Projects
|
FAQ
|
Announcements
Focus only on your own growth.
GapYear is a time for growth and happiness.
Back to ListBack to List
Actually, since childhood I dreamed of the Age of Exploration. Trading and wandering from place to place, feeling the cool sea breeze while learning new things(?), earning money, and boasting to family and friends with tales... what a magnificent life that would be!!
But in reality I had nothing more than my heavy body, which had grown very properly from 'home-school-home' to 'home-company-home.' I had no special skills, and the only digital skill I was confident in was document writing... I became a person full of humanities(?) sensibility. Even with my sensitivity, life is too harsh to make a living as a wandering poet... (Could a humanities student in the Age of Exploration also travel the world and engage in trade? I suddenly feel frustrated even asking that question...)
Then an article I read not long ago called 'Digital Nomad' came to mind.A new world where you leisurely surf in the morning, work in the afternoon, and build networks with other nomads in the evening!!
Note: This piece examines whether an ordinary person without specific skills can dream of a life of traveling while working. Still, there is some light content for those new to 'digital nomads,' so I recommend reading it at least once. |
Rejoice! The era of digital nomads continues to unfold.
The rise of digital nomads was, of course, driven in part by advances in technology and transportation. As devices like laptops and smartphones and services like cloud storage became mainstream, people were able to work wherever and whenever they wanted, and cheap plane tickets made it easy for us to move to different parts of the world.
In fact, the area most affected by technological development was the labor market and perceptions of work.
Work automation began even before AI (artificial intelligence) emerged, and machines replacing full-time jobs have become a trend in the global labor market. Some economists even predict that in the near future 80% of jobs will be automated, leaving only 20% as creative work.
Especially for creative work, a flexible and free work environment is essential. In fact, among young Americans, more people prefer flexible forms of employment (short-term contracts or freelance) and work environments that promote personal growth and a balance between life and work, rather than employment stability.Globally, freelancers are on the rise compared to regular full-time workers, and the United States—arguably the largest producer of 'digital nomads'—has over 48% of companies supporting work regardless of locationare doing so!!
In our country it is still uncertain whether this is realistic... but globally,
1) A labor environment favorable to digital nomads has been established
2) Corporate perception of this is also positive
3) There are even technologies in place to support this!
In other words, the world is increasingly becoming a place where you can leave if you want.
Quick clarification: this article is by no means advocating creating flexible employment environments. Because each country has entirely different welfare systems and standards for employment stability, the impact of flexible employment environments varies enormously. It's just good to be aware that this is the global trend.
By the way, even if not to become a digital nomad... to survive in the labor market changing in the AI era,isn't becoming an expert in creative work essential?I thought. If that is the case,Digital nomadmay no longer be an experimental lifestyle but could become a normal way of life for the next generation.
Then, seriously and thoroughly, from my perspective,the pros and cons of digital nomadsare as follows.
< Advantages >
- Getting money in your bank account even without going to the office!! 5 out of 5 stars! But it literally just means 'you don't have to go to the office'—it doesn't mean you don't work. So this is definitely not passive income.
- There's less stress unrelated to work. If you think you won't have to meet the crazy team leader or the incompetent manager in your team in person, your life satisfaction will increase somewhat.
- You don't have to ride the hellish commute for an hour every day! If you imagine finishing work at 5 and being home by 5:20, your stress seems to drop by about a third already.
- You can live and work freely wherever you want. It can be a hotel, a café, a pool. Even a mountaintop is fine as long as there's Wi‑Fi. Just remember that places with internet as good as in our country are rare.
- End of work = travel. You can start traveling the moment you finish work without taking a plane. As someone who likes slow travel, it's very appealing. You can enjoy the area without rushing.
- Surprisingly, you may be able to focus well on work. It's similar to the principle of getting more focused when working in a café.
- The Korean passport is powerful! There are quite a few places you can visit visa-free with a Korean passport, making digital nomad life easier. Well, it's more like a huge perk than a mere advantage. haha
< Disadvantages >
- It turns out you don't get to work as much as you want. Every task has deadlines, so to meet them you have to work according to those schedules.
- About the workload... You can of course adjust it to your convenience, but if you do nothing at all you'll likely feel anxious that work will dry up. Therefore, it's good to keep doing something continuously for current and future living expenses. (At least maintain some PR presence online...)
