| Pages sur ce sujet: < [1 2] | Poll: Now that I'm a freelancer, I find the job to be: Auteur du fil: ProZ.com Staff
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| Other: More thankless than I thought! | Mar 16, 2012 |
Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote: Ty Kendall wrote:
...in the lulls between work mostly..(my language pair is a small market).
Also because of the isolation. I never really thought I was such a social bunny, but I crave a bit of office banter, a laugh and joke around the water cooler every now and then....don't really like the hermit lifestyle.
...but then again I don't miss office politics, incompetent power-crazed managers...
...so there is an equilibrium of sorts. To that end, I wonder if we shouldn't have a 'banter' forum? 'Off-topic' doesn't necessarily fulfil the function because it might be a language-related topic, just somewhere ' where we can muse without fear of being reprimanded for going off-topic (as I am currently doing)... 'Like' buttons would also be nice.
I definitely miss the social aspect of work, and would love more networking/chat opportunities.
While I do have some fantastic clients, I also find myself "educating" people constantly and fighting for fair rates. I actually had someone this week say (and I quote): "That's way too much; I could hire an agency to do the work for that!" *sigh*.
So ... yeah. There's plenty of work out there, but there are plenty of people willing to undercut, underpay and under-respect. Grrr.
| | | | Ty Kendall 
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 19:57
hébreu vers anglais
| Banter forum | Mar 16, 2012 |
Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote:
To that end, I wonder if we shouldn't have a 'banter' forum? 'Off-topic' doesn't necessarily fulfil the function because it might be a language-related topic, just somewhere ' where we can muse without fear of being reprimanded for going off-topic (as I am currently doing)... 'Like' buttons would also be nice.
A banter forum is a great idea, I think I find myself unintentionally engaging in banter in the forums at the moment, and it's not that I'm trying to be facetious, I'm just typing as I would speak if I was in an office/following a more 'fluid' train of thought than is usually permitted on the forums now...but it often results in rapped knuckles.
...just to say something on the topic in this post...
I have to agree with Hilary, it can be far more thankless than I ever imagined and also I found the payment practices a bit odd...(the issue of who is setting the terms, the length of time for payment terms etc).
I think the de-regulated nature of the profession came across to me as a bit chaotic at first too...and I still think that, to a large extent.
| | | | Wolfgang Vogt
Argentine
Local time: 15:57
anglais vers allemand
+ ...
| basically what I expected | Mar 16, 2012 |
It's basically what I expected. In fact the first year as full-time freelancer went better than expected (and traffic in Buenos Aires is getting worse I have been told...).
The one downside I didn't expect though is the social part. I definitely do miss the office chatter!
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Ty Kendall wrote: Lisa Simpson, MCIL wrote:
To that end, I wonder if we shouldn't have a 'banter' forum? ' A banter forum is a great idea,
Don't bite my head off, but twitter is quite good for banter, if you're in the mood.
@cbavington if you're interested, but not today, 'cos work is hectic!
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XXXphxxx (X)
Royaume-Uni
Local time: 19:57
portugais vers anglais
+ ...
Charlie Bavington wrote:
Don't bite my head off, but twitter is quite good for banter, if you're in the mood.
@cbavington if you're interested, but not today, 'cos work is hectic!
Never got round to figuring it out though, will do soon. In the meantime shall practise keeping musings to 140 characters (or is it words?).
| | | | | School vs. translating | Mar 16, 2012 |
Interlangue wrote:
In the translation community I am part of, professionalism is key, with a humane touch. Comparatively, school was some sort of a jungle where you constantly had to fight for survival: professionalism was not really the point; bureaucracy and backstabbing were the rule.
I gave up teaching (read resigned) after 23 years, when I started having less and less in common with my students.
I gave up teaching after approximately the same number of years, most of which I was also a part-time freelance translator. I had my own small language school until the large language school franchises started arriving in my town and then it was David vs. Goliath.
There can be no comparison between managing a school, however small, and keeping a teaching schedule, such as having to be there and ready to teach at 7 a.m. every day, etc. with the freedom of freelance translating. I do miss the social contact, I made many dear friends who were originally my students.
[Edited at 2012-03-16 15:45 GMT]
| | | | B Sweeney (X)
Espagne
Local time: 20:57
espagnol vers anglais
+ ...
| Other: more laborious than I thought | Mar 16, 2012 |
Translating has to be one of the most (mentally) laborious jobs on the planet. Meticulous, painstaking... it requires vast amounts of mental stamina and concentration, as well as flexibility, versatility, memory, imagination... it can be pretty exhausting.
It's definitely one of those "labour of love" type jobs - you've gotta love it, otherwise you'd go crazy!
Over time, I've found that one way to balance all that mental activity is to take some kind of physical exercise every day. E... See more Translating has to be one of the most (mentally) laborious jobs on the planet. Meticulous, painstaking... it requires vast amounts of mental stamina and concentration, as well as flexibility, versatility, memory, imagination... it can be pretty exhausting.
It's definitely one of those "labour of love" type jobs - you've gotta love it, otherwise you'd go crazy!
Over time, I've found that one way to balance all that mental activity is to take some kind of physical exercise every day. Even if it's just a walk in the afternoon, exercise can be a real life saver in terms of giving the brain a rest. I also find that walking can be quite meditative - the mind becomes more abstract - so it balances the (mainly rational) activity of translating.
