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Poll: At least 60% of freelancers say they started freelancing by choice. Are you one of them?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Platon Danilov
Platon Danilov  Identity Verified
Ukraine
Local time: 15:59
English to Russian
+ ...
Yes Jul 18, 2017

I agree with Chris, choice is always there.
And in my case, there was a necessity, too. However, freelancing for me was not the only and not the obvious choice. I do not regret of it.


 
Egmont Schröder
Egmont Schröder  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 14:59
Member (2013)
Chinese to German
+ ...
Yes Jul 18, 2017

I always wanted to be a freelancer, I admired the life style the few times I got employed I would like to forget.

Now I know that this situation also has it down sides, and in terms of predictability I sometimes wish to have a permament job, but I think I will be freelancer as long as possible.


 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:59
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Yes - it was my choice Jul 18, 2017

I took early retirement from my translator desk job to start my freelance business. I took some precautions: (1) I made sure my pension was sufficiently vested so that I wouldn't starve; and (2) I lined up a bunch of clients ahead of time.

 
Christina Pauly
Christina Pauly  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:59
Member (2008)
English to German
+ ...
No, absolutely not Jul 19, 2017

I am physically handicapped and in my country (Germany) no employer in their right mind would take the risk of employing me. I'd be a financial risk for every company.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 10:59
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
OF course Jul 20, 2017

Chris S wrote:
Can I be the first pedant to point out that everything we do is by choice?


I was going to say the same thing, for it's sooooo obvious, but well...


 
Ardian Vehbiu
Ardian Vehbiu  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 09:59
English to Albanian
+ ...
Yes and No Jul 28, 2017

I lost my job because the translation company I worked for practically dissolved. Started looking for a new job as translation PM, but I also did some freelance work on my own and I found out I could make it. I've been freelancing for more than 20 years now, and I have been very lucky indeed.

 
Alasdair Graham-Brown
Alasdair Graham-Brown  Identity Verified
Norway
Local time: 14:59
Swedish to English
+ ...
Easy money Jul 28, 2017

I was looking for something new after quite a few years of demanding projects and I found translation. I thought it was an easy way to make money and then later a way to make quite a lot of money.

I worked with tranlation for around 10-12 years. Now I do other things.


 
Eileen Brophy
Eileen Brophy  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 14:59
Spanish to English
+ ...
Choice and necessity too Jul 29, 2017

I worked as a translator for a lawyer in Mallorca and also for couple of other companies there too, then I moved to Barcelona and worked for a company there as a translator/interpreter, which I really enjoyed.... Until the big crisis, when the company decided to "officially" disappear and fired a lot of people. I moved to Córdoba with who was later to become my husband. Unfortunately I was not able to find work as an interpreter in Córdoba as there is not so much contact with foreign compani... See more
I worked as a translator for a lawyer in Mallorca and also for couple of other companies there too, then I moved to Barcelona and worked for a company there as a translator/interpreter, which I really enjoyed.... Until the big crisis, when the company decided to "officially" disappear and fired a lot of people. I moved to Córdoba with who was later to become my husband. Unfortunately I was not able to find work as an interpreter in Córdoba as there is not so much contact with foreign companies, etc. So I became a freelance TEFL teacher and later got into translating on a freelance basis through a friend who worked as a translator for Marvel Comics. I started helping him with his translating into Spanish, got into contact with publishers, translated a book on Byzantine Syria and learned a lot about history, etc and found that translating can also be educating and not as rigid a timetable, when bringing up children. And.... here I am many years later, retired but still making an income, which helps me keep my head above water nowadays with this present crisis in Spain and other parts of the world. It can be a bit of a pain at times when it is a very urgent job, or working at weekends, etc. but it is very educating too and that is why I enjoy doing what I do, without being exploited by a boss, while learning about a lot of things at the same time.Collapse


 
Zehavit Ehre
Zehavit Ehre  Identity Verified
Israel
Local time: 15:59
English to Hebrew
+ ...
In the subtitling industry it is different Jul 29, 2017

When I started working as a subtitler in Israel me and all my colleagues HAD to be freelancers to be able to work.
Maybe it was easier for the subtitling agencies not to hire subtitlers with a paycheck and all the accounting hassle, but rather decide only freelancers can work for them, take it or leave it.
So as I already had other potenial clients (back in 2002) and was planning to be a fulltime translator, I decided to be a freelancer.
Zehavit


 
Susanna Miles
Susanna Miles  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 09:59
Member
German to English
+ ...
circumstances Jul 29, 2017

Coming from a position of a former in-house translator in the same company I had my first large contracts with, staffing changes and company politics made it necessary to become an independent contractor.
I love the mobility of Freelancing - I could live in two countries for over 6 years - by choice.
I owe that original company a lot - my technical knowledge - my SDL Trados training - even some FrameMaker experience.
So it really was a blessing in disguise.


 
Krys Williams
Krys Williams  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:59
Member (2003)
Polish to English
+ ...
Yes, of course! Jul 29, 2017

I started freelancing 15 years ago when I realised I could earn at least the same money as I was earning as a scientist, have about twice as much holiday (or even more if I wanted to sacrifice some income for extra free time), work from home at times that suited me, and best of all never have to deal with managers, appraisals, team spirit (yuk!), away days (even more yuk!) and all that foul corporate stuff ever again.

 
Francesca Casanova
Francesca Casanova  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 14:59
Italian to English
+ ...
Yes Jul 29, 2017

It can be hard...but having no boss is just so rewarding.
I would never go back to a salaried job. No regrets


 
Michael Ellis
Michael Ellis  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:59
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Enjoying keeping active Jul 29, 2017

I learned my foreign languages as part of my job in industry. When I retired, I became a freelance translator partly to keep my brain active, but largely because I enjoy it. The money's useful, too!

 
Félicien Sirois
Félicien Sirois
United States
Local time: 08:59
Member
Italian to English
+ ...
Yep! Jul 29, 2017

And never looked back. No suits, no ties, no social decorum to follow. Just silence and the task at hand.

But then, I'd be happy living in a cabin in the wilderness.

...I think. As long as Peapod delivered there.


 
Veronika McLaren
Veronika McLaren  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:59
English
+ ...
Agree Jul 29, 2017

Chris S wrote:

Can I be the first pedant to point out that everything we do is by choice?


 
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Poll: At least 60% of freelancers say they started freelancing by choice. Are you one of them?






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