammar skills, attention to detail, and a bachelor’s degree for this job. Jobs are available for every type of content, such as web content, books, legal documentation, scientific manuscripts, and instruction manuals. You may just be proofreading for grammar and spelling or editing heavily for content. You will need to follow the client’s style guide. This could be a corporate style guide, or a standard academic style guide like APA or MLA. These jobs can be found on general job boards.
7. Customer Service
Customer service roles are rarely in the same location as company headquarters. This job is commonly outsourced to people working at home or abroad in call centers. You may be answering customer email, communicating through a chat application, or handling customer calls. You can find these jobs on any general job board, and few require a college degree. You will have an advantage if you already have expertise or experience in the company’s product.
8. Social Media Manager
Are you a whiz at Instagram? Can you write the perfect Tweet to promote a product? Can you easily gain new followers for a company? You can get paid for this! Although many companies are experienced with traditional marketing methods, they may not have the expertise or time to focus on social media. That’s where you come in! You might be in charge of general social media marketing strategy for one company, or you could specialize in Facebook posts for many companies in one specific industry. You might specialize in Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Instagram. You can build an entire career crafting compelling blog posts!
9. Virtual Assistant
You already have experience managing and organizing your own life, so why not do it for someone else? Set up meetings, appointments, and travel arrangements for your clients. To be a great virtual assistant you’ll need interpersonal skills and organization. A virtual assistant can also be a jack of all trades, depending on what the client asks. You might be managing large email databases, handling customer service needs by phone or email, researching, making PowerPoints, or doing tech support. You are basically doing the support work so that your client has more time to do the essential parts of his or her job. This job can be tailored to your interests and strengths, so you can offer comprehensive services or make a niche for yourself.
10. Data Entry
You need to be familiar with Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet and database software. Attention to detail is essential for this job. It also helps if you are a fast, accurate typist. Many jobs will provide you with raw data or pdfs of information that needs to be organized or catalogued in a spreadsheet or database. This could include customer data, inventory and pricing data, or scientific data. If you aren’t familiar with these software applications, you can easily learn them for free through online tutorials.
11. Housesitting & Petsitting
This option doesn’t always pay in money- it pays in housing. You look after the owner’s home or pets while they travel. In exchange you get a place to stay and work, and possibly some payment depending on the job. You can choose a different location every week or every month! Many of these options provide a fast internet connection for free, so that you don’t have to worry about finding a quiet hostel or paying for a coworking space while doing other digital nomad jobs. Keeping costs down is important when you are just starting out as a digital nomad. Start with websites like Housesitter.com and TrustedHousesitters. Make your profile, then look for potential matches in places where you’d like to live and work.
Where Do I Find Digital Nomad Jobs?
General job boards are good places to start. FlexJobs, UpWork, and Virtual Vocations specialize in jobs that support a digital nomad lifestyle. LinkedIn and Indeed allow you to search for jobs using “Remote” as your location. There are also many groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that are specific to digital nomads and to a particular type of job. You might also ask friends, previous coworkers or bosses, college professors or local businesses. Networking is an underutilized way to find location-independent jobs. Start by asking the people you already know!
Create Your Own Digital Nomad Job
You can also start your own business! Do you have any hobbies that you can monetize? If you have an eye for photography, you can use your travel to your advantage. Photographs can be sold to stock photography websites, or used to create prints, t-shirts, or other items. You could also use these photographs in your own blog. You can make travel or tutorial videos that can generate advertising income. Depending on what you make, you may be able to work on items that can be sold on sites like Etsy. The possibilities are endless! The key is to think about how your current hobbies can generate income.
Developing Your Skills and Portfolio While Traveling
In addition to working on the road, you can and should develop your skills while traveling. There are now many options for you to learn online, for everything from basic software skills to intensive computer programming. Do you want to learn SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? Are you struggling with how to market yourself as a freelancer? Do you want to learn how to use WordPress in order to start your own blog? There are now online courses and tutorials for everything. Google and Youtube are a great place to start! Check out Udemy, edX, and Coursera for free courses on just about everything.
There are several websites that offer more technical training courses and tutorials, in case you do want to want to be a high-tech digital nomad! Check out CodeAcademy and GitHub for more information.
It’s also important to develop a portfolio of work that you can show future clients. UpWork and LinkedIn have options for clients and coworkers to rate previous work. Online English schools also have rating systems used by parents. Keep in mind that you want to build a client base as you build experience. Many jobs will ask for previous work samples with your application. Just make sure that you ask your clients before using work produced for them! There may be restrictions.
As you start your digital nomad journey, you’ll probably need to find a combination of smaller jobs that pay less. This is an opportunity to try out many different jobs so that you can find your niche! It won’t take long before you’ve built up enough experience and skills to live your best digital nomad life.
Hope you enjoyed this post on 11 best digital nomad jobs with little to no experience, and if you have any additions let us know in the comments!
