Seeking Feedback on Career Transition: From Firefighter to Remote Work/Digital Nomad

[DragonDF]

Seeking Feedback on Career Transition: From Firefighter to Remote Work and Digital Nomad Life

Hello everyone!

Today is my birthday! ?

First, I’d like to thank God for another year of life on this earthly journey, filled with health, skills, and responsibilities. I couldn’t let this day pass without stopping by here!

I also want to express my gratitude for the goodwill of everyone in this forum. I’ve spent time reading several posts and, especially, the Wiki page (https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Degree_Forum_Wiki).
It’s clear that a lot of effort and collaboration went into its development.

The purpose of this post is to seek feedback from people with diverse experiences and perspectives, particularly those living in other countries, regarding my current situation and plans for the future. 
My ultimate goal is to transition into remote work, ideally in the IT field, although I also have experience in various other areas.


About Me
I am a military firefighter in my country, and I’ll soon be retiring.

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Fire and Panic Engineering (yes, I’ve taken Calculus I-IV, Differential Equations, Numerical Methods, Physics I-IV, Thermodynamics, and many other engineering courses).
  
• Bachelor’s in Law and have passed the bar exam in my country, though I can’t practice due to incompatibility with my current job.
  
• Currently finishing two more degrees: Business Administration (next 12 months) and Accounting (next 4 months).
  
• Seven postgraduate diplomas, including Systems Analysis and Development (focused on Java and object-oriented programming), Exercise Physiology, Sports Nutrition, Administration, Tax Law, and Corporate Law.
  
• Professional Experience:
  • Former university lecturer (Catholic University) in IT for two years.
    
  • Former instructor for preparatory courses for public service exams, a well-paying role in my country.
    
  • Experience as a systems analysis chief and extensive work in public and private administration.
    

Academic Perspective
I’ve always viewed a master’s degree as a pathway to teaching, not as a means of increasing income in a corporate environment. However, I’ve noticed from posts here that, in American culture, a master’s degree often correlates with higher salaries. At the time, it would’ve increased my pay by less than $1 per hour.


Ph.D. in Law
To give you an idea, I was recently invited to pursue a Ph.D. in Law at a university in my city, free of charge, with a 4-year in-person program. I’m no longer interested in in-person courses, especially not a 4-year program. Mainly because it wouldn’t put more money in my pocket—just an “academic title.”


My Vision for the Future
I’m interested in starting “part-time” remote work for an American or European company to gain experience and adjust to the lifestyle. My ultimate goal is to live as a digital nomad, working while traveling, and adopting the “flag theory” to minimize income taxes. For this reason, I do not have interest to have a GREEN CARD. 


Priority Areas:

1. IT:
   This is where I started, serving as a Systems Analysis manager.I obviously need to update some skills. It’s a field that still pays well, especially for experienced professionals.It allows remote work.I enjoy it because it rewards competence and results. It has meritocracy embedded.I could also obtain some certifications that the market values and that I don’t yet have, especially in AWS, Linux, Data Analytics, and Cybersecurity.I don’t have a degree from the U.S., but I believe I could earn one in less than 6 months, as I already have knowledge in many subjects since I taught them.
2. Law:
   In the United States, for example, I could take the bar exam in New York and Florida and start practicing federal law.The problem is that I would need to be in the U.S., and as I mentioned, I’m not interested in staying in any country for more than 3 months a year.I’m unsure if remote work is possible in this field, especially since most cases are digital nowadays. However, if it means being tied to one country, it wouldn’t be worth it.
3. Accounting:
   In the U.S., I would need to pass the CPA exam or another similar certification. The good thing is that I can take it in my country. I would arrive in the U.S. already certified.I’m not sure if remote work is possible, but I believe it is.
4. Administration:
   I have extensive experience in this field, both in public administration (e.g., public procurement) and private administration.I also have a Master’s degree in this area.I know American companies value both experience and diverse backgrounds.
5. Fire Protection Engineering (NFPA):
   A very specific niche, but all buildings and large corporations need professionals concerned with the safety of their greatest asset: the people inside their buildings.I believe I could find opportunities here, but what bothers me the most is the lack of remote options.

The Future:
With these initial considerations, I’d like to ask the group members for your personal opinions on:

1. IT:
   Would it be worth it for me, as an international student studying from my country, to complete an accelerated U.S. degree in 6 months? Maybe Bachelor's in Computer Science? From the perspective of portfolio building and improving how American and European companies perceive my résumé?Or should I try to validate my postgraduate degrees (transcripts) and pursue a Master’s degree?Or would it be better, since I’m targeting the job market and higher salaries, to focus solely on certifications?

I was surprised to learn that American companies pay more because someone has a Master’s degree.

Regarding the other areas, if you could also share your thoughts, I’d be grateful. However, they either don’t allow remote work or pay less than what I could earn in IT.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to respond with your insights!

I wish you all a 2025 filled with health, peace, and great accomplishments.



P.S.: I plan to keep this thread updated over the next 12 months with my decisions to inspire others.

[Avidreader]

Which country are these degrees from? Are they in English or foreign language?
You should first get the foreign degrees evaluated by a NACES or ACEI approved evaluator with GPA equivalent. Wes, Spantran, Scholaro, there are several options. It is cheaper to have them evaluated at the same time. If you do it separately, it will cost 200 USD while they only charge 100 for every additional evaluation in the same bundle.

This could be useful to accelerate any US degrees because some of these foreign courses can fulfill general education or electives. That lets you only focus on the courses needed for your major.

One suggested way to accelerate an IT degree is to start doing the google certificate courses. The IT Support cert would be a useful option.

Do you speak foreign languages? This could be useful to stand apart given the job competition for IT especially work from home jobs is insanely high.

The most likely university on this forum in your case would be to apply to TESU since you do not qualify for WGU. UMPI is apparently starting a Computer Science degree in a few months in case you wish to wait before applying. What is your age and budget?

[davewill]

My first reaction is that rather than gettting another bachelor's you might be better off with some up to date certs. You already have relevant work experience, so I suspect that another degree isn't going to be that helpful. I also think you might have to put in some in-person time before you can readily hire out as a remote IT guy, unless you're willing to start way below your experience level.

[bjcheung77]

Welcome to the board, great information, but it's missing some content within the addendum and template. Without knowing your budget, commitments, study habits, etc. At the time being, my recommend is the usual mix/match trifecta of certs, degree, experience. +1, I agree with the FCE of previous credits, plus getting the certs, especially if you're entry level in experience, you can then ladder that towards entry into a Masters in Applied Computer Science or similar MSIT that doesn't require an undergrad in that subject area. I recommend searching the graduate forum as I've mentioned a few, you can also look at the MOOC's from Coursera/Edx and so on...