Skilled Aussies jetting off to work and travel as they please

Australians are ditching their 9 to 5 jobs to become “Anywhere Workers’’ – nomads taking advantage of a worldwide shortage of talent to work and travel as they please.

Lauren Ahwan

3 min read

May 4, 2022 - 3:59PM

News Corp Australia Network

SmartDaily

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Australians are ditching their 9 to 5 jobs to join a global movement that combines travel and freelance work.

Dubbed “Anywhere Workers’’, the nomads are taking advantage of a worldwide shortage of talent to work and travel as they please.

Freelancing platform Fiverr believes the trend is set to stay, with half of Anywhere Workers saying they plan to live and work this way forever.

“The strict lockdowns many Australians have faced over the past couple of years make Anywhere Working particularly attractive,’’ says Fiverr international expansion vice president Peggy de Lange.

“One thing that two years in lockdown has shown is that remote work is effective and this, combined with the global shortage of in-demand skills, means that you don’t need to take time off work to travel, and you don’t need to sacrifice an incredible gateway just because you have an important meeting.

“An Anywhere Worker may indeed choose to work from home for periods of time or fall in love with a country and move there and that’s the beauty of it altogether – working from anywhere is possible.’’

WHO CAN DO IT?

Freelancers with highly specific technical skills, including 3D animation and blockchain development, can easily make enough money to travel, earning more than $4500 per job, says de Lange.

3D animation freelancer Xandra Haynes has worked on films by global giants Disney and Apple TV+. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“Freelancers are able to find work quickly if they are skilled in highly sought-after fields like digital marketing, SEO (search engine optimisation) and NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and even more so if they are interested in working flexibly with businesses around the globe,’’ she says.

Those with Web3-related skills, who can assist with platforms like Shopify and YouTube, are also in high demand.

LOVING THE FREEDOM

Sophia Llewellyn has undertaken freelance writing projects for more than 330 clients in 27 countries, while working from her Sydney home and travelling throughout Europe and South-East Asia.

In coming months, the 26-year-old will visit Spain, Italy, France and Portugal and has already arranged several work projects for while she is away.

“The freedom that my job has granted me is something that I cherish and see as priceless,’’ says Llewellyn, who holds degrees in communications and international studies.

“I have loved spending the last five years as a freelance writer and embracing a more nomadic lifestyle. I have been introduced to a wonderful array of cultures and attitudes to life.

“Work and travel can complement one another. When travelling, you are in a state of novelty and, to some extent, discomfort, and that extends you as a person both personally and professionally.’’

MIX WORK AND PLAY

Recent research by Contiki reveals 70 per cent of young Aussies are rethinking their current career to accommodate more travel, but chief executive officer Adam Armstrong says the work-from-anywhere movement means they do not have to put their career on hold.

<span channel="Web,Tablet">Young Aussies are rethinking their careers to accommodate more travel.</span><span channel="Web,Tablet">Picture: Getty</span>

Young Aussies are rethinking their careers to accommodate more travel.Picture: Getty

“As the world progresses, we are seeing more flexibility in workplaces around the world (and) across a range of industries,’’ he says.

“The global trend of ‘workcations’ is really taking off, with people embracing the benefits of mixing work and play.

“Not only is working abroad a great opportunity to try something new, spark creativity and gain life experience, you have the luxury of a new destination right on your doorstep.’’

MAKING IT WORK

Strong internet and phone services are key to successfully combining work and travel which may limit some locations, says Armstrong.

“We encourage travellers to wander ‘outside the box’ but maybe save those remote locations for the weekends,’’ he says.

“We would also suggest considering time zones with your on-ground team – even though you may be on opposite sides of the globe, aligning your schedules will help you and your team work collaboratively and keep you in the loop.’’

Armstrong says it’s important that workers check company policies regarding working from anywhere and update their resumes to showcase their skills and experience, including those gained during travel.

“Travel requires you to be flexible and think on your feet and you should be able to transfer this ability to cope well under pressure to the workplace,’’ he says.

“Travellers are also great communicators, having undoubtedly been in scenarios where you must be creative with how you communicate to overcome language barriers or cultural nuances.’’