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Overlanding is an experience that might take you away from home for weeks or months (or years!) at a time. So that means that many of us that hit the road for extended periods need to have a source of income while we’re gone.
Fortunately, today’s work environment is conducive to remote working, even before the pandemic hit. But certainly since the pandemic began, remote work opportunities abound.
If you’re ready to get away from it all but need to make some cash along the way, consider trying one of these overlanding jobs.
Blog Writer
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If you can write well, being a blog writer is perhaps the easiest of overlanding jobs…
Aside from a good grasp of the language arts, having quality research skills is also highly beneficial. You’ll need to be able to meet deadlines even while on the road, and you’ll need internet, of course. But apart from these basic requirements, there really isn’t much to writing blogs.
Besides, you’ll have plenty of opportunities as you travel. If you’re a passenger and don’t get car sick, you can write blogs as you ride along. And when you make camp, there will be some downtime for you to sit with your laptop and write more.
In some instances, you can find blog writing jobs that pay pretty well, too – $30 per hour and up depending on your level of experience.
Biggest Pro: Jobs can be completed quickly. With a short turnaround time, you can really churn out articles for clients.
Biggest Con: Typically, deadlines are pretty short, which means your travel plans might be impacted.
Overlanding Jobs: Web Designer
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Before I became a writer, I was a web designer. But not the “traditional” web designer you might think of from the 2000s when you had to code everything to make the site look good and run well.
Instead, I built WordPress websites for clients which enabled me to finish sites much faster without having to spend weeks and weeks designing and coding everything by hand. These days, services like Squarespace and Wix make it even easier to put websites together for clients, even if they have specific needs like e-commerce or multiple language support.
If you’ve got a creative eye and some basic coding skills, web design could be one of the most ideal overlanding jobs. It typically pays well too – perhaps $50 per hour or more.
Biggest Pro: Website builders have made web design a far easier and faster process.
Biggest Con: Adjusting design features to meet clients’ needs can still take a long time, even when using a website builder.
Learn More:
Graphic Designer
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Graphic design is one of the most ideal jobs for overlanding because you don’t need to be physically present with your clients to design their marketing materials.
Much like web design, you just need internet and your laptop in order to get your designs done and off to your clients. Another similarity with web design is that graphic design is easier than ever before.
Websites like Canva make it much easier to design everything from brochures to social media graphics without having much (if any) formal graphic design experience. You still need a good eye for design and an understanding of concepts like color theory and typography, but you don’t necessarily have to be a Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign genius to be a graphic designer these days.
As far as overlanding jobs go, graphic design can pay well, too – upwards of $30 per hour depending on your skill level.
Biggest Pro: Companies large and small always need good graphic design services. The availability of work is virtually unlimited if you’re good at what you do!
Biggest Con: Competition for jobs can be fierce, and if you don’t have top-notch skills, you might find it difficult to find and retain clients.
How to Find Overlanding Jobs
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With such a high need for remote workers right now, there are plenty of places that you can find overlanding jobs.
A top resource is Upwork, which has tens of thousands of jobs for freelancers of all kinds and levels of experience.
Another website to try is Freelancer, which, like Upwork, has thousands of job listings for all sorts of remote work. Fiverrr is worth a shot too.
There’s nothing quite like good ol’ word of mouth as well. Once you get a few clients, they might sing your praises to their colleagues, and before you know it, you could have a nice clientele that supports your overlanding habit with consistent work.
Just remember that working remotely still requires work. If you’re gazing out of your camper van at an epic landscape that you’re dying to explore, you’re going to have to find the wherewithal to buckle down, do your work, do it well, and then go play.
It can be tough, for sure, but the rewards are certainly worth it!
