As we always point out when discussing aspects that characterize a good translator, it is impossible to ignore the role of formal education, the development of professional skills through experience, continuous learning, adaptability to change and the proper management of time and stress. Along with all these factors that, as mentioned, would become the core of the translator’s profile, there are, in fact, many other elements that play a role in the daily lives of translators and have a greater or lesser impact on the performance of their functions. Some of these elements have a physical and tangible nature, such as computer equipment, the general facilities of a company, etc., while others are of a psychological, social or emotional nature, for example, the work environment, environmental factors, surrounding noise, etc. That is why in today’s article we are going to discuss a key aspect in the daily life of any translator, one that brings together all of the aforementioned components: the workspace.
The place where we carry out our functions is a key aspect when it comes to fostering correct work performance. In short, it is the space where we are going to spend much of our time, since this usually means reduced four-hour work days, full eight-hour work days and even more extensive and irregular work days, which are especially frequent among freelance professionals. In the field of translation, the workspace is especially relevant since the profession is particularly sedentary. Translators usually work while sitting, using a computer that has several translation programs and other tools to perform quality controls, terminology searches and management tasks, in addition to checking their email inbox. A translator’s working day is rarely interrupted by work matters that require them to leave their work station. This means that they must create favorable conditions to promote good performance in a conducive space that has the necessary characteristics to provide the translator with all they need to perform their job. These elements should also eliminate or mitigate any negative impact that may affect and harm the translator. As we will see later, a proper space not only has an effect on physical factors, such as comfort and noise reduction, but also has a key impact on the professional’s mood and, therefore, on their psychological readiness to perform the tasks and on their degree of concentration when carrying them out. It is clear that the workspace is the temple where productivity, motivation and well-being are worshipped.
In essence, there are two fundamental workspaces that can be highlighted. On the one hand, we have the office workspace, in this case the translation agency, and on the other, we have the remote workspace, which is usually located at the professional’s home or in a coworking space intended for said purpose. It is also important to note here that other places for remote work exist, such as cafes, shopping malls, stations and, in short, any place that has a reliable Internet connection. However, in the field of language services, this is a sensitive topic. This is because translators often work with confidential information or sensitive data that their clients do not want to end up online or be fraudulently taken by cybercriminals. In this context, public Internet hotspots are usually a source of risk, since it is a very common means for cybercriminals to set traps aimed at getting hold of people’s login details, in this case those of professional translators, and access valuable information that they can then use to make purchases or blackmail the targeted person. For this reason, the first recommendation is that the workspace should be a safe place for the professional and for the work material.
A translator’s workspace in a translation agency seems to be quite obvious when we think about it. First and foremost, each professional must have a physical desk space where they can place a computer, or any computing device that serves the same purpose, with its peripheral elements: the keyboard, the mouse, etc. Any additional device may be included, depending on the tasks performed. There are also ergonomic office chairs and extra equipment, such as a footrest and, most notably, a wrist pad, since the hands are one body part of professional translators that tend to suffer a lot given the frequent use of the keyboard and mouse to write texts. Furthermore, the company must see to mitigating its environmental impact, which is usually accomplished by adjusting the temperature to predefined standards and reducing noise pollution, which is achieved through insulation and asking colleagues to maintain an appropriate noise level. The company must also provide workers with a series of safety rules and guidelines to minimize the risk of occupational accidents.
In the mostly domestic environment of remote work, the translator’s workspace has the same physical components, but the truth is that the location of the translator, far from existing in a space specifically for this purpose, has to be within the very distribution of their home. In some cases, the professional will have an independent room that has been converted into an office. In others, they have to set up their space in an existing area, such as the bedroom or the living room, in order to integrate their work desk. The important thing in these situations, apart from meeting all the previous requirements, is that we must do all we can to create a workspace where we can concentrate and not be distracted by the things in the home, which occurs much more often than in the office. As we pointed out before, this is due to a purely performance issue, since if we allow ourselves to be easily distracted, the risk of making mistakes or having misunderstandings will increase. In a healthy, safe and maintained remote work environment, it is the responsibility of the professional to allocate their time properly in order to fulfill their work obligations.
In short, the translator’s workspace should be a clean, organized and well-equipped area where they can concentrate and work safely, thus enabling them to significantly increase their work performance.
Image reference: https://ethic.es/2021/03/balance-de-un-ano-de-teletrabajo-en-espana/
