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Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | No hard rules

Artem Vakhitov — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 06:49:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Artem Vakhitov
Post title: No hard rules

I just assign the job any convenient time slot within the time frame I am given. It may be at the start, at the end, or in the middle.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | FIFO rule applies

Emin Arı — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 06:21:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Emin Arı
Post title: FIFO rule applies

First In First Out rule applies so I put it in my long queue of jobs like a printer :)

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Like Nikki and Ty

Muriel Vasconcellos (X) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
Post title: Like Nikki and Ty

[quote]Ty Kendall wrote:
Whilst I'd like to lie and say I'd do it immediately.... I'm practically Greek in my procrastination habits, despite Hesiod's warning. [/quote]

I have to be honest. I don't always make out a schedule for jobs with a long deadline, and I often regret it. But I'm learning. In the past few years Ive started putting daily quotas on my calendar, even if they are generous. Once I meet the quota, then I move on to other things. Right now I'm in that position. I''m only doing a 1,000 words a day and stopping when I meet the quota.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Start immediately...

Andreas Majetic — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:14:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Andreas Majetic
Post title: Start immediately...

...and split it up over the amount of days until deadline. As I do with every job. A project with 2000 words over 4 days = 500 words/day. Of course, if the amount per day is low I might do more than "necessary" some days, which means it gets done faster than planned.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | draft straight away...

Kay Denney — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:21:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Kay Denney
Post title: draft straight away...

I like to get the draft done asap: I translate the whole thing but without checking anything or looking anything up, but I get right through so I do at least have an idea of how difficult it might be to finish.
Then I put it in a warm place to let the yeast work.
It'll get a bit of kneading in between other jobs, but then the procrastination might kick in and I'll only do the final polishing when the deadline actually looms up.

Yeast is a miraculous, mysterious thing, and I know my best work is done this way.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Start immediately...

Thayenga — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:46:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Thayenga
Post title: Start immediately...

Provided I have the time to start on this new project. If not, then I'll start as soon as possible, but do take my time to finish it, applying the greatest care, polish it up down to the last tiny detail. :)

In any case, I do try to at least have a look at the text before I accept an offer. I've seen some pretty "easy-looking" jobs turn into real tough ones. So it's always wise to first "open the box" and see what's waiting/hidden inside. :D

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Have time to do it better, craft it

nweatherdon — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:33:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: nweatherdon
Post title: Have time to do it better, craft it

If it's something that I'm interested in or want to learn more about, or if it's a specialized topic/methodology that I don't know everything about, I can take the time to read more background materials. I guess that probably means it gets written better as well. Unfortunately, if the turnaround is tight, it's difficult to find time to do as much of that as I'd like for a translation/editing project with highly specific context, specialized or innovative analytical methods or in a sub-field that I'm somewhat less familiar with.

Sometimes being able to let a project sit for a day or three while working on something else brings new perspective that makes it easier than tackling the whole thing straight away. That's certainly not possible for a large project due asap or a small one due tomorrow.

[Edited at 2012-07-09 20:25 GMT]

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Schedule it

Mike (de Oliveira) Brady — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 18:36:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Mike (de Oliveira) Brady
Post title: Schedule it

I have a regular client who gives advance warning of jobs and a decent length of time to complete them.

I programme such jobs into my work schedule, noting the finish date on my calendar and my intended start date.

If another job comes my way, I consult the schedule to see if I have a slot available or can adjust the start date of scheduled jobs. I know how many words I can translate a day and so the latest I can leave it.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Depends on where it fits in the queue

Rebecca Garber — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 15:09:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Rebecca Garber
Post title: Depends on where it fits in the queue

If there is nothing, then I work on it immediately. Otherwise, as soon as I get to it, depending on other work factors and my family life.
If I have the luxury of time, I do try to make sure that I have 24 hrs between finishing the translation and beginning the QC work.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Oh so true...

Robert Forstag — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:55:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Robert Forstag
Post title: Oh so true...

[quote]Julian Holmes wrote:

...because you never know what's bubbling away inside until you've taken the lid off the pot.

And, believe me, some jobs do hold unforeseen nasty surprises. :eek: [/quote]

This is especially the case with longer documents. If, for example, I am sent a 20,000-word text to review for the purposes of quoting a fee and suggesting a deadline, I make a determination as to whether I can translate it, and how long it will take to do so, on the basis of a quick skim of the document. This procedure works for the most part, but there is always the risk that, not having carefully read the text, I might have missed problematic sections that end up requiring extra time and research.

Why don't I read the document carefully prior to quoting? Because it is not practically feasible to do this in the case of longer documents. In any case, if I've determined on the basis of a cursory skim that I am comfortable with it, then this almost always means, at worst, that there will only be minor problems, rather than a major nightmare, to deal with.

[Edited at 2012-07-09 15:01 GMT]

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | I start immediately (presuming that I'm available)

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: I start immediately (presuming that I'm available)

[quote]Julian Holmes wrote:

...because you never know what's bubbling away inside until you've taken the lid off the pot.

And, believe me, some jobs do hold unforeseen nasty surprises. :eek: [/quote]

OH YEAH!

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | start now, finish...

Wolfgang Vogt — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:35:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Wolfgang Vogt
Post title: start now, finish...

Usually, I start immediately. The rest depends on how my workload looks like. Either I take off a day or two towards the end of the first week or I accept other projects, if I've got the energy (beware of underemployment! ;).
That being said, with two little children many things change... I might get an extra hour of sleep, now that my second one has been born!

