A client this week is living the digital nomad dream in Spain. Remote contract, digital nomad visa, the whole thing. And he came to me because the contract could dry up at any moment and he has no idea what happens next.

This episode is for him. And honestly, for a lot of you.

Remote doesn’t mean portable. Your US employer saying “you can work from anywhere” almost certainly means anywhere in the US, and there’s probably a location clause buried in your contract that proves it. Add return to office mandates that show up with zero warning, layoffs, restructuring, and the very real possibility that your income, your visa status, and your right to stay can all disappear at exactly the same time — and suddenly the remote plan looks a lot shakier than Instagram made it seem.

This is not a “don’t do remote work” episode. It’s a don’t do it with a blindfold on episode.

I’m walking you through what to check before you book your flight, why a savings buffer isn’t optional, and what a local job gives you that a remote one never can.

If you’re remote-or-bust right now, come find me on Instagram @iammistelle.

I’ve got a local job challenge coming and I want you in it.

You clicked the box. You feel like you did something. You didn’t.

This week I’m breaking down why “open to relocation” on LinkedIn is basically just telling the world you want to leave — and why that’s not the same thing as getting hired abroad. Recruiters search by location first. If your profile still says Kansas City, nobody in Frankfurt is coming for you.

BUT. That same box inside your own company’s HR system? Whole different story. That one I actually use — and it’s how I got my first job abroad and how my husband ended up in Vienna.

The difference matters. A lot.

I’m also talking about what actually moves the needle: getting specific about which country and which companies, understanding your visa timeline before someone asks you about it in an interview, and reaching out to actual humans instead of applying to 40 jobs on a random job board and calling it a day.

DM me VISA or NETWORK on Instagram @iammistelle and I’ll send you the freebies that go with this episode.

“There is no way I’m putting THAT on my resume.”

Right... don’t be mad, but your American is showing.

If you’re applying for jobs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, or Portugal and you’re refusing to put a photo, a birthdate, or your nationality on your CV — you’re taking yourself out of the running before anyone’s read a single word.

This week I’m breaking down the three things that trip Americans up on European CVs. The photo, the birthdate, and your permit status. What they actually mean, what I personally do and why, and the one thing that is genuinely non-negotiable regardless of country.

Also: the 2016 German study nobody wants to talk about, why I still don’t have a photo on my CV, and why hiding your visa status until the offer is the actual red flag.

Don’t let your American show by accident.

Free resource: GPT prompts to tailor your CV to any job description and get through ATS