Sarah's Archives

an archive of content from ≈ 2005 - 2015, relating to international business, translation, freelancing, and working online.

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The grand scheme of things and the translator place in it

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I like to keep an eye on the Global Watchtower, the blog of the Common Sense Advisory. I enjoy their strong business-analytical approach to the language services industry, but I also relish their use of management speak which would occasionally give even Martin Lukes a run for his money.

Advisory analyst Donald A. De Palma has conducted some research into consolidation in the language services industry, with the aim of establishing what the industry might look like over the coming years. This data was used to extrapolate pretty wildly in a post earlier this week on the Global Watchtower, and I wasn’t especially surprised at today’s post which comments on some of the feedback they received from language service providers (LSPs) as a result.

I’ve been following all this with interest. Not because there’s anything especially life changing in there for me just yet – I don’t tend to work for the global companies covered in the study, as their business models don’t tend to fit mine. They often work to tighter deadlines than I can comfortably manage, with weekend work and low margins the norm. (I’m not saying that they are all like this or that I would not consider working with them in the future, of course. Just that it doesn’t suit me right now.) I’ve been following all this because I spied a couple of interesting nuggets that do a good job of placing the language services industry within the wider context of the business market. Here’s what I got from it:

A contradiction, well put: translation is an essential part of global business, yet translators, localisers, and other service suppliers are not very visible on the corporate scene. Until they make an expensive or embarrassing mistake, of course.

“Information asymmetry”: what a great term. De Palma says it exists when information relevant to a negotiation, business practice, or technology is unevenly distributed amongst the relevant parties. He concludes that this may lead to to inefficiencies as not everyone has enough data to make properly informed decisions. To me, this also sums up the situation between would-be freelance translators, their more experienced counterparts and potential work providers. (Hint: joining a professional body is a good way to address this imbalance!)

For translators who aspire to owning their own language services business, the report itself claims to offer an insight into what buyers may be looking for in the future. Now, I would think you’d need to have pretty concrete aspirations to purchase the full report for this reason alone, as Common Sense Advisory reports are generally only available to subscribers, with the price of subscription available on application. However, if you are interested in reading about the needs of the buyers of tomorrow, then it’s certainly worth keeping an eye out for future blog posts addressing this particular aspects of this research.

I gave a little whoop of joy when I saw De Palma also predicts an increasing interest in open-source content and collaboration from translation buyers. I’m sure there will be plenty of translators who will see this in terms of threats to the copyright of their work, translation memories, etc., but I see it as good news as it should increase the demand for, and hopefully availability of, open-source translation tools. It’s even better news for the developers of the excellent open-source translation memory OmegaT, who deserve to see their application being used more widely.

DePalma’s point about the language services industry experiencing an absence of direct comparables is an interesting one. He suggests accountancy and payroll services as potentials. Taking this down to the level of the freelance translator, accountants have already been compared to translators in terms of their status as portfolio workers. I’ve recently been thinking about how graphic designers would also make a useful comparable. And although not a direct comparison, Philippa Hammond over at the Blogging Translator sparked off a thought-provoking discussion when she drew a parallel between the career transitions of EFT teachers and translators. So I’ll be very interested to see what The Global Watchtower comes up with in this area.

Some characteristics of the language services industry include:

  • it has very few publicly-traded firms
  • LSPs can be categorised as Human-Delivered Services Companies
  • services are typically delivered “through a combination of wetware (that is, human power) plus automation” (wetware?! Is that’s what we translators have been reduced to?! 😉 )

All in all, useful information for any translator interested in learning more about the wider industry in which they practice.

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My Personal Productivity Nirvana

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One of the biggest problems I face as a home-working freelancer is maintaining my motivation levels. I’ve found that one of the best ways to do this is to ensure I feel organised, productive and ultimately, on top of things. But believe it or not(!), this is something I have to work very, very hard at. Flagging energy is probably something all workers face, but there’s nothing like having your income based on your output to ensure that it’s not something that gets swept under the carpet for too long.

