Hi fellow nomads,
Iโd like to contribute to this topic with my recent experience and maybe motivate some of you In the recent months, since my only task at work became to manage international projects, Iโve started to notice thereโs actually no real point of me coming to the office. I was working on my computer and communicating with a team from 5 different European countries. Sure, talking to my coworkers few times a day was pleasant but not contributory at all for my work. The decision of quiting the job and doing part-time remote work for several, came along with my eternal wish to travel the world AND to work exclusively on what i loved - innovative eu funded projects. Since then Iโve had my ups and downs but in the last 3 weeks I gathered positive feedback from, letโs say prospective clients. Iโve been quite active at this because Im gathering as many as I can before I leave. So yesterday I had one of my first meetings with CEOs of consulting businesses in my field. How I came about them was that Iโve sent emails directly, pitched my skills and exposed my personal remote work philosophy. I got 100% response rate, with one meeting behind me and two of them confirmed for next week. Definetly more than I was expecting. From the first impression, it seems as if people from Slovenia, especially those constricted to certain locations and obligations, find my remote work and travel plans interesting. Looks as if, one of the prevailing reasons why they quickly responded was my out-of-the-office mindset. They are interested in my story and how I would get around it. I asked the director, โDo you estimate a project worker can be location-independent?โ, and his โYesโ was backed up with his own experience (though short-term) in Thailand and Croatian coast. โAs long thereโs a wireโ, as he experessed himself about internet connection, โyou can do everything on the projectโ. I smiled lightly, holding myself back, still pertaining that rational thinking. โEspecially if the project is international, then thereโs actually no other way around itโ smiling and looking at me in search for consent. โExactlyโ was my communicated anwer as my heart was filling up with joy. Another similar or even better feedback came from a startup owner who actually picked me up because of my DIG NOM intentions, later did he find out I work on eu projects. Without me having to pitch anything, he expressed their interest in publishing my story on their channels and offered something already.
So I guess I would have to agree with levels.io here: pick companies whoโs managers are progressive out-of-the-box thinkers since you will get more support from them. AND prove your diligence before you start because, again I agree, itโs all about if you can deliver by the deadlines. Thatโs my method now and it seems to be working so far.
Iโm keeping fingers crossed for all of us, we certainly are extremist among prevailing limited-minded people in our environments.
http://idoeurope.tumblr.com/ if you want to follow my story or maybe get inspired/motivated
Cheers,
Ana Fazarinc Povh