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | I assign it a place in a queue

Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:18:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
Post title: I assign it a place in a queue

I usually have a few jobs waiting so when I get a new one I file it, and start working on it when its time comes.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Finish ASAP...

Anna Sarah Krämer — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Anna Sarah Krämer
Post title: Finish ASAP...

...would be great, but then there is other stuff to be done, the sun will inevitably be shining beautifully outside... and that notion of keeping sane and not turning into a TM (Translation Machine ) must not be forgotten - kids don´t care if you would rather finish things today, they demand us to have time for them, and with good right.

So I will always end up taking my time (and sometimes, squeezing other jobs between, that I really shouldn´t have accepted).

And yes, I should be working now. But come on, I have a couple of days left to finish!

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | both one and two

Marlene Blanshay — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 11:02:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Marlene Blanshay
Post title: both one and two

I usually try to get it done ASAP, especially if a weekend falls during that period! but if it's kind of involved, lengthy or technical, i will take advantage of the available time. It gives me more opportunity for editing. However, I do still try to get it done ASAP if I can, in case something else comes up and I want to take that on.

[Edited at 2012-07-09 11:02 GMT]

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Start immediately

Marjolein Snippe — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 10:27:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Marjolein Snippe
Post title: Start immediately

and finish as soon as I can. I then use the extra time (if any) for a thorough proofread, if possible after doing something else in between, and deliver as soon as possible. I know I have been sent projects for proofreading which were finished before their deadline, so I received them earlier than expected, which made my life easier, and I like to try to do the same for my clients and their proofreaders.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Love the quote, Ty.

Suzan Hamer — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 10:10:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Suzan Hamer
Post title: Love the quote, Ty.

[quote]Ty Kendall wrote:

"A man who puts off work is always at handgrips with ruin" Hesiod. c800BC. [/quote]

Good to know people have procrastinated for a long time....

By the way, did you know procrastination may be a good thing?

"Procrastination in Relation to Immediate and Delayed Recall

Past research generally defines procrastination in negative terms, often considering it self-regulatory failure. In sharp contrast to most literature on procrastination, Chu and Choi (2005) found that some procrastinators, referred to as active procrastinators, are able to use procrastination productively. Modeled in part after Chu and Choi’s (2005) research, this study focused on how active and passive procrastinators vary in self-efficacy for learning and memory ability. Results showed that non-procrastinators had significantly higher self-efficacy than procrastinators, both overall and on all subscales. Active procrastinators had significantly higher self-efficacy for studying than those low on active procrastination. Additionally, results suggested that active procrastinators may score higher on memory performance than those low on active procrastination (these results approached significance). Therefore, this study supports the existence of active procrastinators as a distinct subgroup, and future research could consider examining other traits that may be unique to active procrastinators."

[url removed]

Edited to correct typo in cut-and-pasted quoted material; guess they had no proofreader.

[Edited at 2012-07-09 14:27 GMT]

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Start immediately

Allison Wright (X) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:43:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Allison Wright (X)
Post title: Start immediately

I start immediately, and pretend the deadline is sooner than it actually is, which normally means the job is complete comfortably before the deadline. You never know when you might get one or two smaller jobs which you have to "squeeze in".

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | "a man who puts off work is always at handgrips with ruin" Hesiod. c800BC.

Ty Kendall — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:27:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Ty Kendall
Post title: "a man who puts off work is always at handgrips with ruin" Hesiod. c800BC.

Whilst I'd like to lie and say I'd do it immediately.... I'm practically Greek in my procrastination habits, despite Hesiod's warning.

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Despite not liking theme park rides...

Nikki Graham — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:09:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Nikki Graham
Post title: Despite not liking theme park rides...

...I am an adrenaline junky where work is concerned. I work best when the clock is ticking and my brain finally gets into gear when I'm under pressure, so, when there is a long deadline, I invariably fit in something else for another client, which is great, because I then get to keep someone else happy, or, if there is no other job offer, I spend time doing things I wouldn't normally have the time to do, which is great because it keeps me sane*.

*relatively speaking

[Edited at 2012-07-09 09:10 GMT]

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | It depends ...

Mary Worby — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 08:57:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Mary Worby
Post title: It depends ...

It depends on my workload. If I've got nothing else to do, I'll crack on with it straightaway. Otherwise I'll fit it in where I can, which often means I'll end up doing it as the deadline approaches!

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Start immediately..

Amandine Added — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 08:55:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Amandine Added
Post title: Start immediately..

You never know what the days is going to bring you so I start ASAP on each job so to be ready for the next assignment without having to stop sleeping :) And as Julian said, the sooner you start the sooner you discover if this jobs is going to be full of surprises :))

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Try to start as early as possible...

Julian Holmes — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 08:51:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: Julian Holmes
Post title: Try to start as early as possible...

...because you never know what's bubbling away inside until you've taken the lid off the pot.

And, believe me, some jobs do hold unforeseen nasty surprises. :eek:

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I.... | Start immediately, finish ASAP

neilmac — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 08:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: neilmac
Post title: Start immediately, finish ASAP

Loose deadlines are nice, but stuff can still pile up so I always try to get everything done and dusted ASAP.
Anecdotally, I'm so used to working under pressure that when I was given a book to translate with no set delivery date, I eventually had to ask for one because I found it so hard to knuckle down without the usual Damocletian deadline looming...

[Edited at 2012-07-09 08:19 GMT]

Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....

ProZ.com Staff — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 08:10:01 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When I'm given plenty of time to complete a job, I....".

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