| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Should I stay or should I go Thread poster: satranslations
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| Agree with Nicole - stay. | Dec 4, 2008 |
Nicole Schnell wrote:
But work on your self-marketing.
Self-marketing is a key to success in any business. Reach out to potential clients - call, mail, visit them in person. Network. Tell everybody you know you are looking for translation jobs (you won't believe from what unlikely persons I got leads that resulted in paid jobs - such as mom of girl about my daughter's age I met in the park!)
If the going is really tough, consider a part-time or temporary employment, but don't quit. Remember: a winner never quits, a quitter never wins.
| | | | Giles Watson 
Italy
Local time: 20:14
Italian to English
In memoriam | Not just any job, though | Dec 4, 2008 |
Alexandra Goldburt wrote:
If the going is really tough, consider a part-time or temporary employment, but don't quit.
Good advice.
And if possible, find a part-time job that will enhance your knowledge of a specialist sector where rates are higher and competition is less intense.
Best,
Giles
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 20:14
Spanish to English
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| Give it another go | Dec 5, 2008 |
... but change your track. You're in a hard-hit sector, but, hey, there must be something ELSE you're good at, or better yet, love to do! Even if it's only knitting. You could well be the next world expert at knitting and fabric translation... look up, and things will look up with you. Where some people see crises others see opportunity. Where's yours?
satranslations wrote:
However my question wasn't really about what to do to get more clients. I just wanted to know if you ever feel like throwing in the towel too.
I got a chance last week. Steady job. I didn't take it - after having lived the way I do, it was too tough to think of going back to all that, so too late...
It just seems so hard to keep clients. They seem to come and go even if they give you good feedback and you always go the extra mile for them. I feel sometimes extremely frustrated that no matter how hard you work and try it is entirely up to chance if you will have feast or famine.
Everybody thinks alike, I've found. I was twidding my thumbs for three days, and suddenly when a long weekend looms in sight, here they all are...
I also haven't managed to earn as much as in my previous employee job, simply because of the ups and downs of the work flow (and scenarios like three jobs coming in at the same time, you can only take one because all three need to be ready yesterday and your capacity therefore only allows for one, then the next week no one rings...). I just don't know how you others can manage this.
Time to revise your pricing policy or your business math? If you have any problems with this, feel free to contact me offline.
And oh, yes, Giles gave you good advice, but I'd add something else - specialize in something that you'll enjoy in the long haul.
| | | | Fabiana Zardo
Brazil
Local time: 15:14
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Again, only you can answer that.
Nowadays, I work as a in-house translator. But I spent some time translating at night and weekends and had a 8-5 job. I still have my doubts about becoming a freelancer translator due to taxes and the irregular work flow. But that's me: I'm at a point in life that I need stability.
I think you should try a little longer. However, don't be afraid to change!
Good luck!
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| What would you do if you had down time? | Dec 9, 2008 |
Where some people see crises others see opportunity. Where's yours?
So true. I signed a 3-year contract that will end in a year and a half, so I can foresee a marked decrease in work and income at least for the first 6 months after the end of my contract.
So, in a way my situation will mirror yours, the difference is that I'm planning on using this down time to do things I couldn't when I was stock full of work. In fact, we all have down time at some point (planned or not), I just prefer to look at it as a blessing in disguise. During that time I can maybe take some classes in a specialized area, or enlist in a translation certification course, or update my website, etc. I can also take the time to travel around to different conferences and sift for new clients.
All freelancers should have a good emergency fund in place for these downtimes that is equivalent to anywhere between 6 and 18 months income. This takes the stress out of the transition and allows you to tranquilly take up your pet projects in the meantime.
| | | | | Ambigous feelings | Dec 10, 2008 |
Hello all,
I happened to come across the post of Satranslations by accident and found the whole discusstion very interesting. Here now is my opinion:
I can understand the feelings of Satranslations, it's all about the insecurity and not being able to enjoy the feeling of free time after finishing one's work day. I work only part-time as a freelance translator and part-time as an employee, because I'm a single-mother of two teenagers and cannot afford the risk of having ... See more Hello all,
I happened to come across the post of Satranslations by accident and found the whole discusstion very interesting. Here now is my opinion:
I can understand the feelings of Satranslations, it's all about the insecurity and not being able to enjoy the feeling of free time after finishing one's work day. I work only part-time as a freelance translator and part-time as an employee, because I'm a single-mother of two teenagers and cannot afford the risk of having one month almost no income at all and one month some more. Even if one has no family to provide for it's not easy not being able to plan ahead financially or not to know how to settle upcoming invoices.
However, I assume Satranslations is only responsible for herself as she did not talk about a family or children. If I hadn't children or if I had a husband with a sufficient income I would take the risk and try to work as a freelance translator. As was said by some of you, it would be a nice feeling to be able to plan my day, my schedule and my tasks myself without being told by a superior in the office when and what to do. I also agree that working self-dependent provides far more personal satisfaction.
