| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: How much work do you typically have? (translating/interpreting) Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Please publish a list for us of those who do not have enough work | Mar 28, 2007 |
Such a list might be useful for those of us who have too much. Many colleagues whom I approach with an offer of work are already fully booked at the time. A list of those often requiring work would be useful, so that we would have a starting point in looking for new colleagues with good qualifications. Those on the list should, of course, have well filled-out profiles that we can look at.
Astrid
| | | | Lisa Roberts 
France
Local time: 00:44
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Extremely Variable | Mar 28, 2007 |
Am currently snowed under with work, but experienced a horrendous dry spell a month or so ago...something I'm still having trouble getting used to!
| | | | Manuela Junghans
Germany
Local time: 00:44
Member (2004)
English to German
+ ...
I think Astrid´s suggestion for a list of (reliable, of course) colleagues who do not have enough work is very good and well worth considering.
At times I´d wish there was such a list
Manuela
| | | | Angela Dickson (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:44
French to English
+ ...
| Lisa, you're not alone | Mar 28, 2007 |
Am currently snowed under with work, but experienced a horrendous dry spell a month or so ago...something I'm still having trouble getting used to!
I could say exactly the same! February was very quiet, and March has been hectic as anything and this looks to continue until the end of April at least.
I have yet to discover that elusive animal called 'a steady flow of work'.
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| So far, over 60% says they have enough or too much work | Mar 28, 2007 |
So, what are so many of us complaining about?
I see cries for help every other day on this site - many users complain they don't have enough work. The market IS there! To me, this only goes to show that too many people try their hand at this business without having any clue and without having what it takes. I think that those who complain of not having enough work should do something else (unless they work in very rare language pairs) - and let the competent people shape their own m... See more So, what are so many of us complaining about?
I see cries for help every other day on this site - many users complain they don't have enough work. The market IS there! To me, this only goes to show that too many people try their hand at this business without having any clue and without having what it takes. I think that those who complain of not having enough work should do something else (unless they work in very rare language pairs) - and let the competent people shape their own market.
I am just saying this because I was really surprised at the answers to the poll. My answer was too much (duh!).
▲ Collapse
| | | | | Specialising | Mar 28, 2007 |
I can't talk for other fields as I don't venture much into them (by choice and because the fact I'm a qualified lawyer means I don't have the same amount of research to do perhaps as other legal translators, so my output is generally higher) but my experience is that qualified legal translators (lawyer-linguists or otherwise) who consistently:
a) deliver quality work; and
b) meet their deadlines
will always be busy.
I can't say I have too much work... See more I can't talk for other fields as I don't venture much into them (by choice and because the fact I'm a qualified lawyer means I don't have the same amount of research to do perhaps as other legal translators, so my output is generally higher) but my experience is that qualified legal translators (lawyer-linguists or otherwise) who consistently:
a) deliver quality work; and
b) meet their deadlines
will always be busy.
I can't say I have too much work as I just don't accept more than I can handle properly. That said, I do work a long day by some people's standards - but I'm careful to balance it these days with a 4-day long weekend somewhere every 6-8 weeks.
I turn down a lot of work. The most difficult aspect is juggling offers so as not to turn down the same good client twice in a row.
I'm fortunate not to experience great variations in monthly income as I'm always booked.
I have just returned from a long weekend in the UK and on Tuesday morning could literally pick and choose which job offers to accept (granted I'd advised clients in advance and left a reminder on my server).
Perhaps one of the secrets to a steady work flow is specialising. ▲ Collapse
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