| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3 4 5] > | What do you reply to 'What's your job' Thread poster: Christine Ghafoor
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| TRANSLATOR AND PROUD OF IT | Aug 4, 2009 |
what people find surprising is not transating but being a 'freelance' translator.
They simply don't understand what freelancing is. However when I explain what I do (especially how much I earn) everybody would say: "WOW can I work with you?"
I think the best way to go about it is to say that you are a translator and say it with enthusiasm. Believe me if u'r a garbage man and u explain what you do with enthusiasm... See more
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To people like you mother's neighbour, I would answer: "I consider people with 'secure' jobs to be poor souls who traded freedom for security, and I most sincerely pity them".
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I can see how miserable all my friends with 'secure' jobs are.
| | | | | that was funny LOL | Aug 4, 2009 |
conejo wrote: "What's your job?" >>I'm a translator. "Where do you work?" >>I'm self-employed. (then proceed to the above question, lol) I think "translator" is the easiest for most people to understand, although the general public tends to have odd ideas about what a "translator" does, and a lot of people assume that I'm an interpreter. I will never forget the time I was on an airplane going home from a business trip and I ended up in a conversation with the woman in the seat next to me. She asked me what I did for a living, and I told her I was a translator. Then she looked at me and said in a very condescending tone, "But I thought computers did all that now." I really really wanted to strangle her at that moment. (lol) But instead I proceeded to explain to her in detail exactly why nobody would want such machine translations... that oftentimes nobody can really understand what they are saying, the meaning is lost, etc... It's up to us to educate people when they ask, because no one else can or will.
| | | | MariusV 
Lithuania
Local time: 21:03
English to Lithuanian
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Nagwan Noaman wrote: conejo wrote: "What's your job?" >>I'm a translator. "Where do you work?" >>I'm self-employed. (then proceed to the above question, lol) I think "translator" is the easiest for most people to understand, although the general public tends to have odd ideas about what a "translator" does, and a lot of people assume that I'm an interpreter. I will never forget the time I was on an airplane going home from a business trip and I ended up in a conversation with the woman in the seat next to me. She asked me what I did for a living, and I told her I was a translator. Then she looked at me and said in a very condescending tone, "But I thought computers did all that now." I really really wanted to strangle her at that moment. (lol) But instead I proceeded to explain to her in detail exactly why nobody would want such machine translations... that oftentimes nobody can really understand what they are saying, the meaning is lost, etc... It's up to us to educate people when they ask, because no one else can or will.
Once I had a chat with an accountant. She asked me:
- What do you do for a living?
- I am a translator...
- What? But, you know, people know many foreign languages today...Let alone, there is various software for translation? I do not understand then what you, being a translator, actually do...
I replied:
- Well, all people nowadays can read and write, actually anyone learned math at school, know multiplication tables, and all relevant arithmetics...There are various softs for accounting, and there are many people who can do accounting on their own...But for some reasons, there is a profession called "an accountant"? So, what do you do?
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| Hahahaha that was smart marius | Aug 5, 2009 |
MariusV wrote: Nagwan Noaman wrote: conejo wrote: "What's your job?" >>I'm a translator. "Where do you work?" >>I'm self-employed. (then proceed to the above question, lol) I think "translator" is the easiest for most people to understand, although the general public tends to have odd ideas about what a "translator" does, and a lot of people assume that I'm an interpreter. I will never forget the time I was on an airplane going home from a business trip and I ended up in a conversation with the woman in the seat next to me. She asked me what I did for a living, and I told her I was a translator. Then she looked at me and said in a very condescending tone, "But I thought computers did all that now." I really really wanted to strangle her at that moment. (lol) But instead I proceeded to explain to her in detail exactly why nobody would want such machine translations... that oftentimes nobody can really understand what they are saying, the meaning is lost, etc... It's up to us to educate people when they ask, because no one else can or will. Once I had a chat with an accountant. She asked me: - What do you do for a living? - I am a translator... - What? But, you know, people know many foreign languages today...Let alone, there is various software for translation? I do not understand then what you, being a translator, actually do... I replied: - Well, all people nowadays can read and write, actually anyone learned math at school, know multiplication tables, and all relevant arithmetics...There are various softs for accounting, and there are many people who can do accounting on their own...But for some reasons, there is a profession called "an accountant"? So, what do you do?
| | | | Lianne Wilson
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:03
Japanese to English
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| The lesser-spotted in-houser | Aug 18, 2009 |
Y'know, as an in-house translator I'm starting to feel a bit like the only cat who didn't get the cream with all this talk of the main joy of translation being the ability to be free unlike those poor schmucks working for the man...
But hey, it's a nice way to start out as a rookie. It does cut out the whole vicious 'no experience, no work; no work, no experience' circle... See more Y'know, as an in-house translator I'm starting to feel a bit like the only cat who didn't get the cream with all this talk of the main joy of translation being the ability to be free unlike those poor schmucks working for the man...
But hey, it's a nice way to start out as a rookie. It does cut out the whole vicious 'no experience, no work; no work, no experience' circle.
As for my answer? I'm a translator at XYZ company. Luckily the XYZ company I work for is pretty huge, so those pesky types who turn their noses up at translators tend to hear the name and be mildly impressed anyway ▲ Collapse
| | | | | translator... | Aug 18, 2009 |
and then I have to explain the difference between translator and interpreter...
| | | | | I am a translator | Aug 18, 2009 |
Usually, I answer I am a translator. But, if they put a face, I continue the sentence with a "communication specialist...".
Obviously, I am teasing them ...