For me it is difficult to combine both jobs as my work as an employee, which is also interesting and demanding, takes much energy which then lacks the remainder of the day, let alone the housework and the children....But I do stick to my work as a freelance translator, because I do it with all my heart and soul.
Your various commentaries encourage me to proceed and to keep up the hope/faith to be able to work fully as a freelance translator one day - so I renewed my Pro.Z-membership for the next year yesterday (which I doubted would bring me the advantages announced)!
I hope that Satranslations was encouraged by all the helpful comments and advice given in this discussion in the same way as I was. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Starting position | Dec 10, 2008 |
Annett Hieber wrote:
Your various commentaries encourage me to proceed and to keep up the hope/faith to be able to work fully as a freelance translator one day - so I renewed my Pro.Z-membership for the next year yesterday (which I doubted would bring me the advantages announced)!
Welcome to the discussion, Annett!
Your situation actually sounds like a very good one from which to plan and launch a full-time freelance translation career. You have a certain amount of basic security with your part-time job, and you can take your time and build an interesting, reliable clientele and weed out the losers without much economic risk.
That's more or less what I did during the first three years I lived in Germany. I had a "day job" for other reasons (it was required of me to maintain residency), but it allowed me to consider my approach to the business very carefully, try things out, make mistakes (LOTS of them!), master various CAT tools, network with colleagues and gain referrals and develop a marketing strategy that worked. Under pressure I might have done things quite differently, though I can't say whether this would have affected the end result or cash flow much, because I was fortunate to have a mentor in the same language pair who was drowning in work and who gave me as many referrals as I could handle.
There's a lot you can do in planning your independence. I think that writing a business plan is a very, very important part of this. In fact, if at some point you become eligible for the German transition subsidy for unemployed persons founding a business (Überbrückungsgeld), it will be required. Don't be stupid about it like many people are and let your accountant cobble together a few pages to meet the formal requirement: do a real plan yourself which you update continually and use as a guide for doing business. It will also be a very important support if you need to apply for a line of credit with your bank. Especially given the current economic climate.
Congratulations, too, on the decision to renew your ProZ membership. That does open the door to a number of possibilities, but as has been pointed out often in innumerable threads, the real usefulness of this depends a lot on your personal input. Focus on improving your profile (lots to do there, though it's a good start), play the KudoZ game to improve your search ranking, do a lot more samples, consider localized (FR, DE) versions (a really nice feature of the profiles here) and so on. There is a huge amount of work available in your language pairs, and with the right skills and approach to marketing your services, you can do very well and have a lot of fun.
| | | | | I do understand how you feel... | Dec 10, 2008 |
...but as for myself, I just find it very, very hard to imagine going back to being an employee! It's just so much more satisfying to make your own living, to be your own boss, not having anyone to tell you where you have to be at what time, etc. etc, as as others have said before me. If I sometimes start feeling envious of everyone else's (who are employees) steady, regular, monthly, never-changing income, never mind if they're sick or on holiday (in both of which cases I do not earn a cent), I... See more ...but as for myself, I just find it very, very hard to imagine going back to being an employee! It's just so much more satisfying to make your own living, to be your own boss, not having anyone to tell you where you have to be at what time, etc. etc, as as others have said before me. If I sometimes start feeling envious of everyone else's (who are employees) steady, regular, monthly, never-changing income, never mind if they're sick or on holiday (in both of which cases I do not earn a cent), I soon realize I couldn't stand being an employee... Especially as I've seen how utterly hard & consuming it is for women with young children in particular! They never have time for themselves, or hardly anything else for that matter, between going to work and taking care of children. Being a freelancer gives you the freedom to plan your time according to your and your family's needs - one more advantage among many. You may have less money, but what value can you name for freedom..?
That said, there are a few things that really get me, which put freelancers in a very unfair situation compared to employees... Firstly banks, most of which charge a fee for receiving money from abroad - where all my payments arrive from!! Anyone ever heard of banks charging a fee from an employee's salary, when it arrives to their bank account?! Yet the situation is just the same...
And another thing, in most people's minds, if you don't actually "go to work", you don't really work. It just seems inconceivable for them not actually going anywhere daily and still earning money (legally)... ▲ Collapse
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| Banks and boneheads | Dec 10, 2008 |
Melina Kajander wrote:
... there are a few things that really get me, which put freelancers in a very unfair situation compared to employees... Firstly banks, most of which charge a fee for receiving money from abroad - where all my payments arrive from!!
Not true if these money transfers are within the euro zone (or maybe the EU period, not sure) and denominated in euros. Other than that anyone else pays transfer fees - I do if I transfer money from my US accounts to Germany for private purposes - so we just live with it like any other expense. You can always raise your fees to cover it!
