Insights into the remote lifestyle The digital nomad survey

Insights into the remote lifestyle The digital nomad surveyInsights into the remote lifestyle The digital nomad surveyFlexJobssurveyed over 500 digital nomadsabout key topics related to their digital nomad career, lifestyle, and work style in September and October 2018. The results of our digital nomad surveychallenge some of the conceptions we see about who digital nomads are, and offer a fascinating look at this nomadic remote lifestyle.Whos the typical digital nomad?According to the nomads themselves,the profile of the average digital nomad is a married female in richtung Xerwho is an experienced employee working at a company at least 40 hours a week in the writing, education and training, or administrative career fields. She has health insurance, is saving for retirement, and has a bachelors degree or higher.This is far from the stereotypical nomad. In the media, the typical digital nomad is oftenportrayed as a freelancer or solopreneur, or ayoung professional backpacking across Europe, or atech startup founder living the dream. Andmora often than leid, a digital nomad is characterized as a man rather than a woman, yet according to this survey, 70% of digital nomads are women.We learned a lot about digital nomads from the answers given by these 500-plus survey respondents, and we hope you do, tooRead on for an inside look intodigital nomads, how they work and live, and why theyve chosen the nomadic remote lifestyleDemographicsGeneration27% identify as millennials or gen Z, 41% identify as gen X, and 32% identify as baby boomers or the silent generation.GenderThere are more women (70%) digital nomads than men (30%).Education72% have at least a bachelors degree and 33% have a masters degree.WorkMore digital nomads are employed by a company (35%) than digital nomad freelancers (28%) or business owners (18%).Time42% have been digital nomads for less than a year, 33% for 1-5 years, and 24% have been digital nomads for more than 5 years.Career fields for digital nomadsWe asked nomads to choose the career field they work in, and these were the top 10 fieldsWritingEducation TrainingAdministrativeCustomer Servicespecies CreativeComputer ITConsultingData EntryMarketingProject ManagementWhere digital nomads live and travelWhere They StayThe majority of digital nomads live in hotels (51%), then with friends/family (41%), Airbnb (36%), car/van/RV (21%), and hostels (16%).Top Places They TravelAmerica (53%) Western Europe (18%) Asia (13%) all over the world (12%).How Many Countries They Visit in a Year1-2 countries (73%) 3-4 countries (19%) more than 5 countries(8%).Travel ProgramsOnly 6% have participated in travel programs for nomads, such asRemote Yearor chippie Paradise. Just 5% have used co-living spaces, such asOutsiteor Nomad House.Longest Travel TimeThe longest amount of time theyve spent traveling while working 1-3 months (65%) 3-6 months (14%) 6 months-1 year (10%) 1+ year (11%).Moving AroundHow long they typically stay in one location before moving on it varies (27%) 1-2 weeks (22%) less than a week (17%) 3+ months (12%) 3-4 weeks (11%) 1-2 months (11%).Families of digital nomadsMarriage61% of digital nomads are married and 39% are unmarried.Travel with Spouse31% of married digital nomads partners travel with them full-time, 38% travel with them part-time, and 32% dont travel with their partners at all.ChildrenOnly 26% of digital nomads have children 18 and