When time flies and you still haven’t managed to get through that pile of unfinished tasks (however small they may be), something is going wrong. That feeling of not doing something well happens in the best of families, not only for translators. Nevertheless, at Okodia Translation Group, we surround ourselves with the best professionals. Language professionals that are used to dealing with long and arduous tasks that seem like they’ll never end. That’s why we’ve gathered together the best translator tricks for improved productivity at work. By following this advice, we have formed a translator “army” that work quickly and with the utmost professionalism. Would you like to do the same? Take a look.
- Always into the same language
- Spend time on the same topic
- Create templates
- Two precious minutes
- Organise priorities
- Outsourcing
- Be disciplined
- Use your computer wisely
Always into the same language
One of the main things professional translators can do to become more productive is to try to do the same type of work. In other words, to avoid moving from one task to another. Swapping around wastes time, so the best idea is to try to group all your jobs into one area. Always translating from and to the same language is a good way to increase productivity. The reason for thislieswith your brain. If you are always busy working on the same topic, you can form neural networks and work more quickly. Once you have finished with that language, you can move on to the next.
Spend time on the same topic
Spending time working on the same topic is also essential if you want to maximise productivity. It always takes a bit of time to get to grip with a new subject, so it is helpful to try to spend as much time as possible translating the same topic and the same type of document.
Create templates
One trick that never fails, especially when it comes to saving time and becoming more productive in certified translations, is to create templates for the documents you will need to translate. That is because certified translations are often required for documents such as academic certificates, invoices or birth certificates. With these it is easy to create your own templates in advance to save you time later when the translation is required.
Two precious minutes
If you can´t do this in two minutes, it’s best to leave it for another time and plan your time well. Professional translators are more effective when they use the “Two-Minute Rule.” What does this involve? If you’re in the middle of a project and suddenly another one arrives which needs your attention, and you realise that you can’t take care of it in two minutes (or less), then it´s best to leave it until you can give it your full attention. Otherwise, you won’t satisfactorily finish neither one project nor the other, and for professional translators it’s very important to keep the client happy.
Organise priorities
Another translator trick for more effective working is to establish priorities. A professional translator is used to receiving urgent projects and others that are not so demanding. That’s why using web or mobile applications to manage priorities is the best option. There are many applications available, such as Wunderlist, that can be downloaded onto your mobile and will help you to set objectives and goals, as well as achieve them.
Outsourcing
One thing we do a lot of in a translation agency is outsourcing. Thanks to a large team of translation professionals that we can count on and delegate projects, we can focus on every one of our clients and their individual needs. Collaboration with third parties is something that many translators and other professionals practice. Without a doubt, a translator trick for more productive working.
Be disciplined
Discipline is the key translator trick for tackling that daily To Do list. Whether you’re self employed or part of a large company, it’s a good idea to set pre-established working hours. And professionals that don´t have them and “kill themselves” working, will be far more tired and lack the inspiration to be more productive.
Use your computer wisely
Typing skills and mastering keyboard shortcuts will gain you time when completing projects. This is possibly one of the most important tricks that translators use to be more productive with their daily workload. You would be amazed if you knew just how much time you could save by mastering keyboard shortcuts in programmes like Word or Excel, for example.
If you want to become more productive and avoid distractions, we suggest that you always plan your working day in advance and avoid looking at your mobile all the time, only checking it at particular times. You should also close anybrowsertabs open on your social networks or showing other distractions. You will be happy you did!