As for the loneliness, having a pet really helps. I don't know about you, but I don't know what I'd do without my two bunnies to talk to!! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Emma Goldsmith
Espagne
Local time: 20:57
Membre (2004)
espagnol vers anglais
| O/T on Twitter | Mar 16, 2012 |
Charlie Bavington wrote:
Don't bite my head off, but twitter is quite good for banter, if you're in the mood.
@cbavington if you're interested, but not today, 'cos work is hectic!
I quite agree, Charlie, Twitter is fun for banter. (And y'day you were at your best.)
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Helen Hagon
Local time: 19:57
Membre (2011)
russe vers anglais
+ ...
| Similar to what I expected | Mar 16, 2012 |
Having spent many years working full-time in schools and offices I was nervous about taking the plunge and so I read as much as I could and talked to lots of people beforehand. As a result I wasn't really surprised with what I found. Although I earn much less than before, I love the work and I enjoy the flexibility and the freedom, as it takes some of the stress out of juggling work and children.
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
anglais vers russe
+ ...
Although I'm no longer a freelancer, I found that freelancing was relatively the same what I expected, but with a few tolerable nuances I had to learn. Nothing especial.
But some moments like working for the first time with a direct foreign client or in a team was really thrilling and exciting
| | | | oxiborick
Local time: 14:57
japonais vers anglais
It is vastly easier and more lucrative than I expected. And all the PMs I have worked with as a translator have been the most pleasantly professional people I have ever encountered.
I don't miss the "social aspects" of work at all, though this may be due to having never worked with the right people. There are plenty of other venues to be social. Or you could just make friends online; it's very easy to find people with common interests this way - people that you would probably never ... See more It is vastly easier and more lucrative than I expected. And all the PMs I have worked with as a translator have been the most pleasantly professional people I have ever encountered.
I don't miss the "social aspects" of work at all, though this may be due to having never worked with the right people. There are plenty of other venues to be social. Or you could just make friends online; it's very easy to find people with common interests this way - people that you would probably never meet at a nine to five job. I don't really "get" the perception some seem to have that you must be at a job or enrolled in a school to make friends.
Agreed on the "labor of love" thing. I really enjoy it and I especially like how I'm constantly learning new things about myriad subjects, and constantly expanding my vocabulary in my source language (which is something I used to study for fun in my spare time; now I am in a way "paid to study"). Nevertheless, almost all of my acquaintances who have tried translating have hated it for whatever reason, and some of them think I'm nuts for sticking with it.
The only really hard part is convincing people to give you high-end rates. There seems to be a lot of people willing to work for very little in my language pair. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 14:57
anglais vers espagnol
+ ...
| Easier in some respects | Mar 17, 2012 |
Let's get the “harder” part out of the way first:
1. Uncertainty about the next project coming next month or next week.
2. Isolation.
3. Sudden market changes (a client “disappears” or a project manager is no longer with a client.)
4. Unpredictable cash flow.
Now, for the easier part:
1. No office politics
2. No incompetent managers
3. No thin-skinned coworkers who take offense because I happen to write better than them... See more Let's get the “harder” part out of the way first:
1. Uncertainty about the next project coming next month or next week.
2. Isolation.
3. Sudden market changes (a client “disappears” or a project manager is no longer with a client.)
4. Unpredictable cash flow.
Now, for the easier part:
1. No office politics
2. No incompetent managers
3. No thin-skinned coworkers who take offense because I happen to write better than them
4. Not getting up early in the morning
5. Picking and choosing projects
6. Building my reputation my way, not being invisible
7. Doing my own PR
8. Having a home office as big and well equipped as I want it to be
It rocks. ▲ Collapse
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 14:57
anglais vers espagnol
+ ...
| Et tu, bunny lover? | Mar 17, 2012 |
B Sweeney wrote:
Translating has to be one of the most (mentally) laborious jobs on the planet. Meticulous, painstaking... it requires vast amounts of mental stamina and concentration, as well as flexibility, versatility, memory, imagination... it can be pretty exhausting.
It's definitely one of those "labour of love" type jobs - you've gotta love it, otherwise you'd go crazy!
Over time, I've found that one way to balance all that mental activity is to take some kind of physical exercise every day. Even if it's just a walk in the afternoon, exercise can be a real life saver in terms of giving the brain a rest. I also find that walking can be quite meditative - the mind becomes more abstract - so it balances the (mainly rational) activity of translating.
As for the loneliness, having a pet really helps. I don't know about you, but I don't know what I'd do without my two bunnies to talk to!!
One of my clients loves bunnies so much that she established a foundation for them. She's an actress too. She throws bunny parties as well.
About the labor of love, I went crazy years ago [makes funny faces]. It helps that I am an introvert —not shy or timid, IN-TRO-VERT. I take breaks, do yoga, read a lot of everything, from an intriguing book by Steven Pinker (The Language Instinct) to Becoming a Category of One, by Joe Calloway. The latter is a book about how extraordinary companies transcend commodity and defy comparison. Very good stuff.
Oh, and I'm a big watcher of How do they do it, Modern Marvels, Nickelodeon cartoons and other documentaries and movies too numerous to mention. Plus, my iTunes library keeps growing.
[Edited at 2012-03-17 00:15 GMT]
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