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Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career? | There was a reason for my glummy self :-)

Sam Berner (X) — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 00:03:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?
Poster: Sam Berner (X)
Post title: There was a reason for my glummy self :-)

[quote]Antje Harder wrote:
I think the answers "No, I do it for lack of anything else" and "Only until something better comes up" sound much too negative (and somewhat synonymous), but you never know what life may bring.
Antje[/quote]

When I thought of the poll, I had just come back from offering a small-business planning seminar for my local bunch of T&I and was shocked to the core by the number of persons who in some form of other verbalised those "No" and "Only until" answers. I went back home and, being the "Absolutely" type, wanted to touch base with the wider community to see if I was a rare freak :-).

Oh, yes, I too did many other things while translating: worked as an ESL teacher, as an editor for a publishing house, as a UNICEF staff... but the translation bit was so strong that when I had no offers I would pull a book off my shelves and sit down and translate for fun. So maybe I am a freak :-)

Thanks for the feedback, both of you.

Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career? | Fully agree with Andje and Charlie

Katia Perry — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 12:38:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?
Poster: Katia Perry
Post title: Fully agree with Andje and Charlie

Like Andje I havent had a straightforward career and I love translating. So, although I still work as a chemist I decided to become a freelancer translator. From chemistry I earn the money to pay my accounts and from translation I get pleasure.
I am trying to improve my performance as a translator because I intend to do it for a long time. But like Andje and Charlie I cannot say that I am going to be a translator for the rest of my life. So, my answer to the poll would be "probably", too.

Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career? | Absolutely :-)

Charlie Bavington — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 11:37:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?
Poster: Charlie Bavington
Post title: Absolutely :-)

I agree with Antje. Some kind of intemediate answer along the lines of "probably" or "yes, but I might change if circumstances change" might be have been a useful addition...

Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career? | What about "probably"?

Antje Harder — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 10:11:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?
Poster: Antje Harder
Post title: What about "probably"?

Although I'm inclined to choose "absolutely" I have learned to "never say never". :-)

I think the answers "No, I do it for lack of anything else" and "Only until something better comes up" sound much too negative (and somewhat synonymous), but you never know what life may bring.

I have a degree as a physicist and have been working for several years at a German science museum (both with exhibitions and as the person in charge for the museum's website).
Then we moved till Sweden and I did some freelancing as a webprogrammer before I started working for a minor company, translating their technical documentation into German.

I really liked this kind of work so I decided to become a freelance translator - and that's what I still am today. :-)

I take part in professional trainings in order to develop my skills, i.e. I'm planning to stay in this business.
However, I'd never absolutely rule out the possibility of doing something else in the (far) future if circumstances change. But that doesn't mean in any way that I'm looking for "something better" right now - or that I lack other options. :-)

I suppose there are quite a number among us who haven't had a straightforward career and might agree with my experiences...?

Regards from Sweden
Antje

Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?

ProZ.com Staff — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 06:45:01 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?".

This poll was originally submitted by Sam Berner

View the poll here

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