under.Travel with ChildrenOf those with children, 59% say their children dont travel with them at all.Schooling for Nomad KidsFor those with children who do travel with their digital nomad parent, the majority are enrolled in public school to meet their educational needs, followed by homeschooling and online schools.How digital nomads work hours, spaces, tech, travelHours70% work 40 hours per week or fewer. One-third of digital nomads work more than 40 hours per week, far fewer than the general population where86% of men and 67% of women work more than 40 hou rs per week.SpacesLess than one-fifth work in coworking spaces (19%). The majority work from their hotel/hostel (46%), coffee shop or local dining establishment (45%), Airbnb (27%), primary mode of transportation (van, camper, RV, car, etc.) (21%), or a library (20%).Top 5 Digital Communication and Collaboration ToolsSkype (67%)Google Chat (34%)GoToMeeting (32%)Google Hangouts (29%)Zoom (24%)Top 5 Technology ToolsLaptop (91%)Cell phone (88%)Battery charger (67%)Hotspot (51%)Wall power outlet anpassungseinrichtung (48%)Challenges, benefits, and reasons for being a digital nomadTop Challenges of Being a Digital Nomadfinding reliable Wi-Fi (52%) finding a good place to work (42%) networking (35%) time zones (29%) work communications (20%).Top Benefits of Being a Digital Nomadflexible schedule (85%) no commuting (65%) freedom to live and work where I choose (65%), work-life balance (63%) no office politics (52%) no dressing up for work (51%).Top Factors for Wanting to Be a Digital Nomad work-life balance (73%) enjoy the freedom (68%) love to travel (55%) avoid office politics and distractions of a traditional work environment (43%) want to explore other cultures (37%) high cost of living in home country (30%) poor local job market in hometown (24%).Lifestyle92% of digital nomads say the lifestyle is important to them.Impact88% report that being a digital nomad has had a huge improvement or positive impact on their lives.Salary, healthcare, finances, and retirementHealth Insurance74% of digital nomads have health insurance.Income18% report making six figures or more and 22% make between $50,000 and $99,999. According to the Social Security Administration,the average U.S. worker today earns roughly $46,641 a year.Making More or Less Than In-Office31% make similar amounts of money and 18% make more money as a digital nomad than when they worked traditionally. 46% make less money as a digital nomad.Additional Financial Support32% have occasionally received financial su pport beyond income from an outside source like a friend or family member to help make ends meet.Financial Stress38% say they feel less stressed financially as a digital nomad and 34% say there is no difference in financial stress than when they worked a traditional job.Retirement Savings55% are saving for retirement (a 2018 retirement savings survey found 42% of Americans will retire broke).31% are very concerned about saving for retirement and 34% say it is a concern.20% are slightly concerned and only 15% are not concerned at all.What everyonewants to know from digital nomadsThe question digital nomads are most commonly asked revolve around practical logisticsHow does it work/how do you do it? (35%)How do you afford it- can you make a living doing this? (12%)Does your family travel with you, what do your kids do for school, and do you miss being away from home so much? (9%)This article first appeared on FlexJobs.

