Work as You Travel! How to Break into Tech as a Digital Nomad with Le Wagon

The concept of digital nomadism has grown in popularity as a way to make a career while on the road with the help of tech innovations.

Among the most obvious and valuable benefits of digital nomadism are work schedule and lifestyle flexibility, as well as opportunities to connect with people from different professional backgrounds. By being a digital nomad, you can gain new cultural and professional experiences as you can work in new environments and take on various tasks.

To top it off, PayScale’s 2021 State of Remote Work Report reveals that employees who work remotely full-time earn more than professionals who do not work remotely at all. And if you’re wondering which digital nomads earn up to six-figure salaries, tech professionals are at the top of the list.

The tech industry is one of the few fields offering good pay and the flexibility to work from anywhere. And Le Wagon provides an opportunity for you to get tech skills training and job support at one of its 45 school campuses worldwide, setting you up for the life of a digital nomad.

How to Become a Digital Nomad with Le Wagon

Le Wagon offers Web Development and Data Science bootcamps in 45 cities around the globe, providing you the opportunity to learn in-demand tech skills and discover new cultures. Put another way, if you want to work in tech as a digital nomad, enrolling in any of Le Wagon’s campuses can give you a good soft start to that kind of experience. (Click here to see a list of Le Wagon’s 10 iconic destination bootcamps.)

Post-bootcamp, the school provides its alumni with full career support services, making them job-ready to enter the tech workforce. And it even connects students to the right third parties who can assist them with obtaining digital nomad visas in various countries.

Curious about what it’s like to upskill in tech from some of the most exotic cities in the world? We heard you. Read on as Milene Cardoso, bootcamp manager for Le Wagon in Rio, walks you through what it’s like to travel and study at one of Le Wagon’s prime destination bootcamps—the Marvelous City aka Rio de Janeiro.

A Deep Dive Into the Le Wagon Bootcamp Experience in Rio

If there’s anyone who can speak about what it’s like to travel and upskill in tech at the same time, it’s Milene Cardoso. Originally from Paris, France, Milene traveled to São Paulo, Brazil while in her last semester at the university. While in the city, she attended various Le Wagon events at the Google campus. This was her first encounter with the bootcamp, and it’s also what pushed her to stay in Brazil and experience the bootcamp life in Rio.

Looking to give her business profile a “tech spin,” Milene enrolled in Le Wagon’s full-time Web Development bootcamp. “I decided to join Le Wagon Rio not only because it was offering classes in English, but also because Rio had become my favorite city in the whole world,” said Milene.

Milene characterized her bootcamp experience at Le Wagon-Rio as “the most amazing nine-week learning experience of my life.” Paying it forward, she joined the Latin American team as Le Wagon-Rio’s bootcamp manager.

What’s It Like to Study at Le Wagon-Rio Bootcamp?

According to Milene, Le Wagon Rio offers the perfect balance between study and leisure. Let’s break that down.

Study

Training at Le Wagon Rio follows either of the two schedules: full-time or part-time. The full-time schedule works best for students “who would like to take advantage of their summer break to learn new skills, unemployed people who would like to change their lives in a record time, or entrepreneurs who are dreaming of building their product in only two months”.

The part-time format, meanwhile, is ideal for “employees who would like to take it one step at a time and keep their job while they side-hustle for their future dream career. It’s also great for parents, caretakers, university students, or anyone who cannot dedicate full time to the bootcamp,” said Milene.

Rest assured that whichever format you choose, you’ll still be learning around 400 hours of the same content.

Le Wagon approaches teaching methodically. “Every day, we cover new content during the morning class,” shared Milene. “Then, students complete a series of challenges to practice. The exercises are designed to be incremental: the first exercise covers the content of the class in the simplest way; the second exercise adds a layer of complexity; the third adds another layer; and so on.”

“So, at the end of the day, all students have been moving forward on the same subject, up to the level of difficulty they felt most comfortable with.”

