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Decline in work overall
Thread poster: Helene Olsen Richards
Helene Olsen Richards
Helene Olsen Richards  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:38
Member (2006)
English to Norwegian
+ ...
Jun 22, 2019

Hi

Has anyone else noticed a general decline in the amount of posted ads and work coming in? I have heard the same from many colleagues/clients.


Laurent Mercky
Christel Zipfel
Constance de Crayencour
Tina Vonhof (X)
Eleonora_P
Omer Dasbilek
Katharina Palt
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:38
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
@Helene Jun 22, 2019

I’m sorry to hear that but for me work has been as irregular as ever and I must add that this June has been quite busy (so far slightly better than the same month last year). Keep calm and good luck!

Sheila Wilson
Angie Garbarino
Jasmina Towers
 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 08:38
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Yes, in the last few years ... Jun 22, 2019

... I've experienced a marked decline in the amount of work I've been offered and it is worrying. It was always erratic - feast or famine - and this month it's picked up a bit, but it's still far less than I used to get and I've been in the business for more than 30 years.

writeaway
Grace Anderson
Robert Forstag
Hedwig Spitzer (X)
Kaiya J. Diannen
Yvonne Gallagher
Catherine Brix
 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:38
German to English
Scams, low-paying jobs on the rise Jun 22, 2019

I wonder whether we are approaching the tipping point at which the scams and low-paying jobs outnumber the worthwhile offers.

writeaway
Robert Forstag
Helene Olsen Richards
Nathalie Bullen
Jacek Sierakowski
Yvonne Gallagher
conejo
 
Angie Garbarino
Angie Garbarino  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:38
Member (2003)
French to Italian
+ ...
for me the same Jun 22, 2019

As always more or less, I have medium rates, however the jobs posted here in the job directory are declining yes.

Jacek Sierakowski
 
Ildiko Santana
Ildiko Santana  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 01:38
Member (2002)
Hungarian to English
+ ...

MODERATOR
Yes Jun 22, 2019

Yes, huge decline. Even my top clients of 10+ years seem to have gone dormant. The occasional potential new clients find my rates, which I haven't raised in years, too high for their budget.

Robert Forstag
Helene Olsen Richards
dkfmmuc
Jacek Sierakowski
philgoddard
Leigh Ann Benlian
Lisa Grayson
 
Michael Newton
Michael Newton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:38
Japanese to English
+ ...
Decline in work Jun 23, 2019

US-based agencies are starting to offer Third-World rates. When I mention "twelve cents a word for medical Japanese", people recoil like a vampire that has been confronted with a crucifix.

Robert Forstag
Helene Olsen Richards
Tina Vonhof (X)
Jacek Sierakowski
Isabelle Defévère
Yvonne Gallagher
Huong Nguyen
 
Fiona Grace Peterson
Fiona Grace Peterson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:38
Italian to English
June has been crazy busy Jun 23, 2019

For me June has been one of my best months ever. Lulls in work can happen. If you can, use the time to work on marketing and improving your skills rather than accepting lower rates. Specialise, specialise, specialise. Or diversify. Good luck!

Gareth Callagy
Nathalie Fernández
Andriy Yasharov
Oleksandr Ivanov
Aïtallah RIAHI
John Fossey
Angie Garbarino
 
writeaway
writeaway  Identity Verified
French to English
+ ...
Medical is a field that is escaping some of the probs Jun 23, 2019

Fiona Grace Peterson wrote:

For me June has been one of my best months ever. Lulls in work can happen. If you can, use the time to work on marketing and improving your skills rather than accepting lower rates. Specialise, specialise, specialise. Or diversify. Good luck!


Those lucky enough to be able to translate serious (ie the real thing) medical, financial and technical fields are still holding their own imo.
Formerly serious fields, like legal, have fallen or been pushed off their perch and have now entered the realm of 'anyone can do it' and the rates and job offers have dropped off accordingly.
Perhaps one day the situation will be reversed and clients will once again starting demanding accurate, well-written translations and be willing to pay for them. Until that happens, the deluge of low-paid jobs will continue. And that means a lack of work for translators who aren't willing to charge/accept bottom-feeder rates.


Tina Vonhof (X)
Yvonne Gallagher
Natalia Potashnik
Tom in London
 
Jasmina Towers
Jasmina Towers  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2000)
Italian to English
yes I agree Jun 23, 2019

Fiona Grace Peterson wrote:

For me June has been one of my best months ever. Lulls in work can happen. If you can, use the time to work on marketing and improving your skills rather than accepting lower rates. Specialise, specialise, specialise. Or diversify. Good luck!


Yes Fiona, my best month ever. Also we work in the same language pair so I guess that makes sense.


STEPHANE BISSENE ATANGANA
 
Susanna Martoni
Susanna Martoni  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 09:38
Member (2009)
Spanish to Italian
+ ...
Bad period Jun 24, 2019

For me the last three months were among the worst of my career (almost 30 years of translation).
And my best clients say that there is a physiological decrease of work, in general.

This is worring and frustrating.
Hope that wind is going to change soon.


writeaway
Christel Zipfel
Robert Forstag
Angie Garbarino
 
Susana González Tuya
Susana González Tuya
Spain
Local time: 09:38
Member (2010)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Yes, worst year ever Jun 24, 2019

So far this year has been very slow and I think there is an increase on "reviewing" and really small jobs.

Jacek Sierakowski
Robert Forstag
John Fossey
Mohammed Mahmood
 
Jocelin Meunier
Jocelin Meunier  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 09:38
English to French
+ ...
Yup. Jun 24, 2019

There's been a huge decline for me too, with multiple agencies telling me they simply don't receive demands (for English into French). I take this time to train and offer other services, but this year is tough so far.

philgoddard
 
Jo Macdonald
Jo Macdonald  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 09:38
Member (2005)
Italian to English
+ ...
Very busy June Jun 24, 2019

Imo things are starting to pick up again.

John Fossey
 
Chris Spurgin
Chris Spurgin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:38
Member (2016)
Russian to English
+ ...
An up and down year - hard to tell a major change or a really clear trend from my perspective Jun 24, 2019

I know everyone has their own business and thus their own perspective. Just in my case, I have noticed the following:

1) Some agencies have reported a decline in orders, others are just sending fewer orders out. That said I have been busy all year - only had one week of non-working days, which I took off anyway (was not related to a lack of demand).
2) There are offers coming in and I have earned at 80% the rate I did last year, with some long-term work which really made me kn
... See more
I know everyone has their own business and thus their own perspective. Just in my case, I have noticed the following:

1) Some agencies have reported a decline in orders, others are just sending fewer orders out. That said I have been busy all year - only had one week of non-working days, which I took off anyway (was not related to a lack of demand).
2) There are offers coming in and I have earned at 80% the rate I did last year, with some long-term work which really made me knuckle down and minimised the side project opportunities. Given that I have made a commitment to having evenings off this year, I am quite happy with that.
3) Compared to last year, there have been loads of ads sent out on Proz from agencies for my languages. I just have not had the chance to throw my hat in the ring for all of them because of the drawn-out work I have done.

My action plan:

1) Get more clients
2) Improve my translator network, maybe look into forming or joining a team.
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Iwona Budzynska MCIL
 
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Decline in work overall







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