- If you do digital nomadism for less than 2–3 years as a gap year it's fine, but since you don't know when or where you'll move it's hard to make long-term life plans. Everyone faces life decisions at some point (buying a house, marriage, children), so it's good to learn about these in advance.
- One big downside is relationships... There are networking events and programs where you can meet people from around the world and get information, but that's about it. It's not a culture that builds the deep bonds common in our country, so as a Korean I often felt relationships remain superficial. Of course you may meet people you truly connect with, but relationships are a matter of fate, so don't have too high or too low expectations.
- Maybe because of that, some people find dating difficult. (Even if you stay in one place a long time, being bad at dating is the same... I'm not crying.)
< Other points to consider >
Below are items that are neither advantages nor disadvantages but depend on how I handle them.
- This is more a freelancer trait than a digital nomad one: you must be self-directed. You need to manage your work and travel time yourself, so it can be grueling for people who prefer to work passively.
- It seems more suitable for people who prefer to earn less and enjoy more free time than for those who want to save a lot of money.
After listing pros and cons, it's premature to decide to be a digital nomad for life, but I still think living as one for a 1–2 year gap year would be fine. If you're going to work anyway, work-related stress is tolerable, but being stressed by other things like relationships or commuting is really miserable. Thinking those things are reduced brings an instant smile... and you can relieve work stress by traveling, right?
So, where and how should you start?
Below are things I need to prepare from my perspective as someone starting out as a digital nomad. Based on the goal of actually leaving within a year after reading blogs, articles, and watching videos, I listed what needs to be prepared.
1. Finding work
When I thought of digital nomads, web/app developers and web/video designers came to mind. Maybe because of the 'digital' image I thought you needed computer skills (my ignorance...), but when I looked into it there are far more possible jobs than I expected. First, let me say again:To become a digital nomad,a self-driven attitude is essential.Therefore, it's good to consider which of your skills or interests you can proactively pursue.
Below arethings I, with no technical skills beyond document writing, can start preparing for and do easilyare.
* For me, the best option would be to apply to my company for remote work, but because that won't be easily accepted in our country, I excluded it from the start.
- Marketer
In marketing there are ongoing tasks but also short-term projects. In those cases most planning through execution is outsourced to freelancers. You can find marketing work in the places you travel or perform it online. If you've done marketing at a company and take on real marketing work while preparing to be a digital nomad, you could literally prepare to be a digital nomad while still working at your company. (Keep it secret from the company.)
- Writing/Translation
I've recently seen people debut as travel book authors... Besides that, you can earn money writing overseas market reports, articles, or running a blog. If your English is strong you can try translation work; professional translation pays well but usually requires qualifications and favors graduates from relevant fields. There are interpretation/translation academies, online courses, and graduate programs... I should check if I can do it within a year... that darn English.
- Starting an online business
It's the most difficult option. Not only is it hard, but it can take a long time to become profitable. However, there are quite a few cases where people traveling abroad or living as digital nomads were inspired to start online businesses or returned home to start ventures. So keep an open mind — you might find a great product in Bali and open an online shop.
- Yoga instructor
These days awareness of physical and mental health is rising a lot, and it's rare to find something that trains both body and mind at the same time like yoga. It's a popular profession corresponding to the growing demand. In particular, because you can obtain an international yoga instructor certification by studying in India for just one month, it's easy to start. (It's even cheaper than learning in Korea!)
- Finding overseas jobs where you can work while traveling
In fact, in the US or Europe there are various jobs that involve traveling around the country, such as doing sales, store consulting, or conducting research. For Americans it might feel like traveling around Jeonju or Busan, but for me, thinking about visiting New York, San Francisco, or Seattle would also be fun. However, the issue is that you need English conversation skills at a work level, and I also need to find work based on my current career. First of all, I should start studying English right away.
There were many others as well. The conclusion is:That being a digital nomad is not only for certain special people.In the end, if you continue doing work, expertise accumulates and becomes a skill. Also, abandon the idea that you'll only do one job. Don't underestimate your abilities and try to explore possibilities. If you really can't find anything no matter how hard you think, aiming for certifications that can build skills faster, like yoga or scuba diving instructor qualifications, is not a bad idea.
2. Start freelancing while still in Korea
If you've decided on a job, it's probably a good idea to start it in Korea first. You can build work-related networks that may help you find work abroad, gain freelance experience before working overseas, or practice being a digital nomad in advance. Also, since I've never lived as a freelancer before, I can estimate the inconveniences and necessities of freelancing.