As for making less money as a freelancer is concerned, I think that is unlikely in most cases. If I can pass the systems analyst salary I used to make without breathing hard I'm sure someone who is good receptionist material can meet or exceed that mark. With a bit of business savvy I think that person could probably beat an employed engineer's salary.
Melina Kajander wrote:
And another thing, in most people's minds, if you don't actually "go to work", you don't really work. It just seems inconceivable for them not actually going anywhere daily and still earning money (legally)...
What do you care what other people think? The point isn't for them to conceive of such a thing, but for you to do so - and make it work.
| | | | | Weigh the pros and cons carefully | Dec 16, 2008 |
I turned freelance mid-2008 having worked in an employed capacity as a specialist legal translator for 10 years. It was there I learnt my trade, working very hard under constant pressure. Financial and family commitments kept me rock solid in employment. The transition to freelance was not planned. However, the fact that a German student loan/grant (Bafög) was finally approved for the 3rd of my 4 children did lighten my financial obligations significantly so that when put on the spot, I decided... See more I turned freelance mid-2008 having worked in an employed capacity as a specialist legal translator for 10 years. It was there I learnt my trade, working very hard under constant pressure. Financial and family commitments kept me rock solid in employment. The transition to freelance was not planned. However, the fact that a German student loan/grant (Bafög) was finally approved for the 3rd of my 4 children did lighten my financial obligations significantly so that when put on the spot, I decided to start my own business - with 4 weeks notice. I applied for and received start-up aid (Gründungszuschuß) from the German labour exchange, to which end I had to register as unemployed for 1 day, attend a start-up seminar as well as compile and obtain approval of a business plan. That was a valuable exercise. I knew my area of specialization and when without work in my second month, decided to stop panicking and do some discreet marketing, by sending old-fashioned letters to acquaintances - both distant and not so distant - in the legal business. The response was extremely encouraging. Other tasks were setting up an accounting system for idiots and getting my website set up, which I haven't completed yet owing to a highly satisfactory work load. I thoroughly enjoy running my own business as well as the freedoms like not having to request time off - I can just get up and go! On the other hand, being used to receiving a monthly cheque that covered the rent, a pension contribution and ensured that all my children had health insurance, I do worry in view of the current economic climate. I would be willing to work part-time at something else if necessary; however, it would have to be after office hours since availability at my desk and a rapid response policy have proven very advantageous so far. As regards salary, I gave up a well-paid translation job and so far do not have reliable figures for my business (for that is quite simply what it is, there is no point in being starry-eyed about it), but I think I will be able to match my salary in the long run. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Thank you for the motivation! | Dec 16, 2008 |
Kevin Lossner wrote: Annett Hieber wrote:
Your various commentaries encourage me to proceed and to keep up the hope/faith to be able to work fully as a freelance translator one day - so I renewed my Pro.Z-membership for the next year yesterday (which I doubted would bring me the advantages announced)! Welcome to the discussion, Annett! Your situation actually sounds like a very good one from which to plan and launch a full-time freelance translation career. You have a certain amount of basic security with your part-time job, and you can take your time and build an interesting, reliable clientele and weed out the losers without much economic risk. That's more or less what I did during the first three years I lived in Germany. I had a "day job" for other reasons (it was required of me to maintain residency), but it allowed me to consider my approach to the business very carefully, try things out, make mistakes (LOTS of them!), master various CAT tools, network with colleagues and gain referrals and develop a marketing strategy that worked. Under pressure I might have done things quite differently, though I can't say whether this would have affected the end result or cash flow much, because I was fortunate to have a mentor in the same language pair who was drowning in work and who gave me as many referrals as I could handle. There's a lot you can do in planning your independence. I think that writing a business plan is a very, very important part of this. In fact, if at some point you become eligible for the German transition subsidy for unemployed persons founding a business (Überbrückungsgeld), it will be required. Don't be stupid about it like many people are and let your accountant cobble together a few pages to meet the formal requirement: do a real plan yourself which you update continually and use as a guide for doing business. It will also be a very important support if you need to apply for a line of credit with your bank. Especially given the current economic climate. Congratulations, too, on the decision to renew your ProZ membership. That does open the door to a number of possibilities, but as has been pointed out often in innumerable threads, the real usefulness of this depends a lot on your personal input. Focus on improving your profile (lots to do there, though it's a good start), play the KudoZ game to improve your search ranking, do a lot more samples, consider localized (FR, DE) versions (a really nice feature of the profiles here) and so on. There is a huge amount of work available in your language pairs, and with the right skills and approach to marketing your services, you can do very well and have a lot of fun.
Thank you very much for your encouraging comment and the valuable advice which I will follow at any rate. I'm sure other readers, too, will benefit from it. Besides, I can also recommend your various translation articles which I enjoy reading very much!
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