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| When I am asked what I do... | Aug 19, 2009 |
Usually, I answer that I am a trained lawyer with an emphasis on international company law, an authorized translator specializing in legal and financial documents, and a full-time lecturer for a law school in Germany; but mostly I like to work in my garden.
Most people change the subject at that point... to gardening.
[Edited at 2009-08-19 11:06 GMT]
| | | | | you work from bed | Mar 24, 2010 |
I was in Saudi three months ago and I was asked "what do you do?" I said, "I'm a freelance translator." The asker was like "other words for: you work from bed" I cracked up real hard LOL
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 19:03
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| My husband's view | Mar 24, 2010 |
When people ask me, I say I'm a translator.
However, if they ask my husband, he says I'm a "cunning linguist".
Don't you hate the way those who say they love you do their utmost to embarrass you? ,-)
| | | | Iris Shalev
Israel
Local time: 21:03
English to Dutch
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| I'm a freelance translator | Mar 25, 2010 |
... and I love saying it! I'm really proud of what I do, even though most other people don't seem to see it as something to be proud of. Most reactions I get are somewhere along the lines of:
1. 'Do you make enough money with that'? (surely it can't pay much)
2. 'How can you sit all day long alone at your PC?' (boring and lonely)
3. 'Isn't that all done by computers nowadays?' (yes, this one always makes me very angry too!)
4. 'Why are your children in daycare, if ... See more ... and I love saying it! I'm really proud of what I do, even though most other people don't seem to see it as something to be proud of. Most reactions I get are somewhere along the lines of:
1. 'Do you make enough money with that'? (surely it can't pay much)
2. 'How can you sit all day long alone at your PC?' (boring and lonely)
3. 'Isn't that all done by computers nowadays?' (yes, this one always makes me very angry too!)
4. 'Why are your children in daycare, if you're at home anyway?' (it's impossible for me to work when my children are at home - usually I don't even try. But people seem to think that my job isn't very serious or demanding, and I must be able to do some work in between, or when they're asleep.)
And my top 2 of most annoying questions:
5. 'But everyone speaks English, don't they? Who needs translations?'
And:
6. 'Why don't you translate from/into more languages - all you need is a dictionary, right?'
And these questions are all asked by otherwise very intelligent people.
Oh and let's not forget:
7. Why don't you translate a. books (well I'd like to, but it's hard to get into that) or b. movies? (not my interest field)
Translation of literature and movies is in my experience the only thing that people seem to regard as something to be proud of...
And of course (I keep editing this post because I remember more!)
8. Why don't you do 'spoken translation' (interpreting)? - Because I LIKE writing!
9. Why don't you work for the UN/Dutch Embassy/etc.? - Because I actually LIKE being self-employed and translating touristic/cosmetics marketing texts!
There are always so many blank looks and 'why don't you'-questions!
10. (and last, I promise) A couple of times, I had questions from people who thought that freelance translating might be a nice way for them to earn some extra money, and who wanted to ask me how I got into it. They all backed off, horrified, when I said I had actually studied for it, and when they realised they would have to work hard at marketing themselves and finding work... People seem to see translation as something anyone could do on the side.
[Edited at 2010-03-25 07:16 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-03-25 07:24 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-03-25 07:25 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-03-25 07:44 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 11:03
English to German
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In memoriam | "I own and operate a translation business" | Mar 25, 2010 |
Exaggerated? I don't think so.
Reply: "Wow! Nice! Congrats! Who are your clients?!"
Americans by far are less shallow than most people might think, but you have to push the right buttons. In fact, it is very tricky, and you have to choose the right words.
Since the humungous dot.com crash about 10 years ago, the term "working from home" has acquired a very, uhm, odd connotation. Same goes for "freelancer", which turned into "unemployed but making a couple... See more Exaggerated? I don't think so.
Reply: "Wow! Nice! Congrats! Who are your clients?!"
Americans by far are less shallow than most people might think, but you have to push the right buttons. In fact, it is very tricky, and you have to choose the right words.
Since the humungous dot.com crash about 10 years ago, the term "working from home" has acquired a very, uhm, odd connotation. Same goes for "freelancer", which turned into "unemployed but making a couple of bucks on the side working on a PC in the bedroom". ▲ Collapse
| | | | Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X)
Poland
Local time: 20:03
English to Polish
+ ...
| on the other hand | Mar 25, 2010 |
Some of the sole proprietors registered with a Polish professionals website like to call themselves "CEO". So you've got something along the lines of "CEO, Adam Smith Services" or whatever.
| | | | Anne Brackenborough (X)
Germany
Local time: 20:03
German to English
| I'm a translator | Mar 25, 2010 |
When I said I was starting out as a translator, my husband's lovely, very old grandmother said "How nice! You can get some pocket money!" Different times, different worlds...
The main question my friends now seem to ask is "So are you still getting jobs coming in?" - not sure if this is a sign of their disbelief that you can earn good money from home, or just as they have no idea what I do all day and can't think of a... See more When I said I was starting out as a translator, my husband's lovely, very old grandmother said "How nice! You can get some pocket money!" Different times, different worlds...
The main question my friends now seem to ask is "So are you still getting jobs coming in?" - not sure if this is a sign of their disbelief that you can earn good money from home, or just as they have no idea what I do all day and can't think of anything else to ask!
My husband loves to wind me up by saying things like "Sure, you can bring the package round on Tuesday; my wife is always at home" or "Thank goodness Anne is here to take care of the kids in the afternoons" (when actually I work afternoons too). When I complain he says "But you are at home, aren't you?" :-S ▲ Collapse
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