First, understand that if you’re feeling the effects of inflation, so are your clients and companies that you’re working with. You should try looking at your rates compared with other translators and interpreters and know where you stand.  Everyone’s situation is different, however everyone is in the same inflation. This means the best way to cope with the uncertain times is to make sure that you stay in a good position without losing any of the business that you currently have. You should always be sure to do your best to honor your rates with your current clients. Even to lower your rate to attract more business may be also a good idea!

Next, the world has gone through a lot of changes over the years and we all have had to learn and adapt in order to stay afloat. Before the pandemic, the majority of work was done in-person, but now, there are more and more remote interpretation opportunities. Be sure to also widen your reach to other parts of the country. If you are working from home, that means you can work anywhere. Someone in a completely different area from you may be looking for someone with your experience. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

If you’re going to be working more from home, it may be time to reassess your internet, phone plan, and current equipment. Investing in better internet, phone service, and equipment will make you a more attractive interpreter or translator because you will not have as many technical difficulties as others may have. For that matter, be sure to educate yourself on how to connect to the various video conferencing services. For example, try setting up Zoom, Google Meets, or Webex on your own and test having a call with yourself to make sure you know how to quickly connect and also that your audio equipment is good. Connection means work and livelihood in today’s work place!

Finally, we do hope the world will be back to normal where we can also provide both remote and in-person interpretation without worrying about the inflation nor the pandemic. After all, a balance of in-person and remote work would be the ideal model for clients, interpreters and language service providers!

Creating a good flow or melody every day at work can really enhance our work experience and help us remain motivated. We’ve all worked on projects where we were “in the groove.” It feels great, almost like the stars aligned to make that project perfect. Imagine if all of your projects were like that!

A good flow means that you have a sense of moving forward and making progress. Being able to understand the essence of your task and differentiate what is the key to complete the task is essential. For example, when scheduling interpreters, we make sure that the information on the date, time, and location for each assignment is precisely passed to the interpreter assigned. More importantly, when assigning an interpreter, we make sure to match subject expertise, qualifications, and whether it is for simultaneous interpretation or consecutive interpretation.

Paying attention to little things is a necessary part of maintaining an unbroken flow at work. For example, if you need to scan many documents for a translation project, be sure to check that you’ve scanned everything you need to. Adding this check as part of your natural workflow will greatly reduce the possibility of making a mistake, and lead to successful completion of translation under a deadline.

Be sure to keep our mind clear and with intention when we work, so that we can do everything right the first time. Mistakes and errors can usually be fixed, but the time spent on fixing them will cause the flow to be broken and the melody interrupted.

Every day at work will be a different rhythm. Some days, there will be urgent projects that need to be addressed immediately. For instance, perhaps there will be late-minute additions to projects you’ve been working on. Be sure to conclude it on the same day, so to keep up a productive flow. Putting things off surely decreases work momentum or makes you feel like doing the same thing over and over. So let’s avoid that.

Responding quickly to clients and bringing them along with you in your flow can really create a good rapport and that can help you feeling great! Also ask yourself: how you deal with issues, how you approach problems, how you contribute to work environment, how you move things forward and support your co-workers, or how you manage balance and variety at work. These answers and activities compose your music every day! Every day should a great time at work!