Has voluntary translating ever led to paid work? Thread poster: Thomas Seligmann
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Hi everyone and hope you're having a happy new year.
I'm just curious really as to whether anyone has gained a client or got some paid work off doing voluntary translations for one of the volunteer organisations out there?
Obviously we don't do pro bono because we're looking for money; quite the opposite. It's nice to be able to put our language skills towards some sort of charitable cause. But has anyone been doing voluntary translations and then a successful collabora... See more Hi everyone and hope you're having a happy new year.
I'm just curious really as to whether anyone has gained a client or got some paid work off doing voluntary translations for one of the volunteer organisations out there?
Obviously we don't do pro bono because we're looking for money; quite the opposite. It's nice to be able to put our language skills towards some sort of charitable cause. But has anyone been doing voluntary translations and then a successful collaboration has led to them being referred to contacts/paying clients? ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Voluntary teaching yes | Jan 1, 2015 |
Hi Thomas!
I have not yet done any voluntary translation although I proposed to one organisation. I did some voluntary teaching of German in the past though with two friends of mine who both were looking for a job at that moment. Two years after that both got a regular job threw that and are quite happy with it. So why should that not be possible for translators as well? After all the most important is a good network!
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It has happened to me with 3 different organizations...
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I'm not sure if many would consider it charity, but I translated addons and modification programs for a couple of popular video games. The developers were happy and later contracted me to translate their own games. Since the developers gave me credit for the translation (of the volunteer project), other developers have contacted me asking for me professional services as well.
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Dena Bugel-Shunra 
United States
Local time: 11:49
Member (2014)
Hebrew to English
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| About as much as voluntary catering or voluntary plumbing, I find | Jan 2, 2015 |
In other words, you get little appreciation but can sometimes be offered work.
However, by volunteering your time you've effectively communicated that your work is worth $0/hour, and that's often how you're treated.
In 25 years, this has not once led to offers of work at my full, professional rates.
Moreover, I would be careful never to volunteer for a company that intends to sell my translations or products produced with my translation. If the end-client is in it... See more In other words, you get little appreciation but can sometimes be offered work.
However, by volunteering your time you've effectively communicated that your work is worth $0/hour, and that's often how you're treated.
In 25 years, this has not once led to offers of work at my full, professional rates.
Moreover, I would be careful never to volunteer for a company that intends to sell my translations or products produced with my translation. If the end-client is in it for money, I am, too.
Providing free work would tend to spoil the market not just for myself, but for the rest of our profession, and should be discouraged for reasons of solidarity (not to undercut our learned colleagues), as well.
That said, I do a great deal of pro bono work, when waiving fees reduces hardship for individuals. ▲ Collapse
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When I was looking to gain some initial work experience (nearly ten years ago now - how they've flown by!), I trawled the Internet for UK-based organizations that wanted volunteer translators and found an NGO. Within a year, it became a paying client, as it so happened that it only wanted volunteers for a year because it had forgotten to ask the relevant donor for funding for translation for that year. The next year, funding was obtained and they started paying me.
I doubt my experi... See more When I was looking to gain some initial work experience (nearly ten years ago now - how they've flown by!), I trawled the Internet for UK-based organizations that wanted volunteer translators and found an NGO. Within a year, it became a paying client, as it so happened that it only wanted volunteers for a year because it had forgotten to ask the relevant donor for funding for translation for that year. The next year, funding was obtained and they started paying me.
I doubt my experience is typical, but in answer to your question - it did in my case! And I'm still working for them, doing work that I consider to be very worthwhile. The experience has really helped to further my career development, too.
[Edited at 2015-01-02 00:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jessica Noyes
United States
Local time: 14:49
Member
Spanish to English
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| Yes, that is how I got my start. | Jan 2, 2015 |
I had just finished an intense translation certificate course, and a translator friend, who had encouraged me to take the course, asked me if I would take over a pro bono job that she had fallen behind on. I did the translation, which was for a French NGO; my friend proofread it and decided that I was capable. She was busy all the time, so soon after that, when she couldn't take on a job, she recommended me to two different agencies, both of which had plenty of work. The paid jobs piled up, and ... See more I had just finished an intense translation certificate course, and a translator friend, who had encouraged me to take the course, asked me if I would take over a pro bono job that she had fallen behind on. I did the translation, which was for a French NGO; my friend proofread it and decided that I was capable. She was busy all the time, so soon after that, when she couldn't take on a job, she recommended me to two different agencies, both of which had plenty of work. The paid jobs piled up, and soon I was as busy as she.
