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Business School for Translators

Look who is going freelance!

Posted by on Sep 17, 2011 in Uncategorized

For quite a few months I was tempted to work for a translation and interpreting agency as their project person. Recently I have been asked to carry out duties that were against all the Codes of Conduct I have signed, that showed no respect towards translators and interpreters in general, no understanding of their principles and no moral obligations towards clients. I refused to do that, and that got me a warning letter. After explaining why I’m not going to support these practices, I left.

My immediate relief was visible to everyone around me. Standing for your principles gives you strength. And standing for translation and interpreting principles shows that you are a professional, you are not just someone who happens to know two or three languages.

I’ve spent two evenings on letting the stress go, I bought an extra desk to my office and now I am going to start my great freelancing adventure. I was partly freelance up till now, but here come times with no in-house job at all. For those of you who still can’t make a decision (there’s an upcoming post on that, postponed by my recent misadventures), I’ve decided to go public with my list of gains and losses.


What do you lose when you go freelance?

  • steady income
  • financial security
  • recognition (?) in the industry
  • opportunities to be promoted


    • What do you gain when you go freelance?

  • responsibility for your own life (!)
  • much more time to do things you like
  • obligation to think of yourself as a company
  • more time to learn and develop
  • possibility to do everything you want in your life, with no glass ceiling above or bottom-line-minded people telling you off
  • endless opportunities and chances to change direction
  • flexibility
  • satisfaction
  • more ways of using your potential



    • Can you add anything?




    I know that I’m going to make my freelancing happen. If you still have any doubts about being a freelancer, watch me!

    Marta Stelmaszak

    Google+ Polish - English translator and interpreter specialising in IT, media, marketing, and business. Marta also translates from French, Norwegian, and Slovakian into her native Polish. She runs Business School for Translators, a blog full of invaluable tips on doing business in translation.

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    12 Comments

    • georgia on Nov 25, 2011 Reply

      Dear Marta,

      Congrats on your decision. Standing for your principles not only gives you strength, it’s the first step to success. And I’m sure you’re already very successful at what you do. Keep up the good work and please keep posting, you are a true inspiration to me!

      Georgia

    • Sandra on Sep 28, 2011 Reply

      Hi Marta, Congrats for your decision, and I would add to your list the comforting feeling you get from supportive colleagues who are there when we need them most. Success on your freelancing!

    • Lisa Carter on Sep 20, 2011 Reply

      Wow, Marta. Congratulations on standing up for what you believe. You’re going to do *very* well as a freelancer, that much is obvious so there’s no need to wish you luck, but I do anyway as it can’t hurt!

      • Marta Stelmaszak on Sep 20, 2011 Reply

        Thank you, Lisa! I wouldn’t be able to call myself a translator ever again if I stayed. Principles matter :)

    • Anette on Sep 19, 2011 Reply

      Good luck, Marta!
      I was in a similar work situation you descrive when I decided to leave my full-time employment in a translation agency and to go freelance. That was 9 years ago and I have never regretted my decision (tocando madera).
      Best,
      Anette

    • Livia D'Ettorre on Sep 19, 2011 Reply

      Hi Marta,
      Good luck and congratulations for being so brave! These are taugh decisions, but I am sure you won’t regret it, since you just followed your principles.

      Have a great week!

      Livia

    • Pavel Kozlov on Sep 18, 2011 Reply

      I really like your posts. GOOD LUCK!!!

    • Wasaty on Sep 17, 2011 Reply

      Congratulations on being brave enough to stand for what you believe is right. Lots of people wouldn’t have guts for this. And good luck in the freelance career, I hope you’ll never regret this step.

      • Marta Stelmaszak on Sep 18, 2011 Reply

        Thank you! I must admit that giving up this job made me feel that I really belong to the profession. My integrity is stronger than ever and I already know I will never regret it :)

    • Marina on Sep 17, 2011 Reply

      Hey, I’m happy for you :) Thanks for all the tips.

      I started with translation as a freelancer and now for the first time I was hired by an agency to do subtitles. Although I’ve a contract I’m still a freelancer because I work from home and only when they sent me work. But I’m a bit “confuse” about something. It has been almost one month that they hired me and I haven’t received any work. Do you think that is normal?

      Thank you
      Marina Sandoval

      • Marta Stelmaszak on Sep 18, 2011 Reply

        Dear Marina
        Thanks for your comment! This is fairly normal with agencies all over the world: they recruit freelancers, send all the papers upfront and then send them jobs if there are any. But it’s a good idea to remind them of you, simply asking how is it going and if they have anything for you. At least you will get a reply from them :)
        Marta

        • Marina on Sep 19, 2011 Reply

          True :) Thanks!

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