Many people didn't need work-from-home advice during the pandemic since they've already been doing it way before the start of the global health crisis. While stay at home directives consumed much of 2020 and beyond, the exponential rise of digital nomads, embracing the ethos that location is everything, continued its surge. In the US alone, there was a 112% increase in the number of digital nomads, which include online educators, from 2019 to 2021. Of course, these workers may not always be in the US; such is the prerogative of the digital nomad. Staying connected wherever you are in the world does take some planning, with many of the most valuable tools for professional nomads and online teachers freely available over the internet.

Branding, Billing, and Staying in Touch

Without a physical office space, it's even more essential to have some sort of offering that communicates who you are and what you do. Beyond social media and internet advertising, one effective way of achieving this is to shape invoice communications to suit your individual industry, service, and style. Download the free invoice template Excel offers, select from a range of sales, service, or shipping invoice templates, and then edit it to provide personalized branding and deliver your payment requests. Other valuable tools you'll find freely available over the internet include webinars and tutorials to assist those contemplating becoming a digital nomad, and others catering to professionals who are in the process of transitioning careers. You can locate most of the best software specific to your industry on the web.

Meanwhile, if you're involved in face-to-face tutoring or teaching, you'll possibly be utilizing the pandemic-popularized Zoom, or one of its alternatives. If you need a different video conferencing app, try Webex Meetings, Ring Central MVP, GlobalMeet Collaboration, or Google Workspace. These are just some of the other teleconferencing programs providing a similar platform to Zoom.

Stable Internet Connection

While it goes without saying that an internet connection is essential to working professionally as a digital nomad, the speed—and crucially, the reliability⁠—of your connection, are key factors. Over half of digital nomads surveyed by Flexjobs identified wifi reliability as among the top tech challenges of remote working. The use of mobile hotspotting can result in slow connection speeds, hotel wifi isn't always dependable, and the once ubiquitous internet cafe scene is slowly disappearing. Shared connections, which are fast becoming more readily available across the globe, can present security issues. An internet connection that drops out at times could cause you to miss important client communications, leave you unable to attend teleconferencing calls, or incapable of submitting work in a timely fashion. If your work is in a professional role such as teaching or tutoring, none of these are acceptable risks.

Try finding a coworking space to do your work. You may find that it's more conducive to work in such a place, specially if they have amenities to make your working hours more pleasant and comfortable. If you can't find a coworking space in your area, invest in a portable wifi device, and learn how to maximize its use to save you time and money. 

Investing time into acquiring and developing competency in the right tools for your job is essential to success in your chosen career. As we all graciously bid goodbye to the world as we knew it, as borders continue to re-open in both literal and metaphorical ways, our professional horizons are elevated with further advances into the digital sphere.