The Best Job Roles for Working Remotely Abroad
As more job roles have adopted remote working, more people are embracing the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world. If you’re interested in blending work with travel, we’ve found some of the best job roles for working remotely abroad. You could embrace the flexibility and creativity that comes with remote working, finding a role that suits your skill set and allows you to explore new countries and thrive in a new location.
Graphic designer
Skills needed: creativity, artistry, attention to detail, communication skills, time management, knowledge of graphic design software
Average salary: £20,000-£40,000
Graphic designer is a fantastic job role for working remotely abroad. Graphic designers are often in high demand for brands looking to undertake digital marketing campaigns. Often, it’s possible for a graphic designer to build ongoing relationships with companies, meaning you’ll get work time and time again.
To be a graphic designer, you’ll need to have an eye for design and skills in artistry. You’ll also need to be able to use certain design software programmes, such as Photoshop and InDesign. Many graphic designers will have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, fine arts, or similar, however, you may be able build a career in graphic design without a degree, by putting together a design portfolio to showcase your work.
Your role as a graphic designer will involve taking on briefs from clients and creating designs based on these briefs. This could be for anything from logos, infographics, packaging, websites, and more. You can choose to specialise in a certain area, for example, you might focus on creating designs for websites.
You may need to attend meetings to plan and present your work, so you’ll benefit from having good communication skills and need to be comfortable making presentations. You may need to create multiple versions of a design and you’ll typically need to work to the client’s deadlines, so you’ll need good time management.
Copywriter
Skills needed: creativity, writing, grammar and spelling, research skills, communication skills, time management, attention to detail
Average salary: £25,000-£45,000
As a copywriter, you’ll research and create written content that engages the audience and promotes a product or service, informs, and/or persuades in a clear and concise way. This could include emails, blog posts, web page content, brochures and more. Part of being a copywriter will typically include editing and proofing your own writing. For content that will be put online, you will also benefit from having some understanding of SEO best practices.
You may work from briefs from a client, or you could be asked to come up with your own ideas and campaigns. You should be comfortable talking with other people and be happy to receive feedback and make any adjustments asked of you. A great copywriter will be able to reflect a brand’s tone of voice in their writing.
Whilst having a relevant qualification can be helpful, you’ll also need to have a solid portfolio demonstrating your work. If you’re just starting out, you might want to start your own blog as a way of honing your writing skills and also having something to show potential clients as an example of your work.
Skills needed: creativity, organisation, grammar and spelling, communication skills, time management, attention to detail, flexibility, knowledge of social media platforms
Average salary: £25,000-£60,000
Social media manager can be a great role for a digital nomad as it’s a job that can be done anywhere that has an internet connection. A social media manager will typically manage a company’s social media platforms, so you’ll need to be comfortable using sites such as Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
Being a social media manager can include a range of responsibilities, generally involving creating and posting content on social media, as well as responding to and engaging with comments from the audience. Content could include simple text posts, images and graphics, and video, so being happy creating in all these areas will be a big boost to your career.
You’ll often be asked to put together a campaign and strategy for a client, showing a plan for how you will increase engagement and audience numbers. You may also need to attend ongoing meetings to update them with analytics and results. So, you’ll need to also be comfortable putting together presentations and speaking to clients, as well as dealing with and presenting data.
Social media moves fast, so you’ll likely need to be happy to work evenings and weekends. You’ll also need to stay on top of social media trends and best practices, which can change quickly.
Virtual assistant
Skills needed: organisation, communication skills, time management, attention to detail, flexibility
Average salary: £24,000-£50,000
A virtual assistant can be a great remote working option for people who have more organisational skills rather than creative skills. As a virtual assistant, you’ll undertake similar responsibilities as an in-person executive or administration assistant, except all of your duties will be done online.
This could include data entry, managing emails, scheduling appointments, managing files, and much more. The hours you work will typically depend on your clients and may include some evening and weekend work. However, being a virtual assistant will often be quite a flexible way of working. You may only have one point of contact with a client, rather than having to juggle speaking with different team members. However, many virtual assistants will take on multiple clients at once, and work can include short-term projects as well as long-term opportunities.
You don’t necessarily need any qualifications to work as a virtual assistant, but having relevant work experience and strong references will help you to build your client base. You can start on freelance marketplace websites, like Fiverr, to start promoting your services and finding clients.
Online teacher
Skills needed: organisation, patience, communication skills, time management, attention to detail, knowledge of the chosen field
Average salary: £22,500-£46,000
If you already have a background in education, being an online teacher can be perfect for pivoting to a remote role. There are many fields and courses that you can teach online, although teaching English as a foreign language can be very popular and ideal if English is your first language. You could also consider teaching another language that you’re fluent in, or something completely different such as coding.
To teach online, you’ll often need to already have a teaching qualification, to show you’re comfortable with teaching. If you don’t already have a teaching certificate, you can undertake a course, so you qualify. This could include a TEFL course, although you should do your research to ensure the course you take will be widely recognised.
As an online teacher, you’ll usually have to create engaging courses in the relevant field and teach these to classes online. You’ll need to be comfortable in adapting how you communicate your knowledge so you can help students who might be struggling.
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Social media manager