Older Candidates Dont Take a Back Seat in the Hiring Process

Older Candidates Dont Take a Back Seat in the Hiring ProcessOlder Candidates Dont Take a Back Seat in the Hiring ProcessHere are five pointers for candidates who may have a few years under their belts.Does age bias exist in the hiring process today? Thats a tricky question, as its often hard to prove. Yet many mature workers seem to face an uphill battle when competing against Gen-Xers and Yers today.Dont let worries about your age block your path. Use these five tips to take control of your job search.Here are five pointers for candidates who may have a few years under their belts.1. Change Your MindsetRemind yourself that youre experienced, bedrngnis old. Youre seasoned, bedrngnis over-the-hill. Youre here-and-now, not history. Its all about spin and reframing. If you had any doubts, just review the presidential campaign.The latest financial- and credit-market collapse has created a lot of employment casualties and anxiety. But theres hope. Just because youre an older worker doesnt mean youre permanently sidelined. We can all agree that todays job market is tough, challenging and competitive. You can win in any job market with a can-do attitude and by powering up the tools you use to find a good job.2. Go on the OffensiveYou may be an older worker, but youre not dead. Use your savvy to sell your experience against youth. There are benefits to being older, like having wisdom and common sense, and a long work record of accomplishments. Sell your track record. During the interview, take advantage of your lengthy work history. Remember when you were fresh out of school and had no experience? Its hard breaking into a career or getting a job without experience. Arent you glad youre not in that position anymore? Appreciate being on the other end of the spectrum now, and turn your age into an advantage. Start by seeing your age as a strength and an asset.3. Wear Just One HatFocus only on the job title for which youre applying. Tell them what they want to know and not hing more. Most likely youve worn many different hats during your career. If your duties and experiences from some of your previous positions dont address the job titles requirements, dont emphasize them. In fact, get them off your resume entirely if you can. Dont give employers another reason to screen you out. This is your story. Tell it your way. Magnify only the aspects of your background that are relevant to your target objective. You want to focus your resume to reflect yourself in the most positive, powerful ways possible.4. Modify Your ResumeTake another look at your resume. Ask, Would I hire myself for this position? You cant do anything about your age, and you cant change the cultural and employment biases that exist today against older workers. But you can stack the job-hunting deck in your favor by reworking your resume to emphasize your strengths. Spin your story in your favor. Make sure everything relates in some way to your desired job objective. Drop old work history from your resume. You generally shouldnt need to show more than 10 years of work history. Any prior work is most likely irrelevant now, bores the reader and emphasizes your age. Remove obvious road markers such as dates. Remove college degree dates and older professional-training dates that go back more than a few years. Of course youve been around a while, but you dont have to shine a flashing light on the fact.5. Sell ResultsHeres the most important tip of all Hiring managers today are looking for results, not years. Talk the language that an employer understands and appreciates, which is return on investment. Instead of citing 20 years of experience, identify your benefits to the employer and put them into monetary terms. Back up your accomplishments with facts that are benefit-based. Sell them from the perspective of the end result of your work and how it served your present and previous employers.Money talks and it talks rather loudly. Heres some good news Money can trump age. As an employee, you either make money or save money for your employer. If the hiring manager doesnt see your value in one of these two categories, then you dont want to work for this company. In this recession, if the company isnt concerned about its bottom line, then it may not be around for long and isnt a viable option for you anyway. Get as close to money as you possibly can in the language of your accomplishments, and list them on your resume.SummaryIf youre an older, experienced worker, you dont have to take a back seat in the hiring process. While there will be age discrimination with some employers, you can still stack the deck in your favor. Remember, its about being honest but also about emphasizing your strengths rather than magnifying your vulnerabilities. Do this, and you can find a great job regardless of the economy.

Make Timing Count in the Job Search

Make Timing Count in the Job SearchMake Timing Count in the Job SearchIn the job search, timing can mean everything.Wouldnt it be nice if the job search had clear deadlines? Call the recruiter back no later than 300 p.m. today, or follow up on last weeks application by noon tomorrow. Everything is easier when theres a set schedule to follow.I often receive questions from job seekers about when they should follow up on a job application or an interview, so I think today is a good day to talk about timing. Here are a few guidelines to help you follow up on job leads at the right time.Application follow-upWhenever possible, follow up approximately one week after the job application deadline (if listed). This gives the employer enough time to review the resumes. If the job posting didnt list an application deadline, the rule of thumb is to follow up one week after your initial application. Click on the following link for information on how to follow up on an anonymous posting.Interview t hank-you noteSend a thoughtful thank-you message to each interviewer within 24 hours of every interview. Make sure to collect business cards or write down the proper spelling of interviewers names and email addresses during the interview process to ensure a timely and accurate follow-up.Interview follow-upOnce youve sent your initial message, follow up via email or by phone one week later (assuming you didnt get a response) to determine where the employer is in the hiring process and how you stack up against the other candidates. Always tailor the frequency of your follow-up communication to match the proximity of the employer to the hiring decision. If youve been given advance permission to follow up directly with the hiring manager, one call a week is appropriate. Dont call unless you have something to say to influence your cause.When youre excited about a particular opportunity, the last thing you want to do is scare the employer away with the wrong font of follow-up. Remember, t heres a fine line between enthusiastic and intrusive. Hectoring the recruiter or hiring manager could backfire badly. Use the guidelines above to properly time your follow-up communication with employers.