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Who makes an offer like this?
Thread poster: George Trail
Stefan Blommaert
Stefan Blommaert
Brazil
Local time: 08:46
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Hear, hear! Jul 5, 2013

Nicole Schnell wrote:

Samuel Murray wrote:
The reason you go to university or college is to learn how to do the job that you want to do. If the job you aspire to is something that can be done without university training, then the reason you go to university is so that you can do your job better than you would have been able to do it without the education. But being able to do something better does not necessarily mean that you'll get more money for doing it.

There are types of jobs and subject fields in which better education usually or always leads to better pay, but I don't think linguistics is in that category.


Yes, it does. Just ask any other highly specialized translator who is a medical doctor, a lawyer, a scientist or an engineer. We sell know-how and expertise in a particular field, not our time for putting words into a different language.



As an engineer AND linguist (yes, I also returned to university a couple of times and hold two more degrees) I could not agree more with you, Nicole. And I will be damned to let PMs who are absolute m*rons dictate me what they think I am worth. I have studied long and hard, and I think I am pretty good at what I do, which means that I want to be remunerated correctly and definitely NOT at the level of my cleaning lady (who does a wonderful job, by the way. It is just not the same level!). If there are linguists who think so little of themselves that they feel it justified to be "given" peanuts, let them do so. I most definitely do not and will never accept.
 
Edward Potter
Edward Potter  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:46
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Chinese combination Jul 14, 2013

Rita Pang wrote:

Edward Potter wrote:

Both the offer and the protesting are legitimate. This is what price adjustment is all about.



Truthfully, there isn't anything wrong with this offer. With the language pair i work in, many, many translators will work for $0.04 a word for EN>CH translations. It's just the way that market is. Given the fact that it's so saturated, the industry there simply works this way: you don't want it, somebody else will take it.


These low offers serve an important purpose for our industry. Newcomers who have a tough time getting their foot in the door can gain valuable experience from taking these jobs. They will learn customer service, billing, collections, etc. After having done a good job they can ask for a recommendation from their new (albeit low-paying) customer.

Conversely, the offering party will gain experience on what certain prices will bring as regards talent and reliability.

There are many things to be gained (for certain people) by accepting a low paying job.



It's obviously "wrong" to those of us who have what it takes to quote and accept jobs only at higher rates. Obviously I am not saying that these kind of prices should be encouraged, but at the same time, for a lot of newcomers, this is an opportunity regardless: you learn and you get paid at the same time. You don't get paid much, but you are learning a lot about the tricks of the trade.


Thanks for your input, Rita. Your language combination has some interesting aspects absent from those the rest of us posters work with. However, I think the economic principles remain true regardless.

It's been said that for an inexperienced worker to start down the road to success they should get a job, any job, and keep it.
 
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Who makes an offer like this?







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