In today’s connected world of highspeed Internet, teleworking and virtual desktops, I can work anywhere and anytime. Freelance implies freedom to take on work or turn it down, choosing customers who match my values and meet my expectations, and of course freedom to take a holiday any time, or even to work during the holidays. The Office coworking space in Luxembourg is the perfect springboard for my work as a translator!

 

 

What do you do all day behind the large 60 cm screen from your corner at The Office?

 

I translate texts from German and French into English. It’s an ideal job in the Internet age where mobility, flexibility and remote working are the order of the day. My main customer is a large, innovative company located abroad. I connect to a virtual desktop at my customer via a secure server every day. I’m in constant contact with my colleagues there and have meetings and training sessions via Skype for Business. In addition to The Office, I also work from home or while on the go. I was previously employed as a translator in a company for many years. I’ve now forged my own working lifestyle as a freelancer and am happy with the way things are going, especially in terms of work-life balance. The Office is the perfect place to work as it not only provides the impetus for my professional activity, but also serves as a counterbalance to the isolation freelance workers often experience. The Office also allows me to keep in touch with the wider working world and start-up scene in Luxembourg.

 

Do you work to tight deadlines?

 

Yes, most of my working day is punctuated by deadlines, starting from as early as 9 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. or even later. So you can often see me beavering away intensely and racing against time.  It can be stressful if not managed intelligently and realistically. But most of the time I’m on top of it and I enjoy the adrenalin rush which keeps me on my toes and ready to spring into action when needed to translate an urgent press release or a message on a customer’s website alerting users to a major IT failure, for example.

 

How do you overcome the physical challenges of long hours in front of the computer?

 

I very much feel the adverse effects of lengthy hours sitting at the computer. So I make a concerted effort to get away from the screen and compensate the intense intellectual work, physical inertia and eye strain by doing regular exercise such as Pilates, swimming and Nordic walking. My magic formula also involves taking a power nap after lunch. This gives me the energy to get through the afternoon. And here too, unlike the rigid working hours in a company, The Office provides the perfect environment in which to organize my day independently, flexibly and conveniently in line with my own schedule and biorhythms.