Poll: In your experience, which of these is most time-consuming? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "In your experience, which of these is most time-consuming?".
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| | | | Kay Denney 
France
Local time: 00:59
French to English
| Weird question, weird choices | Dec 4, 2017 |
Of the choices given, I probably spend more time researching than anything, since that's the part of translation I enjoy most: hunting for the right word that will neatly express what the client is trying to say.
However, I don't feel that it is time-consuming at all. Billing and dealing with my accounts probably doesn't take up more than a day a month all told, but I find it extremely tedious. It feels like it takes up far much more time than it actually does. Perhaps if you were ... See more Of the choices given, I probably spend more time researching than anything, since that's the part of translation I enjoy most: hunting for the right word that will neatly express what the client is trying to say.
However, I don't feel that it is time-consuming at all. Billing and dealing with my accounts probably doesn't take up more than a day a month all told, but I find it extremely tedious. It feels like it takes up far much more time than it actually does. Perhaps if you were to count the amount of time I spend fretting about having to do it rather than actually doing it, it would reflect my feelings more accurately. ▲ Collapse
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Though actually I consider it part of the translation process.
If the question had asked "Which of these tasks do you mind doing the most?" - I would have said bookkeeping and invoicing.
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Marketing: I only do it when I have nothing else to do. I already have a solid client’s base.
Invoicing/bookkeeping: Some of my invoices are sent out as PDFs together with the translation. For the remaining invoices, I always reserve the morning of the last day of the month, but they are prepared immediately after completing a job so that nothing is forgotten. I don’t do bookkeeping, but preparing the documents to be sent to the bookkeeper takes about one or two hours in the aft... See more Marketing: I only do it when I have nothing else to do. I already have a solid client’s base.
Invoicing/bookkeeping: Some of my invoices are sent out as PDFs together with the translation. For the remaining invoices, I always reserve the morning of the last day of the month, but they are prepared immediately after completing a job so that nothing is forgotten. I don’t do bookkeeping, but preparing the documents to be sent to the bookkeeper takes about one or two hours in the afternoon of the same day.
Negotiating with new clients: doesn’t take longer, my CV, references and price list are all ready to go. I also have a standard letter that I adapt.
Communicating with PMs on projects: depends on the project, sometimes it’s limited to “Thank you” and “Please find attached the PT translation”…
Research: depends on the project and, besides translating, that’s what I like most. Even after 40 years of translation work, it still gives me a sense of satisfaction when I find the right word that fits what has to be conveyed.
Hardware and software upkeep/problem solving: it requires just a phone call to my technician. ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 00:59
Spanish to English
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| Invoicing/Bookkeeping | Dec 4, 2017 |
I've never really been good with figures and don't really enjoy admin tasks, which is the downside of freelance translating for me.
For example, one of the universities I work with is now using an electronic billing scheme, which require billers to have an e-certificate. I know a few people who already have one and claim they had no issues getting it. However, I initially applied for mine on 11 November and the first date I could get in the tax office to collect my download code for the ce... See more I've never really been good with figures and don't really enjoy admin tasks, which is the downside of freelance translating for me.
For example, one of the universities I work with is now using an electronic billing scheme, which require billers to have an e-certificate. I know a few people who already have one and claim they had no issues getting it. However, I initially applied for mine on 11 November and the first date I could get in the tax office to collect my download code for the certificate was ten days after application. The certificate file has to be downloaded onto the same PC as the application was made on, and the PC must not have been updated since the application was made. So, by the time I got my first download code, the PC had automatically updated itself and the certificate was invalid. I've now applied for another one and the first appointment they can give me is 14 December. I've lost a lot of time trying to sort out this one billing issue, including a couple of hours going to the tax office and back.
