JSFoo: round the year submissions

Description #

If you had to choose one, which one would you pick?

• a. Live and work in Bangalore (Mumbai, Hyderabad, NCR etc.) and deal with the traffic, pollution and non-existent work-life balance
• b. Live in a smaller town, spend much more time with friends and family but get paid much much less (if you can find a job at all, that is)
• c. Work abroad and be away for long stretches of time from your hometown, and loved ones (this is even harder than Option b)

What if I told you there was a magic option d where you could

• Earn much more than your City job
• Spend as much time with friends and family as you want
• Not have to live in the City if you don’t like it
• Travel the world, whenever you want

Prima face, it looks too good to be true. Looks like kind of a scam even. But I have been fortunate enough to do this for the last two years, and I want to share my story.

I have been working as a 100% Remote Web Engineer since Jan 2017, and in that time period have visited over 13 countries while earning. I am a Digital Nomad. I have no office, and my laptop and a stable Internet connection is all I need to set up shop at any corner of the world.

In this talk, I will speak to you about:

• What it’s like to live as a Remote Engineer - the joys and the pains
• Why you would want to be a Remote Engineer
• Why you wouldn’t want to be a Remote Engineer
• How to become a Remote Engineer

At JSFoo 2017, I gave a Flash Talk about life as a Digital Nomad because I had recently started experimenting with the lifestyle. But the response I received was overwhelming - I received over 70 enquiries about Remote work. This is what inspired me to submit this talk at JSFoo 2018 - this time with more material, preparation and life experience.

Key Takeaways #

• A peek into the life of a Remote Engineer
• An understanding about how to prepare yourself to be a Remote Engineer
• Avenues for Remote Development
• Anecdotes from life on the road
• Pitfalls along the way, cautionary tales

Intended Audience #

Engineers/Managers who

• Are looking for a change from traditional work environments
• Are looking for substantial improvements in pay
• Want to improve their work life balance
• Are passionate about travelling the world
• Want to allocate more time to family and friends

Outline #

https://slides.com/nikjohn/traveling-the-world-as-a-web-developer

Requirements #

There are no prerequisites for this talk - anyone can attend

Speaker bio #

Nikhil has been a Web Engineer for over 8 years now, having worked with Deloitte, Juniper, Saltside, Crossover. He is currently working as the Frontend Lead at Fountain, San Francisco. He has been working 100% remotely for the last 2 years. In the course of his career, he has visited and/or worked in 13 countries in North America, Europe and Asia. Originally from Kochi, he spends his time shuttling between Bangalore and Kochi when he’s not travelling the world.

Links #

• https://www.instagram.com/vazhifarer/

Slides #

https://slides.com/nikjohn/digital-nomad-101-working-without-an-office-7/