Photo: mangpages
Location independent jobs allow web-savvy professionals to open a virtual office anywhere in the world.
Last year I packed my job as a web designer to over 20 countries and worked the same job I did when I was at home. Let’s flash back- I had just graduated college in America and had started a job as a web designer for a car company. After a few months, it dawned on me that there was no reason for me to come into the office every day and I approached my boss about alternatives to the normal plan.
I still wanted to work for them, and I had built up a lot of employer confidence, so I simply asked: “Do I need to be here every day?” The transition to location independence started with me coming in three days a week, spending my free time taking road trips down to Baja California or fishing in the Oregon Mountains. As long as I stayed in a hotel with wireless internet or stopped by at a café long enough to do some work, everything was fine.
The arrangement quickly progressed to one and two day work weeks and then eventually my current situation: weekly output goals with free structure in terms of hours and days per week.
Interested in starting your mobile office? Here are 10 tips to succeed in going remote.
1. Start slow.
Don’t approach your current boss with plans of a permanent relocation to the Philippines without testing the waters first. I still try to come back to town once every four to six months just to let my office know I’m still a real person.
Photo: CarbonNYC
2. Calculate cost savings: It’s good for everyone.
Having one less body in the office cuts insurance and utility costs. People tend to work a lot smarter when they don’t have to do something that looks like work for eight hours a day.
You will need to sell your proposal well if you want to enjoy life out of the office. Less cost, less drain on resources, and an increase in output: you working remotely is good for your employer!
3. Plan ahead.
The downside to working while traveling is that you’re always working. If you have a deadline to make or a project that needs to be finished, it won’t get pushed back so you can visit the Louvre or have one more night out in Prague. Plan work schedules ahead of time to avoid complications and ensure consistent productivity.
4. Stay disciplined.
Many people lose their jobs while abroad because they can’t handle all the freedom. Take away the cubicle walls and replace them with the beaches of Biarritz or seaside walks in Cinque Terre and it’s a little harder to get work done. Treat it like a carrot in front of your nose. It’s all there for you to play with- but not ‘til you get your work done.
5. Deal with the stress.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve almost had nervous breakdowns based on spotty, unreliable internet while abroad.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve almost had nervous breakdowns based on spotty, unreliable internet while abroad. Know the situation beforehand and plan ahead. Things are going to get stressful at first, but try to slow down. Breathe and relax. At least you’re not in the office, right?
6. Increase output.
With the only real exception being commission based sales, almost everyone could work harder than they do. As soon as you get your boss to give you a chance at outer office freedom, show him that without the daily distractions of your usual work environment you’re able to get a lot more done.
Try not to cite how much you hate the place as a reason for the increase in productivity. Better scapegoats are escaping the commute, a quieter work environment, and increased happiness due to more time with the family.
7. Communicate.
No job in the world is going to let you work remotely unless you take the time to let your employer know what it is you’re working on, when you’re going to be available, and what your future plans are. Working remotely forces you to communicate clearly and effectively in a solely technological environment. If you can’t do that, you’ll be back in the office in no time.
8. Develop alternative sources of income.
Leaving the office and going mobile is great until your boss decides you’re having too much fun and decides to end your extended vacation. Work isn’t always going to be there.
Develop a savings account you can lean on when you need to but also work on generating recurring passive income. Start a blog, sell your photography, write for travel online magazines.
9. Sell your skills.
If you have a skilled trade like web design, graphic design, copy writing, or patent law, you can spend time abroad searching for work as well. Find interesting side projects for companies in your new country of residence and use these as an opportunity to learn about local culture and business practices.
Meet local people you probably wouldn’t meet in a bar. If things work out, you may find yourself another mobile job you can bring with you- or at least a good reference!
10. Enjoy your free time.
Photo: nattu
All too often I remember spending so much time working and stressing about deadlines that I forgot about why I was doing this whole thing in the first place. Do your work quickly and efficiently early in the morning and then GET OUT.
Go explore wherever it is you happen to be. Go to a museum, read a book in the park, go to the beach, do whatever it is you want to do- nothing is there to hold you back anymore.
Community Connection:
How to Make Travel Look Good on a Resume
How To Find An Internet Cafe Anywhere In The World
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19 Comments... join the discussion!
