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5 TECH ITEMS THAT CAN'T BE MISSING ON A TRANSLATOR'S DESK



With no allies on our side, freelancing life can really be tough. People often think that we live like hermits who sometimes don’t see the light of the day for a very long time. Others think this can’t be our actual job and find our” jobby” hard and inspiring (which is true, by the way). In the best-case scenario, they include us in the team of digital nomads. What people can’t imagine is that we don’t work always on our own and in our house, sometimes we need to find alternatives not to freak out and human allies to survive in the translation jungle. What about our tech allies? We are constantly online, working tirelessly at our computers to perform lots of tasks: deliver jobs, find new clients, learn new things, keep up with the latest trends of the market. We need support to work better and to be stress-free.

Check out which 5 tech items can really help you boost your productivity.

  1. Ergonomic mouse. I know what you’re thinking. “I’m not a gamer, what’s the use for me to buy such a funny item?”. I guarantee you that this purchase really pays off in the long run. If you don’t believe it, I suggest you make a small test to see it for yourself! Try confirming tons of segments inside a CAT tool with a “regular mouse” or a mouse pad. You’ll tell me about it.

  2. USB port extender. As translators, we have a natural talent for multitasking. When we need to work for long hours at our computer, we end up doing several tasks simultaneously, trying to get the best of our computer in terms of efficiency and time saved. Here a USB port extender comes to the rescue. You will finally charge your phone, use a hard disk, transfer files to your hard disk, and print a document all at once.

  3. Keyboard cleaning slime. I know, slimes were a sensation among youngsters a few years ago (maybe they still are?). Anyway, beyond helping you to deal with stress, they can clean up the mess which infiltrates your computer keyboard. It takes a minute, and it’s really satisfying. You can also make your handmade version at home.

  4. Wireless headphones. Maybe some of you are huge fans of music like me and can agree that this item is a must. Translators are multitaskers at heart: we listen to a webinar while preparing lunch; we listen to podcasts on our way to an event; so wireless items are definitely our allies in a world of ubiquitous plugs, wires, and devices.

  5. External hard disk. Literally everybody you know keeps telling you that this item belongs to any freelancer, so you need to have it. I know what you’re thinking: why should I spend on an external hard disk when I have got plenty of options to store my stuff online? First, 99% of the time you need to buy some extra storing space. Ask yourself this one: is it convenient for me in the long run? Also, contrary to what most people think, what you put online has a good chance to lose its status as “private stuff”. Please think this through.


Regardless of your current stage in the long, winding road to success, I think it’s important for all of us to find smart solutions that can help us be more productive and, above all, less stressful, we already have 1000 things at a time going through our minds!