ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | we all have to risk at some time in our lives

Olha Derenko — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Olha Derenko
Post title: we all have to risk at some time in our lives

"You miss 100 % of the shots you never take"

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Absolutely!

Amy Duncan (X) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:12:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Amy Duncan (X)
Post title: Absolutely!

I am a HUGE risk-taker, both professionally and personally. Wish I had time here to tell of all my adventures, but my autobiography is nearly done, and when it is, I'll be sure to post about it here in a shameless, self-promoting way! :D

OK, here's one little example: When my daughter was 5 years old I (a single mom) quit my job, took her out of school and we drove (in my VW bus) from Boston to Guatemala, where we stayed for two weeks while I sold the van and bought tickets for Porto Alegre, Brazil...we ended up staying in Brazil for two years. This was back in the late 60s.

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | As freelancers, we are entrepreneurs...

Adele Oliveri — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Adele Oliveri
Post title: As freelancers, we are entrepreneurs...

... and all entrepreneurial activity entails some risk. So whether we like it or not, we are always taking risks :-)

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Life is risk

Latin_Hellas (X) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Latin_Hellas (X)
Post title: Life is risk

As others have alluded to, generally speaking, life is, by definition, risk.

Specifically, to be sure, it is risky to become a freelancer.

One tries not risk the value of one's word, tries not to risk satisfying the customer's expectations, not to risk taking on too much at once. In my experience, customers want an optimal combination of speed, accuracy and price, so one tries to ensure that outcome every time.

The risk, then, in my view, is becoming too greedy with a revenue-maximization strategy.

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | yes

Francesco Mai — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:53:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Francesco Mai
Post title: yes

I voted yes

during last year, I translated a book.
Then, me and the author proposed it to some editors: now, I am going to "sell" them my translation "for free", but I will receive a % of the income related to this book.

normally, I would never to this.

It's a professional risk, I dare say, but I'm convinced the book is going to sell very much!

let's see...

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | With some things

Christine Andersen — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:37:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Christine Andersen
Post title: With some things

I voted yes - like others, it's a case of 'nothing ventured, nothing gained'.

But there are some things I do not take risks with.

Once I have taken a job on, I keep looking in dictionaries, asking colleagues or other experts, googling, asking the agency or contacting the client until I am sure I have done my very best to check the terminology and whatever else is important in the translation.

Often it is not too difficult - luckily - but I try to contact the client if I draw a blank on reasonably routine sources. Often they have a ready answer, or else we agree on how to solve the problem, and usually I learn something.

Then they can't complain afterwards either :-)

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Calculated risks

Rocio Barrientos — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:33:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Rocio Barrientos
Post title: Calculated risks

Hi,

I agree with John, I take calculated risks, such as a job from a new agency. Many times the "calculation" includes the information posted on the blue board.

Best,

Rocío

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Please elaborate

Heike Kurtz — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:46:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Heike Kurtz
Post title: Please elaborate

[quote]Tomás Cano Binder, CT wrote:

Please, explain the question so that we know what the question is about! :-) I have voted Other for now. [/quote]

I agree: please give more details on what kind of "risks" you mean. I have no tendencies to go and fool around like e.g. bungee jumping or translating technical manuals for subjects I have no clue of.

On the other hand, I do not just sit around with my hands in my lap because there might be a risk as soon as I step out of my door.

In the end, it's a matter of making informed decisions. Most of us are freelancers. That is a risk in itself, so I don't really get the question.

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Yes...

Alessandra Martelli (X) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:41:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Alessandra Martelli (X)
Post title: Yes...

...Who doesn't?

Freelancing is risky on an on-going basis, as you'll never be sure of what your income will be, it just goes better as you go on if you manage to get good contacts with a nice workflow, otherwise every new client is a risk (and "old" clients are sometimes risky too).

Going freelance was a major risk (in my former life I was a bank employee, figure out HOW risky it was), but I was young enough and brave enough - my mother says silly but I'm proud of my professional results so I just move on :-)

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Can you explain the question?

Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:09:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Post title: Can you explain the question?

Please, explain the question so that we know what the question is about! :-) I have voted Other for now.

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | marketing

Anthony Baldwin — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:13:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Anthony Baldwin
Post title: marketing

I've taken risks in investing in marketing.
Most of them have paid off (like using Proz, for instance, or advertising on the local Bar Assoc. website, sending postcards to local law offices, etc.), while others have not (Intl. Business Times didn't result in a single job).

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Calculated risks

John Cutler — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:54:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: John Cutler
Post title: Calculated risks

I have a simple philosophy: I only take calculated risks. I'm a big believer in the idea that "nothing ventured, nothing gained" but the benefits for me of any sort of risk I take have to outweigh the losses that might be incurred.

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Hadn't thought about it

Rebecca Garber — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:56:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Rebecca Garber
Post title: Hadn't thought about it

but going freelance might be considered risky.

But then, it beat unemployment, which was riskier.

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Life's full of risks

Catherine Winzer — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:08:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Catherine Winzer
Post title: Life's full of risks

Yes, like Sophie, I think the choice to be self-employed involves an element of risk in itself. The various investments that I make are also a risk, e.g. investing time and money in advertising without knowing whether or not it will pay off.

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work? | Yes

Sophie Dzhygir — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:46:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: Sophie Dzhygir
Post title: Yes

Otherwise, life would be too boring!

The first professional risk I took was to leave my in-house job to go freelance, without any guarantees whatsoever. I decided to do so while I was still young and childless, cause I knew I would not have done it some 5 or 10 years later.

Other risks I take are for instance to work with clients that have a quite poor BlueBoard (I mean, under 4) or no BlueBoard at all. It doesn't happen too often, so I think that is something I can afford. One of them turned out to be my biggest client. ;)

Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?

ProZ.com Staff — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:10:03 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you take risks in your professional life/work?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

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