How To Work From Home Abroad Or In Another Country
Ever dreamed of working from home in another country? As the world of work today has expanded beyond borders, it is possible now to work from home from a far off city and operate 100% remotely. And the best thing about that is, you’ll get to enjoy lots of freedom as well as potential savings.
The trend for remote working from abroad is growing by heaps and bounds. Based on a research study from MBO Partners (via US News), approximately 16.9 million American workers identify as digital nomads. In short, more and more people now prioritize location freedom and flexibility over perceived “stability”.
If you’re looking to become one of those people who enjoy total freedom and satisfaction in their work, then read the rest of this article:
Why Work From Home Abroad?
While going to another country to travel and work remotely may not be for everyone, those who choose this lifestyle have very compelling reasons for doing so. Here are some of the juicy reasons:
First in the list is the cost of living. Consider this: if you’re living in a first world country and in a city with high costs of rent, food and supplies, then it makes perfect sense to pack bags and relocate to a cheaper location.
By simply moving from a first world country to a third world country, it is possible to cut living costs by at least 50% or more. This is because the value of the currency in the US, Canada, UK, or Australia might be higher when spent in a developing country.
Of course, aside from cost savings, the second biggest reason for working remotely from abroad is the chance to travel and live life to the fullest. Lots of people in traditional work setups rarely take long vacations. Instead, they feel trapped inside the cubicle world and never experience the excitement of traveling as often as their remote worker counterparts.
Working from home abroad gives you the chance to see new places you’ve never been before, and perhaps even adapt to a new culture or learn a new language.
The third biggest reason for remote working abroad is having location and time freedom. When working outside the four walls of an office, you can choose when and where to work. No need to clock into the office and worry about corporate politics. All you need to worry about is delivering the work and ensuring it meets quality expectations.
Convinced that this lifestyle is for you? Read about some of our tips to help you get started:
Things To Consider Before Deciding To Work From Home Abroad
As mentioned earlier, this move is not for everyone. If you are already settled in a particular area or perhaps growing a family, going to another country to work remotely from there may be tough.
On the other hand, if you’re young, adventurous, or single, you might benefit from taking the opportunity to work as a digital nomad for a few years to pile up some savings.
The decision, of course, is totally up to you. Consider your long term career goals, your present situation in life, and your level of aversion to risk.
The first thing you need to consider before making this move is the source of income. Where will you be getting the income to support your life abroad? Before packing your bags, it is highly advisable to have a few clients first or at least secure one (1) remote job.
Working from home abroad doesn’t have to be a “hail Mary” shot. You can plan it in advance in a calculated way so you can minimize your risks.
Secondly, ask yourself what you will be giving up in exchange for the “laptop lifestyle” that you want. This might require you to give up some convenient comforts in your country in order to adapt to becoming a digital nomad.
Thirdly, you need to have a clear goal in mind as well as a definite sense of purpose of why you are embarking on a remote job abroad. For example, give yourself a timeline of how many months or years you plan to work and travel abroad at the same time.
Once you establish clear expectations and have considered the main factors for working from home abroad, you are now ready to make the first steps to making this dream a reality:
Steps To Start Working Remotely From Abroad
Here are some steps you can follow to start working from home in another country. Consider this as a guide instead of a strict list that you need to follow:
Find A Good Paying Remote Job
You need to have a job that allows you to work from home and that will allow you to have location freedom. So the first thing you need to do is to apply to several remote work opportunities online and see where that leads you.
You can decide to either be a content writer, web designer, digital marketer, transcriptionist, online teacher, or whatever you’re good at. Alternatively, you can also start working as a chat support specialist so you can enter the online job market without a lot of technical skills or experience (more on this later).
Research 3 to 5 Places You Can Potentially Relocate To
When it comes to finding a place to relocate to, you need to do your homework. First, you need to find a country that also excites you and fascinates you to some extent. The idea is to have fun, not just to save money. So treat this work relocation as an extended vacation and adventure.
Once you find 3 to 5 options, research the culture, cost of living, and local environment of each location or country. This will give you an idea of how it feels to live there and what it might cost you in expenses each month.
Decide if you will go it alone or you’ll relocate with family, friend, partner or colleague. Some digital nomads pool their resources together and share lodging and food with other like minded people. This enables them to sustain their remote work lifestyle without breaking the budget.
Invest In Equipment That You Need
Make sure that you are equipped with what you need to get the job done. In most cases, all you need is a fully functioning laptop. If you are a Youtuber or podcaster, you might need additional equipment like video cameras, drones, or professional mics.
Earlier, we mentioned something about working as a Chat Support specialist. When it comes to remote work, it is one of the best choices because you don’t need advanced equipment. As long as you have access to an internet connection, you can work anytime and anywhere with just your laptop.
Is It Possible To Work From Home Abroad Permanently?
The decision on whether to work from home temporarily or permanently is totally up to you. The beauty of online remote work is that you can decide to turn it on and turn it off. You can structure your career according to your chosen lifestyle, instead of the other way around.
Some people who start to experience the benefits of working from home abroad never look back. To them, going back to the cubicle world or office lifestyle is not an option. Others use remote work as a springboard to save money that they can later use to start a business or buy money-making assets (such as stocks or real estate).
Still, there are those who love their office jobs, and simply prefer to go on long sabbatical leaves abroad to refresh and take things in perspective. In these cases, it is best to have a part-time online job that could still pay the bills during a career break.
Chatwriters: The Ultimate Work From Home Abroad Opportunity
There are a lot of jobs out there that offer remote working, but they don’t provide a high level of freedom and flexibility. Chatwriters is different. When we say it’s “work from home”, it means it’s fully flexible and allows you to choose your working hours. The best thing is, you can decide how many hours you render each day and work at your own pace.
Chatwriters is a reputable company that hires chat workers who will respond to messages on online platforms. The messages are from people who are looking to connect with other people, and the topics of conversation are anything under the sun. As a chat operator, you will get paid for every message that you send. There is no limit to how few or how many messages you can respond to each day.
Working as a remote chat operator provides the kind of freedom that cannot be found in any office-based job. This is why many people now decide to start a career as a chat operator because of the flexibility it provides.
And with Chatwriters, there is little to no barrier to entry when it comes to education, experience or personal background. It is an equal opportunity workplace that rewards workers based on how hard they work, instead of the size of their resume.
Want to know more about Chatwriters? Click here.