When to say noIt’s tempting to accept every job out of customer loyalty, but it’s better to say no than to agree to an unrealistic deadline, or if you are ill or too busy to do a tip-top job. Clients can be fickle – one translation that isn’t up to scratch and they’ll take their business elsewhere. Saying you were rushed is no excuse.Raising your price for a rush …
professionalism
Don’t pile it – file itRecord-keeping is boring, and most of us will find excuses to avoid it. But staying on top of it reduces stress and frees up time for the more creative aspects of translation.How you keep your records is entirely up to you, but be systematic. Ideally update them after every job or payment, and at least once a week. Little and often really is less …
I’m having to interpret at very short notice the next two days, so preparing properly is a bit of a challenge, seeing as I was called only yesterday to fill in for a colleague who has become ill. Thankfully, the topic is not entirely unknown to me and the customer has sent plenty of material, an agenda and more helpful information, such as names of those who will be listening …
What do you mean “No, you’re not”? Well, if you’ve ever heard that “anyone who knows more than one language can be a translator and/or interpreter”, here’s an excellent video by Michelle Hof available over at A Word in Your Ear busting this myth (and also a few others) on interpretation. Enjoy!
I knew that there were standards for technical requirements for interpreting set-ups and translation in general (the BDÜ published a special edition each on the DIN-versions last year – German only), but I was unaware that there are quite a few international standards, as well. There are actually 19 of them now (6 of them still under development), grouped under ISO/TC37/SC5, with the most recent addition the standard on the …
I have mentioned the ATA’s Blog for new translators before, and the latest post is a re-post from copyediting.com about negotiating for freelancers and it is really good! It lists seven points you should keep in mind when entering into a negotiation: Be ready to say no Plan to aim high Start on common ground Never show your cards Be the first person to throw out a (high) number Con’t …
As you probably know, I am not only translating, interpreting and teaching (besides having a pretty full personal life), but am also active in my translators’ association here in Germany, the BDÜ (Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer), more specifically, I am the treasurer of the regional chapter of Bavaria (BDÜ Landesverband Bayern). As such, it is my responsibility to make sure all invoices are settled, all membership fees paid, and …
I recently came across an article on ATA’s The Savy Newcomer blog which, although originally published in 1997, is just as relevant (not only for new) translators and interpreters today. It lists and explains seven virtues everyone in the industry should aspire to: Master your subjects. Appreciate your limits. Defend your product. Sign your work. Quote your rate. Promote your profession. Perfect your craft. While all are important, I personally …
The other day, I received one of the best compliments (in my mind) a freelancer can get: “I really admire you, because you do all these things for yourself outside of work, and instead of it stressing you, it seems to make you more relaxed. You really have this whole work-life balance thing figured out, haven’t you?” “All these things” are various activities involving physical movement (I don’t like to …
