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Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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Sep 12, 2005

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?".

This poll was originally submitted by Sam Berner

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more in... See more
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?".

This poll was originally submitted by Sam Berner

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629 ▲ Collapse
 
Antje Harder
Antje Harder  Identity Verified
Sweden
Local time: 06:47
Swedish to German
+ ...
What about "probably"? Sep 12, 2005

Although I'm inclined to choose "absolutely" I have learned to "never say never".

I think the answers "No, I do it for lack of anything else" and "Only until something better comes up" sound much too negative (and somewhat synonymous), but you never know what life may bring.

I have a degree as a physicist and have been working for several years at a German science museum (both with exhibitions and as the ... See more
Although I'm inclined to choose "absolutely" I have learned to "never say never".

I think the answers "No, I do it for lack of anything else" and "Only until something better comes up" sound much too negative (and somewhat synonymous), but you never know what life may bring.

I have a degree as a physicist and have been working for several years at a German science museum (both with exhibitions and as the person in charge for the museum's website).
Then we moved till Sweden and I did some freelancing as a webprogrammer before I started working for a minor company, translating their technical documentation into German.

I really liked this kind of work so I decided to become a freelance translator - and that's what I still am today.

I take part in professional trainings in order to develop my skills, i.e. I'm planning to stay in this business.
However, I'd never absolutely rule out the possibility of doing something else in the (far) future if circumstances change. But that doesn't mean in any way that I'm looking for "something better" right now - or that I lack other options.

I suppose there are quite a number among us who haven't had a straightforward career and might agree with my experiences...?

Regards from Sweden
Antje ▲ Collapse
 
Charlie Bavington
Charlie Bavington  Identity Verified
Local time: 05:47
French to English
Absolutely :-) Sep 12, 2005

I agree with Antje. Some kind of intemediate answer along the lines of "probably" or "yes, but I might change if circumstances change" might be have been a useful addition...
 
Katia Perry
Katia Perry  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 01:47
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Fully agree with Andje and Charlie Sep 12, 2005

Like Andje I haven´t had a straightforward career and I love translating. So, although I still work as a chemist I decided to become a freelancer translator. From chemistry I earn the money to pay my accounts and from translation I get pleasure.
I am trying to improve my performance as a translator because I intend to do it for a long time. But like Andje and Charlie I cannot say that I am going to be a translator for the rest of my life. So, my answer to the poll would be "probably", too.
 
Sam Berner
Sam Berner  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 14:47
Member (2003)
English to Arabic
+ ...
There was a reason for my glummy self :-) Sep 25, 2005

Antje Harder wrote:
I think the answers "No, I do it for lack of anything else" and "Only until something better comes up" sound much too negative (and somewhat synonymous), but you never know what life may bring.
Antje


When I thought of the poll, I had just come back from offering a small-business planning seminar for my local bunch of T&I and was shocked to the core by the number of persons who in some form of other verbalised those "No" and "Only until" answers. I went back home and, being the "Absolutely" type, wanted to touch base with the wider community to see if I was a rare freak.

Oh, yes, I too did many other things while translating: worked as an ESL teacher, as an editor for a publishing house, as a UNICEF staff... but the translation bit was so strong that when I had no offers I would pull a book off my shelves and sit down and translate for fun. So maybe I am a freak

Thanks for the feedback, both of you.
 


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Poll: Do you plan on staying in translation for the rest of your career?






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