So you’re looking to work remotely and travel. Congratulations, this is the first step towards ultimate work-life balance bliss! Making the leap into working from home (or anywhere with a wi-fi connection) full time is a major investment in planning out your life.
Young professionals are changing the way companies employ at all levels, and the broadest level it’s happening on is in entry-level positions. Some companies want to take a trial period before committing to employing a full-time remote team. The good news is that this gives you an opportunity to prove yourself immediately and proliferate with trustworthy companies. Over the next several weeks we will be releasing everything from our favorite travel accessories, travel tips and general thoughts to help make your remote work experience that much better! Whether you just want to tour your local coffee scene hopping back and forth from internet cafés or you want to work while on vacation in Costa Rica.
What is your goal? Are you merely trying to work while on a 1-2 week vacation or are you looking to move day to day life to a foreign destination? Maybe you’re like me and you’d like to skip the daily commute while still getting fresh experience in tech? In any case, establish what you’re looking to accomplish. On a personal note, be sure to ask yourself, ‘why do I want to do this?’ Even though working remotely is being more widely accepted, it takes a special commitment to create value outside office walls.
A friend of mine faced this dilemma last year. He’s been fortunate to travel all over the world but hadn’t spent extensive time in any one place. “I regretted not doing a study abroad program in college.” He wanted to experience managing day to day life outside of the US. With a 4-6 month open window, he ultimately decided to do Remote Year.
While there may be costs associated with going through these programs, they are a great way to network and a lot of the planning is taken care of for you (from accommodations to working spaces).
If you’re going away for a longer period, depending on your destination, there may be visa requirements you may need to follow. If you’re a Canadian, US or EU citizen, most countries allow you to stay in the country your first 90 days on a tourist visa. Some countries allow indefinite or extended stays for tourists also, try checking out Travisa to find more information on specific destinations. Whether you’re going for a week or months/years at a time, its good to check on Visa requirements before you dive too deep into planning mode.
If you’re going to be gone for months at a time and don’t want to put your mail on hold with the Post Office, and don’t want to completely unplug, be sure to get a virtual address.
Of course, while we are in the paperless era, having a digital address will allow you to access your paper mail from thousands of miles away. Whether it’s ‘Save The Dates’, Wedding Invitations, Birthday Cards, or even a note from your grandmother, you’ll be up to speed on all areas of your life. Check Out Earth Class Mail and Physical Address.
Consider your internet access. While WI-FI access has become nearly universal, not all WI-FI connections worldwide are meant to handle extensive streaming or video conferences. You have some options that will help you make the leap from place to place while staying connected.
Options for being more WI-FI self-sufficient:
Consider the time zone difference between where you are going and where your home office and/or customers are located. This is critical for any customer-facing roles.
Consider this, when it’s noon in San Francisco, 3 pm in New York, its 3 am in Bangkok…
If you’re in a customer-facing role in the US/Canada and in a customer-facing role, Latin America is the perfect destination to stay on par with your current meeting schedule.
In fact, there’s a separate article about remote client success. That blog gives careful insight into how to prep for a vacation or period away from clients and how to make the most of your vacation after its over (hint: always write about your experiences and processes).
That’s all for now, let me know what your favorite remote working locations are by sending an email to justin@closedwon.ai, here at ClosedWon we are firm believers in Digital Nomadism and growing the culture around it.