If you can swap the rush hour and office politics to work from home, what’s stopping you going a step further and working from a beach bar in Bali or harbourside café in Sydney?
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The appeal of remote working
As a freelance journalist, I’m lucky to have more freedom than most when it comes to where I work.
And on the occasions I’ve caught up with emails in Hong Kong or filed features from an apartment in Greece, I’ll admit to feeling slightly smug.
Is your career compatible?
Packing a suitcase is the easy part; you’ve got to make sure your job’s portable too.
If your job can be done from your laptop then you’re most of the way there, but working from far-flung places isn’t just a luxury for freelance journalists or travel bloggers.
If you’re freelance with a career in web design, writing, photography or graphic design then clients may not even need to know you’re gone at all if you communicate by email, Skype or the occasional phone call.
Need to move money abroad? Avoid hefty fees!
Companies are becoming more flexible
More companies are waking up to the fact that productivity isn’t measured by the number of hours spent chained to your desk.
Paperclip, a Cardiff based app company, has a ‘one day a week’ office policy with the flexibility to work elsewhere for the remaining week.
Pop in on a Monday, and you could work from an apartment in Spain the rest of the time.
And with its ‘unlimited holiday’ policy, you could take a day’s ‘holiday’ to miss your ‘office’ day and spend six weeks in Sydney, still get your work done and use the equivalent of a week’s leave.
On the flip side; with some jobs, say working for a retail chain, it’s going to be impossible to stack the racks sat by a hotel pool in Marrakech.
But if you want a new job plus change of scenery; jobs website www.remoteok.io has heaps of ‘remote’ jobs listed although many are in IT, web based marketing or writing work.
Jobs like house sitting may not bring in big bucks if it’s your only source of income; but worth considering if you can work remotely as it means free lodgings and wi-fi and often some basic expenses, in exchange for keeping an eye on the place while the owners are away.
Before you move
Connectivity is key
How about a ‘workation?’
A life away from the rush hour, grey skies and grumpy office colleagues may sound idyllic, but away from a routine and family and friends, is there a chance you might get just a tiny bit lonely?
Here’s where ‘workation’ trips come in.
With companies like Unsettled you can ‘live like a local’ for a month around the world from Barcelona to Buenos Aires or Bali to Cape Town.
When your month is up, pick a different city and start all over again. It’s down to you to organise work, but you’ll get a place to stay plus shared workspace and a new bunch of friends on tap, as there’s usually a maximum of 25 people on each trip; typically aged between 28 and 38.
Prices include group events like a weekly BBQ, workshops and trips to galleries and concerts with the option for small group surf lessons or yoga classes for an extra fee.
On the downside you’re ‘paying’ for the opportunity, with a month’s ‘workation’ in both Barcelona and Buenos Aires from $1,100 (around £855) plus flights.
So as a ‘one off’ this may be fine, but if you’re looking to do it longer term and hop from place to place, costs could rack up although you could recoup costs by letting out your UK pad while you’re away.
Another option is to find a co-working community like www.hubud.org in Bali where ‘packages’ include villa accommodation, airport shuttle, co-working space, welcome pack, regular events and a SIM card with prepaid internet.