The Digital Nomadic Boom-er
Recommended freelancing jobs for ages 55+ only
Boomer nomad. Digital Boomer Nomad. Baby Boomer Digital Nomad. Geriatric nomad 😬. Mature Digital Nomad.
The great thing about evolution is no baby boomer would have predicted the ability to work remotely, receive income to supplement retirement income, and travel the world. Yet, here we are. The melting pot that is post-pandemic + WiFi + computer or mobile device + skill has become food for the mind and soul for baby boomers.
A Boomer Financial Strategy
Naturally, digital nomadic life has been reserved for Gen Z’ers due to their appetite for travel and being raised with a phone in their hand. However, the protocol for any retiree is also to travel, and this demographic of Baby Boomers is sleeping a little bit easier knowing that they can supplement their retirement income with freelancing income.
Fact #1. Baby Boomers are the generation that stayed at their jobs or line of work for decades.
Fact #2. Mastering a skill takes 10,000 hours, as the cliche goes. That is approximately 5 years of working 40 hour weeks.
Fact #3. Later in their careers, Baby Boomers have become more adept at their computer skills, with many of them learning the technical skills of video editing so that they can post Youtube videos. What’s more, to complement these video editing skills, they are a natural to review and analyze data in order to improve performance.
Baby Boomers have the advantage of entering the freelance economy with Gen Z making all the mistakes ahead of them. Entry-level workers naturally are paid the lowest wages because they lack skill and industry knowledge. What Boomers lack in technical skills, they make up for it in industry knowledge. This advantage is a negotiating tactic that may allow Baby Boomers to be paid at higher wages than Gen Z’ers. Of course, this depends on what the freelance job entails.
Recommended Freelancing Jobs for Boomers
1. Consultant
To possess computer programming skills is the peak job that pays the most. However, this field is highly competitive with a younger, vibrant, and more technically diverse crowd. HTML, Java, Python, Ruby on Rails, Rest APIs, and the like are standard skills for computer programmers. Instead of working as a programmer, be in charge of the programmer!
Often, when retirees want to “come out of retirement,” a proven method is to become a consultant. As a consultant, the ability to leverage wages similar to a programmer are near equal.
2. Producer
Executing a creative brand strategy campaign or telling a visual story are highly sought-after freelancing jobs. Many clients feel the need to ensure that their online presence is professional, creative, and thorough. This is where experience plays to the advantage of baby boomers.
Rather than competing in the field of video editing or sound design, like the consultant, be in charge of the video editor and sound designer. Be the producer.
3. Language Teacher
If making money is not a big priority, then enjoy the benefits of meeting people all across the globe by becoming a language teacher. As a language student of 7 years, I can tell you that the online language platform has expanded beyond professionally-trained language teachers to “community tutors” where the goal of each lesson is to simply converse.
Two popular language-learning sites are iTalki and Preply.
4. Online Teacher
Why not utilize the decades of experience and turn it into a specific, niche course. There are many popular online teaching websites like Udemy, Skillshare, Lynda, Udacity, and many more, where users can upload a course of their choice. And you can upload as many courses as your brain will let you.
One word of caution in becoming an online teacher, and that is learning to create an online course. There are many instructional videos available to help with this, and certainly, you will want to do this prior to creating your own course.
5. Writer, Journalist
Who doesn’t love a great writer?! Substack is evidence of this. Writing comes in many art forms, and having the ability to re-create someone’s vision is difficult and demanding. But, Baby Boomers do have a story to share. Can there be a buyer for that story?
Clients seeking freelancing writers through the website, Upwork, show a variety of writing competencies. Creating a profile by having your competencies tell the narrative of the story you have written is an attention-grabbing profile that may persuade the exact client with whom you would want to do business.
These jobs — Consultants, Producers, Language Teachers, Course Teachers, Writers — on these freelancing websites are in a competitive space. To make your profile standout amongst the rest, consider signing up for 24Hour Investing, and watch our course on making your profile stand out amongst the competition.