| Stron w wątku: < [1 2 3 4] > | Poll: At least 60% of freelancers say they started freelancing by choice. Are you one of them? Autor wątku: ProZ.com Staff
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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 
Niemcy
Local time: 02:30
Członek ProZ.com
od 2013
chiński > niemiecki
+ ...
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.
| | | | | 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
Local time: 02:30
Członek ProZ.com
od 2008
angielski > niemiecki
+ ...
| 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.
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Mario Freitas
Brazylia
Local time: 21:30
Członek ProZ.com
od 2014
angielski > portugalski
+ ...
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...
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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.
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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
Hiszpania
Local time: 02:30
hiszpański > angielski
+ ...
| 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
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Zehavit Ehre
Izrael
Local time: 03:30
angielski > hebrajski
+ ...
| 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
| | | | | 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
Wielka Brytania
Local time: 01:30
Członek ProZ.com
od 2003
polski > angielski
+ ...
| 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.
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It can be hard...but having no boss is just so rewarding.
I would never go back to a salaried job. No regrets
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Michael Ellis
Wielka Brytania
Local time: 01:30
Członek ProZ.com
od 2011
szwedzki > angielski
+ ...
| 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
USA
Local time: 19:30
Członek ProZ.com
włoski > angielski
+ ...
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.
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Chris S wrote:
Can I be the first pedant to point out that everything we do is by choice?
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