Poll: Did you receive any help or mentoring when you were first starting your career as a freelancer? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Did you receive any help or mentoring when you were first starting your career as a freelancer?".
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| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 08:00
Spanish to English
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My mate, who I'd worked with in TEFL, first extolled to me the virtues of translation compared to teaching. He also explained a bit about Trados and its pros and cons, so, if you can call that "mentoring", I suppose that's a yes...
He also gave me my first ever CD dictionaries and other software, which were a great help when starting up (I'd just never thought of it as mentoring).
The same guy came by last week and gave me his old pool cleaner, as he'd just bought a robot one, so I... See more My mate, who I'd worked with in TEFL, first extolled to me the virtues of translation compared to teaching. He also explained a bit about Trados and its pros and cons, so, if you can call that "mentoring", I suppose that's a yes...
He also gave me my first ever CD dictionaries and other software, which were a great help when starting up (I'd just never thought of it as mentoring).
The same guy came by last week and gave me his old pool cleaner, as he'd just bought a robot one, so I suppose he's now my pool mentor too...
[Edited at 2015-07-11 08:19 GMT]
PS: Come to think of it, the same bloke gave my my first three chickens for my birthday a few years ago and I've never bought eggs from a shop ever since; so I suppose that would be "hen-toring"... ??
[Edited at 2015-07-11 08:22 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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I only started freelancing after working 20 years in-house (in an EU institution). During my first year there, I was mentored by a senior colleague and several years later I mentored some of my junior colleagues.
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but before I went independent and freelance I read a few very helpful books, such as
- How to Succeed as a Freelance Translator, by Corinne McKay
- The Entrepreneurial Linguist, by Judy and Dagmar Jenner
- The wealthy freelancer, by Slaunwhite, Savage and Gandia
- A Practical Guide for Translators, by Geoffrey Samuelsson-Brown
Highly recommendable for new freelancers.
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My first translation job was in-house (the Organization of American States). My supervisor and my senior colleagues trained me for years. All my translations were reviewed, and they gave me feedback. After a while I was promoted to reviewer status as well, and we would review one another. Every job that went out was seen by two pairs of eyes. We never knew who was going to review whom, so we always justified our corrections and used the utmost tact and courtesy. Our boss, a very nice person, set... See more My first translation job was in-house (the Organization of American States). My supervisor and my senior colleagues trained me for years. All my translations were reviewed, and they gave me feedback. After a while I was promoted to reviewer status as well, and we would review one another. Every job that went out was seen by two pairs of eyes. We never knew who was going to review whom, so we always justified our corrections and used the utmost tact and courtesy. Our boss, a very nice person, set the tone. It was a great way to learn. ▲ Collapse
| | | | 564354352 (X) 
Denmark
Local time: 08:00
Danish to English
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| Yes, business set-up help | Jul 11, 2015 |
I'd already worked as a translator for 10 years before I went self-employed, so what I needed was help in setting up a business. A good friend set up a simple accounts system for me, which still serves me perfectly. The same friend continues to help me with advice on how to deal with clients, which I find incredibly helpful.
| | | | | Yes of course | Jul 11, 2015 |
MA in translation. We were mentored intensively for 2 or 3 years by our teachers, who later became fellow translators.
| | | | Paul Adie (X)
Germany
Spanish to English
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I had native Spanish/Catalan speakers who 'edited' my work in one of the places where I worked in-house. I was happy to leave.
I also mentored a graduate translator in another in-house position, but she got rather defensive when I brought up comments. Wasn't a great experience either!
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Helen Hagon
Local time: 07:00
Member (2011)
Russian to English
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I didn't receive any formal help or mentoring. However, I have always found the translation community to be incredibly helpful and supportive. If I have any translation-related questions or problems there are any number of places I can turn to for assistance (including Proz).
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I was trained in-house for a couple of years before moving into freelance work.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 03:00
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| When I started | Jul 13, 2015 |
There was no such a thing as the Internet, and all the benefits that exist today. Translators were rare heroes who had only a couple of paper dictionaries to work with, and were mostly self-taught.
People cannnot conceive the possibility of life without the internet these days, but belive me, it was possible!
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