Tips for working remotely while travelling abroad

When you travel, it’s natural to compare everything to the way you do it at home, and this is never truer than when you’re working.

Perhaps at your office you have a desk layout that you enjoy. You have your keyboard at a comfortable distance and nice, large monitors to keep track of all the applications you use.

You might even wonder:

• Will I have enough data?
• How will I manage phone calls?
• Can I handle working off a laptop for 6 weeks?

When technology is a large part of your life, making adjustments while travelling can make your working conditions less pleasant. 

So, here are our top 10 tips to help make working remotely, while travelling abroad, more pleasant.

Top 10 Tips for Working Remotely While Travelling Abroad

1. Use a chat-based collaboration platform like Microsoft Teams

If your work requires you to stay engaged with your team, customers, business pipeline etc while travelling, then a collaboration platform like Microsoft Teams is ideal.

Using Microsoft Teams you no longer need to worry about expensive roaming charges and data usage. You can divert your mobile number to a direct dial Teams number so that whenever your phone is switched off and someone calls the number, it is turned into an internet call. Because almost everywhere you visit has Wi-Fi, it means that you can connect to a local service (such as your hotel) and make calls, hear your voicemails and send chats. If you’re too remote for a Wi-Fi connection, you can opt for a local SIM and use the data from a local telco.

With a combination of Microsoft teams, an unlimited data SIM, hotel Wi-Fi (and others), you can keep in touch without sky-rocketing roaming charges and inconvenient mobile calls. 

2. A second, USB Powered 15” monitor

Yep, that’s right – a second monitor.

Why, you ask? Well, if you’re used to working with multiple monitors (and who isn’t nowadays) then providing your own, second monitor may be the metaphorical lifesaver you never knew you needed.

These secondary monitors can be powered simply via a USB connection and the latest generation powered by USB 3.0 are much brighter so they can be used in a sunny location and still be readable.

3. A time zone converter

Not all devices are great at handling time zones and daylight savings. Working across multiple time zones, especially across Australia or America, can get very confusing. While Google can help you, you might find an app for time zone conversion even more useful for quick reference that can be done offline.

4. Use a Cloud service – work from the cloud

When travelling many scenarios can arise that you weren’t expecting. You don’t want to end up in a nightmare scenario where you lose a project you have worked on because you saved it locally to your device that has become damaged, lost or stolen.

If you work through a cloud-based platform all of your documentation can be stored and accessible from anywhere in the world. It means your team can also have action to it on a real-time basis and everyone can work from one document instead of emailing back and forth multiple versions.

We recommend Microsoft SharePoint, but other cloud-based options are available, like Dropbox. Here’s a handy comparison of the two, if you’re not sure which is right for you.

5. Get a comfortable backpack

If you’re working abroad and carrying around the contents of your travelling office, you probably have quite a bit to lug. You might be carrying:

• A laptop
• Secondary screen
• iPad
• Mouse
• Stationery
• Internet access
• Water
• Travel documents, wallet etc

This will all get heavy. You need to invest in a strong, waterproof, comfortable travel backpack that will accommodate all you’re carrying and be versatile enough to handle any scenario that comes your way.

6. Pack some basic office supplies

It might be tempting to leave the notepad and pens at home, but you might need them. Sure, in most cases you can use an app on your phone or a notes device on a laptop, but you never know when you might need some basic office stationery, so bring some of the basics with you.

You already have your comfortable and practical travel backpack sorted, so you have plenty of space to work with.

7. Small, portable mouse

Yes, we know you can do pretty much everything with a laptop track pad or a touch screen device, but you could be travelling for weeks, or maybe months. Bringing along a small mouse can really make your remote travel office more comfortable.

There are plenty of options available, whether you want a mouse that’s very small, or one that sits flat during travel so it saves storage space.

Buy one now and thank us later!

8. Noise cancelling Headphones

If you’re travelling you might already have some noise-cancelling headphones ready to go. And if you don’t, then you’ll need some.

They make flights more pleasant and can help if you’re in a particularly noisy hotel. But where they really shine is during calls and meetings when working remotely.

You may find yourself working in a café or open plan co-working  space where you’re not able to alert those around you about just how important this phone call is and you can’t hear the priority client.

Grab some noise-cancelling headphones or earphones so you can focus on the business at hand.

9. Choose a professional background for video calls

This is a small, fun tip – choose a professional background for your work calls. Many of us are used to video meetings and calls now.

Clients and team members are aware that not all backgrounds are what they seem to be. But, opting for a faux background is better than either turning your camera off or letting the other members see your (potentially) unprofessional back drop.

Opt for a branded, plain background with no distractions, or choose a background that mimics an office setting. If you’re company can do so, take a photo of a meeting room within your office and use that to give the illusion you’re back in the office.

10.  Portable power bank

A no-brainer. You may be in the middle of a presentation or serious project and you end up somewhere that doesn’t have a publicly available power source or even has a black out. Carry a portable power bank that’s always charged, just in case of emergencies, so you don’t end up in an awkward situation.

 

Travelling and working can be stressful, but it can also be incredibly fun. With these top 10 tips for working remotely abroad you can reduce the stress and increase the fun.

Have a question about IT Management? Get in touch.

« Back to News