Recruitment Blog

App-ify your digital nomad lifestyle

Guest Author

Recruitment Expert

So you’ve managed to secure a telecommuting or remote working arrangement and you’ve got a new level of freedom?!

Firstly, congratulations! Secondly, it may take a bit of adjusting to a different kind of discipline and lifestyle required to excel and enjoy your new digital life. That’s where we have the experience that will be useful for your journey, and we love to share what we learn along the way!

Are you sitting comfortably? Let’s go…

ACCESS OUR FREE EBOOK: The complete guide to recruitment tech tools

Where to go?

With your new freedom, there are so many places you can go, but where do you start? We’ve found that NomadList is a great tool for quick and easy research into amazing digital nomad locations. You can search by livability, your interests, the climate, cost of living, internet speeds and more. Are you bringing the family along for the digital nomad journey? Filter by family-friendly locations too! Amazing right?!

Where to work from?

After you’ve decided on a country to head to, how can you know in advance where to set up your laptop? If you want to know if the cafe down the street from you has wifi, or if there will be an office nearby for a last-minute conference call, here’s where WorkFrom has its moment of glory.

This app has an ever-growing list of workable locations that have been scouted, tried and tested by folk like you. Features that you can discover about locations are noise level, wifi accessibility, food and alcohol availability, or… wait for it… POWER POINTS! I can tell you a thing or two about power point locations in non-digital-nomad-friendly places like Queenstown airport (they’re low on the north wall near the luggage carousel, and even comes with a seat!) but Workfrom.co takes this worldwide so you’ll know if there’s power waiting for you. As it’s a US-originated app, US locations are where it shines the most, but it also has locations as remote as Chiang Mai. I confess I just spent considerable time today dreaming about the 48 locations listed there. Maybe you would prefer to find dog-friendly work locations in San Francisco with a powerpoint? Hells yes! You can even sign in and see who’s working near you for some great networking opportunities. Have an explore and tell us what you find.

Where to stay?

If you’ve been living under a rock, you won’t have heard of Airbnb. But those of us who are lucky enough to have used this app will know of its benefits, and we’re happy to share them with you. With Airbnb you can stay with local people, be in a community or in a private oasis, and often be in central locations with great access to towns and transport. If you have your own transport, there are accommodation options outside of the mayhem of large cities. I love this option as it gives unique cultural opportunities that you may not get by staying in large hotel chains. Basically, the major advantage I’ve found with Airbnb is that it increases opportunities. When all the other hotels are booked out on booking.com or wotif… Airbnb will have something available. But now I head there first. You can search for places by your location, budget, amenities, language spoken, or even stay with Superhosts only so you’re guaranteed an excellent experience.

Getting around?

You’ve chosen a country, work location, a place to stay… now how do you get around? Uber.

Really… I’m all about supporting entrepreneurial people who are looking to make extra income, or work for a purpose. I feel Uber drivers are this category of people. Uber is available in all of these cities (it’s a long list, prepare for some reading time). On top of the anthropological and financial benefits I feel Uber embodies, it’s basically a reeeeally easy to use app, and I value great user experience. If I want an affordable, reliable ride, I can get one. Simple.

We love Uber so much at JobAdder that we have a business account linked to our personal Uber apps that we can all use to get home safely from company events.

Where Uber is not available, I’ve found GrabTaxi in South East Asia offers a good alternative. They’ve expanded to include GrabCar, GrabHitch, GrabShare, GrabCoach. So many transport options.

Build a social life and network?

The life of a digital nomad can be pretty sweet, but as some of us have found, it can have profound moments of loneliness when away from your normal home community, friends and family.

Here’s where Meetup comes to the rescue as a fantastic tool for networking or meeting folk with similar interests. Their motto “What do you love? Do more of it with Meetup” speaks for itself really doesn’t it? Are you in Chiang Mai and love board games (you’re there now aren’t you after I tempted you with the Workfrom.co locations), then this is the meetup for you. Are you not finding your interest group of “JobAdder fans anon” at your location? You can get proactive and start your own Meetup group. Get amongst it!

How to keep balanced?

With all of the constant change, transit, different sleeping locations/beds, noisy or long transport, and hostels full of snoring backpackers that comes with being a digital nomad… you need a soundtrack for meditation. Keep your sanity and zen with Insight Timer.

You can choose guided meditations, or a timer that plays ambient sounds or singing bowls/bells so you can bliss-out and come back grounded in a time that suits you. I love drifting off to sleep listening to this binaural nature sound track (connects both sides of your brain), and it feels like home wherever I happen to be.

Thanks for coming on this digital nomad journey with us.