| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: So far in 2010 I have had Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | | Not enough and low rate | May 25, 2010 |
Approx 70% of what I can handle and at 50% the pre-crisis rate (
[Edited at 2010-05-25 08:48 GMT]
| | | | Claire Cox
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:04
French to English
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It's been a funny year so far: I've either had periods with far more work than I can handle or quiet periods, like now. Usual famine or feast scenario. The problem, as ever, is that clients always want things asap so there's no opportunity for creating a backlog of work to see you through the lean times, as used to happen in the pre-electronic age. For now, I'm just enjoying the all too rare sunshine and catching up on my household chores!
[Edited at 2010-05-25 08:46 GMT]
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 17:04
Spanish to English
+ ...
Not quite enough for my liking, but enough to get by on, and slightly better than last year.
It is relative though, because if I go for 3 whole days without job offers coming in I start to panic and think it's the end of the world...
Perhaps I should apply to more ads on proz, but so many of the advertisers seem (to me) so unreasonably demanding that most of the time I cant be bothered. Some do not actually have the work that they claim to, and are simply attempting to create a datab... See more Not quite enough for my liking, but enough to get by on, and slightly better than last year.
It is relative though, because if I go for 3 whole days without job offers coming in I start to panic and think it's the end of the world...
Perhaps I should apply to more ads on proz, but so many of the advertisers seem (to me) so unreasonably demanding that most of the time I cant be bothered. Some do not actually have the work that they claim to, and are simply attempting to create a database of possible translators in case they do eventually get any. Then you have the people looking to save a few cents by opting for "revisions" of dodgy translations...
[Edited at 2010-05-25 08:59 GMT]
[Edited at 2010-05-25 09:00 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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lillkakan
Local time: 17:04
English to Swedish
| More than enough | May 25, 2010 |
I've been quite happy with my workload so far. I've even been forced to outsource some jobs because I've been overloaded, and I've been able to turn down low rate offers. It seems I've been lucky compared to others =(
| | | | Interlangue (X)
Angola
Local time: 17:04
English to French
+ ...
| Mixture here too | May 25, 2010 |
Plenty or more than I can handle most of the time, meaning I had to refuse jobs, but too little for the past 3 days, after two customers delayed their job. One agency I work with would have kept me busy all the same, but these were direct customers.
A certain number of pages is due to come in today, but I have to wait for sunrise and office hours in a different time zone (6 hours west).
A good opportunity to catch up on gardening though and soaking up some sun ... See more Plenty or more than I can handle most of the time, meaning I had to refuse jobs, but too little for the past 3 days, after two customers delayed their job. One agency I work with would have kept me busy all the same, but these were direct customers.
A certain number of pages is due to come in today, but I have to wait for sunrise and office hours in a different time zone (6 hours west).
A good opportunity to catch up on gardening though and soaking up some sun ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Getting just the right amount of work | May 25, 2010 |
One can always get just the right amount of work by adjusting the standard and/or minimum rates charged. Of course, it may take 3-4 years on the international market to get accustomed, but generally, the law of demand works very well in the translation industry.
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...of course, there will always be fluctuations. Here I am with Interlangue - it gives time to catch up on things long overdue.
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Dinny 
Greece
Local time: 18:04
Italian to Danish
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| Not enough offers - but plenty of work | May 25, 2010 |
What differs from previous years (and not including 2009 in that) is that the number of offers/inquiries has dropped dramatically, but I have been lucky enough to have plenty of work from just a handful of clients both last year and this year.
It still worries me though, it's never good to lay your eggs in just one or a few baskets. There is the usual threat from end-clients to change to some other agency with lower rates, constant pressure for discounts from these end-clients (no... See more What differs from previous years (and not including 2009 in that) is that the number of offers/inquiries has dropped dramatically, but I have been lucky enough to have plenty of work from just a handful of clients both last year and this year.
It still worries me though, it's never good to lay your eggs in just one or a few baskets. There is the usual threat from end-clients to change to some other agency with lower rates, constant pressure for discounts from these end-clients (not so much from my agencies, they know that they get value for their money), so what if one or two of these end-clients decide to change? That might change my actual situation for the worse. And I don't like to live with an axe over my head!
Most of the 70+ agencies I used to work with and have done for many years have gone silent since sometimes around October 2008, ALL the Italians have certainly. This might depend on the Italian agencies' habit of wanting payment terms of 90 days, where I never give them more than 30. But in a crisis and when the money is just not there, they will have to find translators that can give them a little breathing room in these terms.
But I miss the opportunity to choose between job offers, the luxury of choosing some easy jobs in between the complicated ones, not having to start in fierce battles every time rates are being negotiated.
I wish the world would soon come back to normal! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 17:04
Member (2006)
German to English
lillkakan wrote:
I've been quite happy with my workload so far. I've even been forced to outsource some jobs because I've been overloaded, and I've been able to turn down low rate offers. It seems I've been lucky compared to others =(
And plodding along quite happily now that our newborn baby has arrived:-)
| | | | Mary Worby
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:04
German to English
+ ...
| Ditto! Although I haven't outsourced .... | May 25, 2010 |
Michael Harris wrote: lillkakan wrote:
I've been quite happy with my workload so far. I've even been forced to outsource some jobs because I've been overloaded, and I've been able to turn down low rate offers. It seems I've been lucky compared to others =( And plodding along quite happily now that our newborn baby has arrived:-)
And congratulations!
| | | | | Fluctuations... | May 25, 2010 |
The workflow this year has been as irregular as ever. Work still seems to come in cycles: a period of too much work is always followed by a (brief) period of nothing to do. When overloaded I have been able to negotiate new deadlines and until now I only turned down jobs because of (extremely) low rate offers.
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| Fluctuaitions have become shorter | May 25, 2010 |
Last year sometimes I had 1-3 weeks between one large job and another. Now, in 2010, I'm often juggling three sizeable jobs at the same time. I deliver one, the second, and when I deliver the third, roll up my sleeves and put on my handyman's hat to do home improvement for a week, that "week" only lasts for a couple of days. My office now has a pile of tools and hardware on the floor. No time to store them properly and neatly. Every time I get started on bricolage, I'm halted midway with a most ... See more Last year sometimes I had 1-3 weeks between one large job and another. Now, in 2010, I'm often juggling three sizeable jobs at the same time. I deliver one, the second, and when I deliver the third, roll up my sleeves and put on my handyman's hat to do home improvement for a week, that "week" only lasts for a couple of days. My office now has a pile of tools and hardware on the floor. No time to store them properly and neatly. Every time I get started on bricolage, I'm halted midway with a most urgent translation job.
I've got rid of all slow-paying clients I had, and am rejecting all prospects visibly willing to join that club. Nevertheless new clients keep streaming in. Though my standard payment term is two weeks from delivery, most of these with desperately urgent translations are paying COD, trying to make me happy enough to be available for them next time they need me.
An unknown PM from across the globe asked me what's going on with the EN-PT pair, as he couldn't find any competent translator immediately available. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sandra B.
Portugal
Local time: 16:04
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I have been refusing this year more job offers than ever due to the ridiculous rates that are being paid, otherwise I would have much more work, but I think we must get the right pay for the work we do.
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 17:04
Member (2006)
German to English
Mary Worby wrote: Michael Harris wrote: lillkakan wrote:
I've been quite happy with my workload so far. I've even been forced to outsource some jobs because I've been overloaded, and I've been able to turn down low rate offers. It seems I've been lucky compared to others =( And plodding along quite happily now that our newborn baby has arrived:-) And congratulations!
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