3. Study English
If you plan to work only for Koreans while living as a digital nomad, travel-level English might be sufficient. But there are so many situations where English is necessary: when building a local network, when you have to find work locally, when you want to get more jobs not only from Korea but from other countries, or when your work requires English (teaching, translation, etc.). English is not necessarily the cause of failure, but preparing in advance is an essential process to enrich your life. Therefore, I recommend having basic conversational English before you go.
4. Save travel funds / Sell your belongings
Because you'll be earning money abroad, you don't actually need to earn a year's worth of living expenses in advance. But since you never know what might happen, I think it's good to prepare about three months' living expenses beforehand. Of course it depends on spending and plans, but in my case I manage even without much... To estimate the minimum living expenses...
Plane ticket (considering Bali, roughly 500,000 won one-way, planning to go in the low season) + living expenses (about $1,000) x 3*+ Emergency fund (since you may not know when you'll have to return...)500,000 won) = about 4,500,000 won
*Living costs are based on the site that compares digital nomad citiesnomadlistas the reference. You might think it's more expensive than expected, but with that money you can live in a better environment than in Seoul.
*Living expenses generally cost about 1.5 to 2 times more for short-term residents (less than one year) than for locals.
Rather than covering this with your salary, selling your belongings to generate extra income is also a good method. After all, to become a digital nomad you need to travel light...
Even if a used bookstore buys my books for cheap, I think I could get about 100,000 won, and desks, beds, my beloved coffee machine (sob), a recently bought rice cooker, a very usable washing machine and refrigerator, etc. For clothes that are still usable but I can't take, I should see if I can sell them at flea markets. If I dispose of the house, I'll get the deposit back... I'll keep that safe because it's needed for settling down when I return to Korea.
If I add things up, it seems to come to about 1,200,000 won. Ah... it was a modest life... They say you come into this world empty-handed and leave empty-handed...
5. Building an Online Network
There are quite a few communities and websites for digital nomads online. Even just looking at them helps you get a sense of how they live, so I joined many of them... Once you decide where to go, it's nice to be able to ask for help with preparations. There are also communities for Koreans. Aside from the Google search engine, the places I primarily referenced are listed below.
- 노마드 리스트(노마드 라이프 관련해서 도시 정보를 얻기 좋은 곳 1): https://nomadlist.com
- Teleport (great for city information about nomad life 2):https://teleport.org/
- We Are Digital Nomads (curious about what Koreans are saying):https://www.wearedigitalnomads.kr
- Nomadic Matt (you can find tips about nomad life):https://nomadicmatt.com
- Freelancer (finding freelance work):https://www.freelancer.com
6. When should I leave?
If you decide to leave with about a year of preparation,...There will be a lot to do in the meantime, so you'll probably be somewhat busy. You need to learn new skills, and conversely you have to sort out what you have—your job, your home, etc. Where is a new challenge ever easy?...You may want to. So be sure to remember that the preparation for becoming a digital nomad starts now!
If I had to set the day I leave Korea, by my standard,I think it's best to make it three weeks after your last day at work.I think so. After quitting you'll have government office matters, you should visit your hometown to greet your parents, meet friends, so you'd probably need a month, but if you delay more than a month you may not be able to depart — so I thought an awkward three-week period is best. But realistically I'll probably leave on the cheapest flight day...
I'm the kind of person who tends to travel without much preparation. So when I leave, I plan to book a plane ticket and a hostel for the first 3–5 days. It's usually cheaper to find a place after arriving, so it's better to do the legwork locally.You can decide what to do for travel once you're there, so it's best to go having prepared, to some extent, how to start working.
Actually, this is only the start, so preparations may be far from sufficient. It may even seem reckless. But once you begin preparing, things will become clear, so this much really is half the battle.
So to conclude my long-winded preparations,Surprisingly, if you set your mind to it, anyone can travel as a digital nomad and live a joyful life. Everything depends on your mindset.
I recommend it for people who want to live happily and freely even if they earn less. If you're the opposite, I don't recommend it.Freedom and leisure are nice, but earning money is still difficult. Keep in mind in advance that there will be times when it’s tough and frustrating.Having your own area of expertise and being able to adapt to a flexible labor market is not just for digital nomads — it’s future preparation everyone should do.
By Editor Orangju
|