How Digital Nomads Can Save Time With Smarter Document Tools

Being a digital nomad, you surely understand how exciting, yet time-consuming, this lifestyle can be. You get to work from anywhere in the world, but small tasks like updating your resume and filling out contracts still follow you around – maybe even more often than before. 

That said, you probably agree that there’s nothing more frustrating than spending more hours converting file formats than actually doing the work you love. But there’s a way around it.

Smarter document tools can handle the small but annoying tasks for you. Basically, you won’t even have to lift a finger. Sounds promising? Let’s find out more about how these tools can help. 

Why digital nomads need smarter document tools

The thing about documents is that they look harmless. However, they never stop piling up, and as soon as you dive in, you realize that you’ll be stuck for much more time than you expected. 

According to Google, workers can save an average of up to 122 hours annually by integrating AI into their administrative tasks. That said, if you’re struggling to keep up with the many documents that come your way, you definitely need smarter document tools to help you deal with them. 

Here’s how they can help you overcome the everyday challenges of managing documents:

Converting documents quickly

Converting documents is such a common task for all workers. But especially for digital nomads, as they often need to share files with others. Now, copying text from Word into another program and then doing all the small tweaks by hand more times a day doesn’t make sense. 

So, if you tend to worry about whether you’re sending a well-formatted document to an important client and you’re wondering how to convert a Word document to a fillable PDF for free without spending hours on formatting, the answer lies in using tools like Smallpdf. This tool is easy to use and lets you convert and edit PDFs in just a few clicks, saving you time and sparing you focus. 

Collaborating on documents in real time

When working remotely, you don’t have the luxury of going into your coworker’s office to work on a presentation or solve a challenging task together. And if your job isn’t as individual and requires you to align with your coworkers most of the time, then you know this pain all too well. 

Tools like Google Docs, Microsoft 365, and Notion allow you to: 

• Save time by working on a document (editing and contributing ideas) at the same time with your coworkers instead of emailing different versions back and forth. 

• Give feedback directly in the document so everyone will know where to look, so you can rest assured that important information won’t get lost in email. 

• See what, when, and who’s made a change and revise it timely if needed. 

And most importantly? You get to access documents from any device and from anywhere in the world without having to worry about whether someone will open an outdated version. Everyone will see the latest updates, so rest assured, you’ll be experiencing fewer mistakes than before. 

This real-time collaboration also saves you a lot of time. How? Well, you no longer have to send documents back and forth, searching for the latest version, or wait for feedback by email. 

Always keeping your resume ready

Digital nomads always keep track of new work opportunities. They rarely stick to the same job for years. Instead, they tend to move between projects, clients, and remote roles. Why?

It’s simple. If you tie yourself to one employer, you could easily lose the flexibility to travel and work from anywhere. And after all, that’s the whole point, right? But even though it offers the flexibility digital nomads long for, this moving between roles requires you to always keep your resume ready to avoid losing opportunities just because you didn’t apply on time. 

There are many tools that allow you to create, store, and edit your resume online, so you don’t have to create one from scratch each time. Okay, you might have already been familiar with these, but have you ever wondered – is there a way to check my resume ATS-friendly qualities to make sure that it’s ready to pass automated screenings and reach recruiters?

Yes, there is. Rezi is a tool designed to analyze your resume for keywords, formatting, and structure to make sure that it meets the requirements of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). By doing this, you’ll definitely stand out. You’ll have better chances of being noticed by recruiters and landing the best job opportunities, no matter where you are in the world. 

Storing and organizing your files efficiently

Keeping files organized is probably no one’s strong suit. But for digital nomads, this challenge is even bigger. If you’re working on multiple projects simultaneously and switching between devices, chances are, you spend a lot of time searching for documents. 

Fortunately, we have the cloud. With tools like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, you can store your files in one central place and access these files from anywhere, and some of these even offer the option to work on your files even when you’re offline. This can come in really handy when you’re working from a plane where connections are low to non-existent. 

But besides the options to search for documents by file name, keywords, and even content inside the document, as well as reverting to older versions if needed, the best thing about storing files in the cloud is that they’ll back up automatically, so you never have to worry if you’ll lose work you’ve been working on for hours in case your device gets damaged or stolen. 

Signing documents and contracts in no time

Signing documents is a whole procedure, isn’t it? You have to download them, print them, sign them, scan them, and then send them back. When you’re on the move, this can sometimes be impossible to do, because not always will there be a print shop nearby. 

For this reason, electronic signature tools were created. Some of these include: DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat, and SignNow. So, what exactly do these tools help you with?

• Create your signature: If you have no particular signature, these tools let you draw one on a touchscreen and pick a handwritten style. If you already have a signature, that’s fine as well. You can upload it once scanned and reuse it for all your documents. 

• Sign documents anywhere: You can simply upload the file, add your signature, and send it back. You don’t need to print anything along the way. 

• Track who has signed: Electronic signature tools allow you to see who’s already added their signature, so you don’t have to send reminders to everyone. 

Once your documents are signed, they’ll be safely stored in the cloud, so you can always access them. And most importantly, these tools are valid and equipped with security features like audit trails and digital certificates, so you can rest assured that your contracts are safe. 

Create documents faster with templates

We’ve talked about how you can convert, edit, share, and store documents, and the time has come to talk about how you can create documents in the most efficient way possible. 

No matter your field of work, you surely have at least one type of document that keeps repeating, such as proposals, invoices, meeting notes, reports, etc., and you have to create it over and over again. Well, there are tools out there, such as Notion, PandaDoc, and Canva, that can help you save time by letting you create templates and automate repetitive content. 

To be more precise, once you set up your desired structure, you can use it whenever you need, so you don’t have to create it from scratch each time. This is a huge time-saver. 

Save time with smarter document tools when on the go

At the end of the day, no matter if you work from an office or remotely, it all comes down to making your work easier, that is, finding a way to automate the most repetitive tasks. 

Smarter document tools are perfect for digital nomads, as this lifestyle helps you see the world, but requires you to sacrifice a lot. With these tools by your side to help you convert, edit, create, share, and store documents securely, you can cut down on manual work and stay organized.