Locally, I often interpreted as a volunteer through a support group for the many Mexican immigrants who make their way up to this state to work on dairy farms. As it became known that I could do this work, state agencies, courts, and hospitals, who had budgets for interpreters, began to call me on a paid basis. As regards the Mexican community, my policy has been that I will interpret at no charge for places that have no budget (say a dentist's office), but that if there is money available, I will create an invoice for my work. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:49
Serbian to English
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| yes, but as an unintended result | Jan 2, 2015 |
I can't remember for sure why I accepted to do a relatively short translation for free (it was quite a number of years ago, in the era of mechanical typewriters!), but few months later out of the blue I got hundreds of pages on the same subject matter, paid at full commercial rates.
I do occasionally translations pro bono for private individuals, if it's something important and they would struggle to pay normal commercial rates, but NEVER for any organisation.
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Thomas Seligmann
Luxembourg
Local time: 20:49
French to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Interesting, thank you | Jan 2, 2015 |
Thanks all for your responses - really interesting to hear your stories and viewpoints
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Hello,
When I was looking to gain some initial work experience (nearly ten years ago now), I decided to voluntarily translate press articles for two militant web sites. It was very interesting. My efforts were recognized by a well-known newspaper; unfortuntely wihout providing me a job.
Later on I bought some CAT tools and became a pro translator.
beware of false NGOs
Some years after - I don't know why - I accepted a voluntary job supposed to be for ... See more Hello,
When I was looking to gain some initial work experience (nearly ten years ago now), I decided to voluntarily translate press articles for two militant web sites. It was very interesting. My efforts were recognized by a well-known newspaper; unfortuntely wihout providing me a job.
Later on I bought some CAT tools and became a pro translator.
beware of false NGOs
Some years after - I don't know why - I accepted a voluntary job supposed to be for a "charity" consultant's company working for local charities in UK; by the way, does charity = NGO? The job was supposed to be interesting, it was not at all. My work was worth €300. I checked (but too late) the "Charity" listing and didn't find the client's name. I sent an invoice to the PM, which was never paid. The PM pretended to be volunteer, but I don't believe him.
So I even don't know in which's pocket is my money.
This is absolutely dishonest.
Of course nobody forced me to accept the job.
[Edited at 2015-01-02 09:38 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-01-02 09:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lázaro Borges
Brazil
Local time: 15:49
English to Portuguese
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| Open for volunteering | Jan 15, 2015 |
Hi Everyone!
I'm trying to get established as a EN-PT, PT-EN, ES-EN translator, and i would love do some volunteer work to make a better portfolio. I think that TWB just work with established ones, so if anyone knows any organizations needing jobs to be done in those pairs, please get in contact with me!
Yours,
L;
[Edited at 2015-01-15 16:59 GMT]
| | | | Vesna Markovic
Serbia
Local time: 20:49
Member (2022)
Chinese to Serbian
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| Open for volunteering too | Jan 15, 2015 |
First of all, I strongly believe that voluntary translating for a NGO or an international organization is a good and effective method for improving my knowledge and skills.
Second, if I were given a chance to contribute to the projects that I consider as important for my city and/or the local community, I would be glad to take part in voluntary translating.
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Simone Catania
Germany
Local time: 20:49
Member (2014)
German to Italian
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MODERATOR SITE LOCALIZER | Voluntary translating as a start | Jan 17, 2015 |
At the very beginning of my career I translated as volunteer for a geopolitical institution and an organisation who promotes science awareness. Eventually my translations were published in their magazines and websites. Thanks these experiences I had a tangible proof of my skills and good references to start my career as translator. For my experience voluntary translating has not led to paid work but it has helped me for sure.
| | | | rikka
Germany
Local time: 20:49
English to Russian
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My story is similar to Jessica's.
I have done quite a lot of voluntary work during my studies and just after graduating.
I started off by interpreting and translating for some small non-commercial legal advice organisation in our city. This allowed me to get to know the basic tricks of the trade without worrying about potentially losing the client thousands of euros due to me being a novice.
A year later thanks to the contacts from our little legal advice bureau I started to ... See more My story is similar to Jessica's.
I have done quite a lot of voluntary work during my studies and just after graduating.
I started off by interpreting and translating for some small non-commercial legal advice organisation in our city. This allowed me to get to know the basic tricks of the trade without worrying about potentially losing the client thousands of euros due to me being a novice.
A year later thanks to the contacts from our little legal advice bureau I started to interpret for a decent pay (still freelance, by choice) for a major government agency, without dropping the voluntary work, however, as it is fun and I really appreciate being part of the team there.
[Edited at 2015-01-17 20:40 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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