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I have a friend who is in the process of doing this very thing. Right now he’s convinced the boss to let him work from the coffee shop downstairs a few days per week. In a few more weeks, he’s going to ask to only have to come in 1 day per week (for meetings). A month or so later? He’ll be making the jump and asking for location independence. Wish him luck!
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Wow…this is definitely my dream. What I worry most about is missing that built-in human interaction in the workplace that can lead to friendships. This is great advice, though–definitely what I’ve been looking for. Thanks!
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Awesome advice for transitioning a more corporate job to location independent. However, not all jobs and situations will be able to be transitioned – likely few will actually. For many, there may need to come a time of taking a leap of faith and going completely independent and freelance.
Sometimes the slow path just doesn’t work, but taking a leap does.
To each their own however.. and your mileage may vary.
– Cherie
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Fantastic advice!
And Megan– while you might miss the human interaction in the workplace, you also get to miss some of the pettiness of those human interactions!
And besides, you get to discover dozens of new ways to connect with people (and they’re often way more exciting!)
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Duly noted!
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Great advice! This is definitely something I’m working on right now too. Thanks Steve!
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Excellent advice. I’m 7 months into doing something similar. The key is to have a lot of irons in a lot of fires, and not rely on one income stream. And yes, you’re right…while everyone’s running off to the waterfall, you have to be strong enough to say “I’m sorry but I have to work for the next four hours.”
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Great post. I’ve been looking at the idea of ‘architecture offshore’ – which requires me to think about architecture completely differently. Mobility for work in one way or another is catching up to the hype of 10+ years ago.
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If only more employers were so progressive! Many jobs can be done out of the office, at the very least from home (if not abroad), but so many employers just can’t handle letting you out of their sight.
This is also my goal…excellent tips, very inspiring!
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You guys have already noted most of the problems with remote work. I hate to admit it, but there is times I want to go into an office and see people I know and be able to talk about work and bounce ideas off of them. However, I’ve had great experiences looking for smaller jobs wherever I happen to be. They tend to pay fairly less, but they open up a lot of interaction that would be difficult as a “tourist.” My only real advice is to try it out. It’s not for everyone, but people also tend to forget that if you’re competent and reliable you pretty much always will have a job where people know you, no matter how horribly your remote work experiment goes!
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Great Article Steve!
It sounds like you have a very progressively minded employer. I read a good quote from author Ian Sanders, “work is a mindset, not a place.” I wonder how long it will take for the rest of the world to figure that out.
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I’m curious about the Visa situation… does the fact that you have an employer in the U.S. prevent you from needing one to live abroad?
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I’m mostly location independent ( 4 days a week ). There is only usually one day per week I have to be in an exact spot. One of my biggest gripes about this is that I have good friends ( I’m referring to a specific couple of people I consider best friends ) truly do not understand that I am working during the week and that I don’t just work one day a week. It’s not that I have anything to prove to them, but I wish they would “Get it” . Besides ….if it were a contest …. wouldn’t the person working only one day a week win anyway ?
It just really bothers me that they think I’m enjoying my time during the week SO MUCH when I do my most boring tasks mid-week ( selling shoots, photo editing, going to lab, working on website, doing other work related errands ).
It’s a lost cause. I don’t think they will ever get it !Also ……… trying to explain the stress of not being busy enough is really hard to understand for other people who aren’t in a position to have to sell their services.
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Jen- As with most things, it depends. I’m currently in Indonesia and they offer a “business visa” which is distinguished from a “working visa” in the sense that I’m producing a product/service but none of the proceeds are going to Indonesia. The price is not considerably more than a regular visa and the restrictions for obtaining one are pretty lenient.
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Thanks for the advice Steve! This is definitely an idea I’ve been toying with for the past year (I’m a recent college grad myself!) and have been trying to figure out the best way to approach my company about this. I guess that now I’ve officially ran out of excuses and just need to do it!
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I’m location independent every day except one a week ( shooting day ). I really do miss human interaction during the week and often work from a coffee shop or something to compensate.
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Great article Steve! I especially loved 5 and 10.
5 because of a hilarious-to-look-back-on day in Manali India when I ended up moving between pretty much every net cafe in the town trying to find a place where the power lasted more than 10 minutes! Pre-wireless and laptop days!
10 because like you said it’s so easy to forget to take the time off and really appreciate where you are.
Thanks for the inspiration to get that lifestyle going again soon!↵ -
This is something I would really like to do. I’m glad to know that it is actually possible!
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