However, thankfully I don't get such terrible hassles all the time, and once I get the certificate, I assume it will be less hassle using and renewing it in future (fingers crossed, folks)... ▲ Collapse
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it depends.
some clients are so difficult to deal with that they are definitely time-consuming, some texts need a loto of research...
saying that A is more time-consuming than B is a bit difficult
| | | | Timothy Wood
United States
Local time: 16:59
Member (2005)
German to English
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| Other: Collecting | Dec 4, 2017 |
There are unfortunately also times when putting forth effort to collect late invoices is very time-consuming. It happens way more often than I would like to admit. Though not the most time-consuming, it is the most difficult business activity I do as a freelancer.
| | | | | Computer problems | Dec 4, 2017 |
For me, computer problems (rare, thank goodness) are the most time-consuming because they can mean waiting for a technician to come and sort them out, during which time I can't work at all, causing much anxiety. That and overtyping a client's converted source file which starts behaving erratically and takes much time to put right.
Actual translating and research are an absolute breeze compared with the above.
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 18:59
English to Spanish
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| Intentionality in “time-consuming” | Dec 4, 2017 |
For an English speaker, the term “time-consuming” not only tells a task takes a lot of time but that it is annoying, unproductive, unnecessary or ill-timed.
As many of you have said, research, which can take a big time slice, can be a very pleasurable activity. I associate it with being some famous detective going for the precise and logical set of steps to find my quarry. Those little gray cells!
Other people hate going to job interviews. I am referring to i... See more For an English speaker, the term “time-consuming” not only tells a task takes a lot of time but that it is annoying, unproductive, unnecessary or ill-timed.
As many of you have said, research, which can take a big time slice, can be a very pleasurable activity. I associate it with being some famous detective going for the precise and logical set of steps to find my quarry. Those little gray cells!
Other people hate going to job interviews. I am referring to interviews for in-house translation jobs or temporary projects that go for 1 to 6 months in town or out of town. The interviewing process can demand hours of preparation, mental preparation, paperwork, online forms, phone calls, etc. That is the definition of a time-consuming process! However, I enjoy it. I enjoy the preparation, the questions, the presentation in front of my interviewer, etc. I'm no sadist. I just enjoy this kind of challenge.
Now, I don't see “tax preparation” on the list, and that's a big mistake. I can only speak for the American tax system, of course; back in 1992, it was the most time-consuming process you could ever imagine! Living and working in New York City was possible but it was beginning to be a burden due to the additional city tax: either you incorporated (filed paperwork to be a corporation) and paid $300 in taxes each year, or you had to pay a percentage of your earned income as an unincorporated business or professional. I remember spending almost a week collecting and categorizing receipts, making expense tables and other calculations to insert the results into a tax software form on my computer. Eventually, the tax software improved so much, along with the accompanying accounting software I began using at the time, that I saw my time burden reduced to 2-3 days for tax purposes.
To me, tax preparation continues to be a time-consuming but necessary evil. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Sealing and signing translations | Dec 4, 2017 |
In Costa Rica, each page of an official translation must be signed; it must have an ink stamp and a cancelled legal stamp. I usually do this at night and it may take some hours depending on the number of translations I have to deal with.
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 16:59
Dutch to English
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| #1 is research | Dec 4, 2017 |
Usually I spend a lot of time on research. I don't think time-consuming is always negative. I agree that research can be pleasurable and you never know what interesting things you may find. Sometimes I get lost in reading something until I realize that I'm actually supposed to be working.
Computer problems are definitely #2: I had to re-install Windows recently. First backed up everything and later put it back on. The whole thing took 3 days. Fortunately it is rare and on the good s... See more Usually I spend a lot of time on research. I don't think time-consuming is always negative. I agree that research can be pleasurable and you never know what interesting things you may find. Sometimes I get lost in reading something until I realize that I'm actually supposed to be working.
Computer problems are definitely #2: I had to re-install Windows recently. First backed up everything and later put it back on. The whole thing took 3 days. Fortunately it is rare and on the good side, everything is new and improved now. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 19:59
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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Curiously enough, I thought of each of these options, and I figured they all consume about the same amount of time. Most of them vary proportionally to the volume of work.
At first, I thought of choosing Research, but this time is being gradually reduced as my TMs and TBs evolve.
So I'd say all of these in very similar proportions. Non of them, nor the cumulative time of them all would represent any loss, except in case of a serious problem.
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