How To Work From Anywhere In A Flexible Career

This post is part of the Work From Anywhere/Earn Extra Income series where I’ll be providing details on how you can move towards a location independent lifestyle and have the freedom to work from anywhere and travel the world – as and when you please. This weeks topic is finding a flexible career.

So, you’ve decided that location independence is definitely for you, but the thought of starting your own business or working in short term jobs just isn’t for you, so what do you do now? The answer is simple – you need to find a career, or tweak your own so that it will allow you the ability to work from anywhere in the world. There are a number of ways you can go about this, which I have outlined below.

Negotiate A Remote Working Agreement With Your Current Employer

If you are set on location independence and are in a position where you do not have to be physically in the workplace every day, then negotiating a remote working agreement with your current employer may be the easiest road for you to achieve your goals.

You might feel like this will be a huge ask, and one that is likely to be turned down, but in the current technology based age that we live in more and more people are working remotely so you might be surprised as to the answer you receive.

My advice would be to take this one step at a time – Initially ask if you could work one day from home on the proviso that the quality of your work doesn’t deteriorate, then perhaps move to three days, and then to full time. If you are performing then this really should not be a problem.

Alternatively, you could float the idea upfront with your manager and let him or her know that this is what you want from your career, and see if it’s something that your company could accommodate in the future.

Only you know your boss and your company, so go with your gut feeling on what technique would work best.

Apply For A Company Transfer

If working remotely from your current office isn’t an option and you work for a national or international company, then you could speak to your manager about applying to work in another office either overseas, or in another location in your home country.

Often large companies advertise vacancies online so you can see what is available and put yourself forward as the best candidate for the job. This is a great option because it’s likely that your company will cover the costs of your move and also organise any visas that you may need to work in your new location.

Negotiate A Remote Working Agreement With A New Employer

If your current employer isn’t playing ball but you can’t seem to forget your location independent dreams then your next best move is to apply for a remotely based role at a new company.

This will allow you to narrow down positions that suit your needs and this may actually turn out even better than staying at your original workplace as it’s likely you will be set up with remote working equipment and have the opportunity to ask for a pay rise.

You can apply for remote roles through the usual websites like Monster or you could try a specialist remote roles website like Remote Employment – this will depend on the sector you work in, and how jobs are usually advertised. You may even wish to speak to a local recruiter in your field to see if they have any advice on how to find the kind of job you are looking for.

Apply For Overseas Roles

If you’re feeling like you need a change and are looking to start your location independent life sooner rather than later then you might want to start applying directly for overseas roles that give you the flexibility to work from anywhere in the future. This can be the most rewarding way of finding yourself a new remotely based career, but could also the most difficult, so make sure you research where you would like to live and the visa required.

Also keep in mind how long you would like to stay working in your new home country – are you after a long term move, or only a one year contract? You may want to find a large international employer with many offices around the world so that you have the opportunity to move around in the future, or if you want the freedom you can work as a contract-based freelancer for a year or two and then continue to move around as and when you please.

The world really is your oyster, so whatever your plan of attack is make sure you think it through and once you know which path you want to take don’t stop until it’s yours!

Photo Credits – Thanks to mmagallan (sxu license)

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