Leisure

Aside from the quality tech training that the bootcamp offers, you can also enjoy the following perks at Le Wagon Rio:

• Brazilian home-cooked meals delivered right to the school
• A patio with a tanning area
• A beach only five minutes away from the school

“I motivate the class to go watch the sunset on the beach, which is my favorite time of day! We grab some beers at the supermarket and get our feet in the sand!” noted Milene. “The day usually ends on a bright note. And when it’s Friday, it is party time at the school! We celebrate another triumphant week together. Victor, our community manager, is the best Rio guide for clubs and carnivals,” she added.

Le Wagon hosts fun events and workshops, where it also invites former students who now work remotely for US companies. These alumni have either joined local startups or founded their businesses. They motivate students to keep studying hard to achieve their career goals as a reward.

“The environment we create is truly something special, and I’ve never seen anything like this anywhere else before. It’s a supportive community where no one gets left behind,”

“All our international students fall in love with the country and its people! I have to admit, our local Brazilian students are usually the most eager to show the best of the city—soccer games, beach, hiking spots, surfing, and bars—to their foreign classmates…I am the one reminding them to keep the wild activities for the weekend only,” Milene shared.

“Exciting times are ahead for the city, and even for the country as a whole, which just released at the beginning of the year its first Digital Nomad Visa—the first one for Latin America!”

Becoming a Digital Nomad After Le Wagon

Before Le Wagon, Kathy Tavia worked as a youth counselor and behavioral therapist but had been itching to reinvent her career. When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, Kathy saw her friends embracing the remote work culture. “I wanted to do that, too,” she said.

Kathy was familiar with coding, but being in her mid-30s, she didn’t have enough confidence to start anew in tech. Until she learned about Le Wagon. “I found Le Wagon to have really good reviews for people of all ages, which was really encouraging,” said Kathy. “So, I reached out to them. Paal, who’s still the manager there, just made me feel comfortable, and I decided to join the school and do the six-month course.”

Although based in Seattle, Kathy enrolled in Le Wagon-Melbourne’s remote Web Development bootcamp in October 2020. “I made a lot of connections. I was surprised that I made so many friends, especially because I wasn’t in Australia like everyone else, but I just felt accepted and part of the team,” shared Kathy.

After getting a glimpse of what it was like to connect virtually with people from the other side of the world, Kathy wanted more. “I saved all my money and quit my job. I got out of my apartment and just left. I thought to myself, ‘Let’s try Albania and then Germany. After that, we will see.’” That’s how Kathy’s life as a digital nomad started.

At the same time, Kathy was actively applying for junior developer roles using all the resources she could find while attending career coaching sessions offered by Le Wagon. “Le Wagon doesn’t let you give up. My classmates, the teachers, and TAs all provided a very encouraging environment, and I was able to complete my program and felt really proud of myself.”

Kathy also mentioned, “I ended up finding my dream role, which is my current job, through LinkedIn. I applied for an internship for a French company, a startup that also had offices in the US and other cities. Six months later, they offered me a contract for one year, and that’s what I’m doing now. I’m also transitioning within the same company to be a React developer.”

As a digital nomad, Kathy spent one year in Albania with plans to go to Bali, Thailand, Korea, Portugal, Norway, and Sweden.

Work as You Travel After Le Wagon

In a world where remote work is becoming more common, there are plenty of opportunities to work from any spot around the globe. Gaining in-demand skills like web development and data science can give you access to well-paying remote jobs that give you the luxury of traveling while working. Le Wagon’s Web Development and Data Science bootcamps can be your gateway to such an experience.

As Milene noted, “The best thing about Le Wagon is how human it is…Our teachers and students become a big family during the bootcamp, and it’s a privilege for me to witness it…We take a lot of pride in the idea that our students become our best ambassadors.”

“When they recommend the school to their friends and colleagues, it’s not just another training they are recommending but a community—a group of people who will cheer you on during your learning journey and professionals from the industry who want to see you succeed!

Ready to grow your career in tech while soaking up the world? Choose your Le Wagon bootcamp today and start living your dream!