I’m certain that my situation is not helped by a natural tendency towards ill-discipline and blissful chaos 🙂 However, given the proliferation of personal productivity blogs maintained by home-working marketeers, writers and techies of every programming persuasion, I’m inclined to think that dips in output are common to many home-workers.

Luckily, I learned ways of keeping my scattered side more or less in check long before I went freelance. Working part-time while also studying part-time for my Masters was a great exercise in self-management. Once I got into the swing of things, I found I thrived on the demands of these very different environments. (In fact, I consider this to be one of the most productive portfolio periods of my life.)

But I have the short-term memory of a goldfish, and if I don’t record it, I don’t remember it. That’s a lot of recording, and it’s probably why I’m such a sucker for anything promising personal-productivity nirvana. And if the stairs to heaven are paved with a limited number of easy-to-follow steps, then all the better. So, here’s my list of some of the personal productivity tools I have tried and discarded, either wholly or partially, over the last year alone.*

Electronic tools

  • Microsoft Office Outlook: my default organisation system for some time now, a legacy from my office-working days. Undoubtedly a one-stop-shop, but long overdue a change, not least because I’m tired of looking at its dull interface and overflowing inbox. More cubicle-dweller than freelancer, I’m afraid.
  • 37 Signal’s Backpack: a free web-based information manager. I’m enjoying this a lot at the moment. I use it with InfiniteNIL’s Packrat for offline working too. Nice to look at, which is always a bonus, but you need a system of some kind to get the most from it.
  • MindjetMindManager: a mind-mapping application. I loved the idea of this, but my mind just doesn’t work in this way so it never felt intuitive. And I really don’t need another excuse for not being organised – one for the more visually-stimulated amongst us.
  • Blackberry Pearl 8100: I normally prefer my phone without the whistles and bells, but I really like getting my emails on my phone. It means I can go about my day without worrying about missing a job offer if I’m not in front of the computer. This year I set up filters so I only receive my clients’ work-offer emails (everything else I check from my regular email programme), and it’s even better!
  • Tiddlywiki: a free, non-linear personal web notebook. This is an amazing tool and I’m sure it will be perfect for something I do, some day. For now though, it’s just not what I’m looking for – again, I just don’t seem to organise my thoughts in this way. But I had some pretty geeky fun playing around with it for a couple of days! It’s true what they say, the best things in life are free.
  • Omni Group’s OmniOutliner: this application came free with my Mac. It’s offers what the outline view of Microsoft Word offers, only more features, more easily organisable and more pleasing to the eye. Guess what – this does seem to suit the way my mind works, and I’m hooked.

Paper-based tools

  • Russell and Hazel‘s 3-ring binder planner system: a stationary marvel, really and truly, and a joy to use, but it’s just too bulky to carry around with me. I need to have my info to hand if I’m working out of office. Plus, I prefer something a little further along the electronic spectrum for easy updating.
  • Moleskin 18 month pocket-sized calendar: currently my favourite calendar. Can’t beat it for portability AND ease of use. And I’m a sucker for the soft covers, mmmm.
  • Black’n’Red A5 wirebound notebooks: I started using these in a former office job and they’re still my favourite for general notes and lists. They’re just the right size, the wire means the cover folds back neatly and I like the paper quality too.

And for variety, here’s a selection of some of the books I’ve read on the topic.

  • Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management, by Mark Forster: This gets my productivity book of 2007 award, and it was the best value too at only £2.97 on Amazon. It has some very realistic but thought-provoking ideas on effectively managing your workload, including how to decide what kind of tasks to take on in the first place. Most of these ideas are particularly suited to being freelance. Best of all, it’s the ONLY book I’ve read that clearly states that there is only finite number of hours in the day, and if you’re not getting everything done then you may just be doing too much. Revolutionary!!
  • Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity, by David Allen: I’d heard a lot about this book before I actually read it. It’s essential reading in the sphere of life hacks and personal productivity, but I’m suspicious of systems with as many fanatical followers as this. The full GTD system is not for me, but there are some useful techniques in there, all the same. If nothing else, you’ll at least understand the lengths people are prepared to go to get organised.
  • The Simplicity Survival Handbook: 32 Ways to Do Less and Accomplish More, by Bill Jensen: I bought this on a recommendation I saw on another blog, but it wasn’t for me. The author is a strong proponent of keeping things simple (which we like), but this book verged very heavily on the side of complete dumbing down. I found the whacky use of different font sizes really annoying, and it’s clearly aimed at people building their careers in hierarchical, corporate companies. I’d say give it a miss.

Finally, some blogs on personal productivity from my RSS reader. These are especially relevant to freelance workers.

  • David Seah: has developed his own productivity system called the Printable CEO System. Oh yes, forgot to mention I’ve dabbled with this too 😉
  • GoogleTutor: productivity 101 – ensure you are using your most frequently referred-to tools as efficiently as possible.
  • Lifehacker: making computers more productive. Because let’s face it, they’re not really.
  • Pimp Your Work: mostly, I love the name, but it has some fun tips too.
  • Adventures in home working: even I find productivity boring after a while, but this blogger keeps me coming back for more as he covers that and so much more. Plus, he’s based on this side of the pond, which is always refreshing.
  • Tim Ferriss’s blog: this guy is a bit of a productivity ninja, the ultimate portfolio worker and the author of a book called The Four-Hour Workweek. His book has a lot of buzz about at it the moment (inciting controversy and compliments in not-so-equal measure). Love him or hate him, he seems to be doing something right.
  • WebWorkerDaily: good for a heads-up on new (and often free) bits of software, which are often relevant to freelance workers.
  • Contract Worker: The blurb sums it up nicely and is also pretty funny: “A lot of people still have a wrong impression of contract work or freelancing, thinking it only involves selling your skills to the highest bidder; in short, turning your expertise into a prostitute for money (thus the F-word). I’ll show why this isn’t so, by presenting freelancing as a legitimately lucrative career option that allows improvement and growth.”


Who knows, one day I may stumble across the holy grail of personal productivity (you’ll be the first to hear about it if I do). Until then, I’ll continue to spend more time revving up my motivation levels by testing the latest hair-brained tools than actually Getting Anything Done.

*disclaimer: I receive no incentives for any of these links

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Read it and weep – THIS is why I read blogs

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Penelope Trunk just got fired from Yahoo Finance and her post about it reminds me of 2 important things:

1. why I read blogs
2. how to successfully walk the tricky line between being truthful, while still maintaining professional face

In laying herself bare and admitting something I’ve never seen articulated anywhere else, Penelope manages to sound wise, clever and strong. Read this:

People ask me all the time how can they get this life that I have where I do something I love, get to make my own hours, and support a family. Seems great, right? But that life also comes with this: having no idea how I’ll get paid next. And it happens all the time.

[…] I am worried, and I think about not telling people that I feel worried because everyone who is negotiating with me now knows that money is super important to me, and I’m probably not going to walk away from an offer.

But more important than preserving an edge negotiating money is somehow documenting how hard it is to be true to yourself, how hard it is to be at risk all the time. It’s a tradeoff. Sometimes my life looks glamorous. Sometimes it doesn’t. It’s all the same life though.

Wow. This kind of honesty is refreshing, and more thought-provoking (and therefore inspiring, in my books) than a million career advice or management books.

Penelope has been one of my favourite bloggers from way back*, so I think it’s fitting that this, my 100th post, is about her. Here’s to being inspired for a hundred more!

* late 2006/ early 2007, i.e. a long time in blog years 🙂

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These are a few of my favourite things

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Lucy Kellaway speaks about the joys of fresh stationary, gossip and lattees in her FT.com management podcast dated 7.10.07. I thought it was funny because in listing the small but important pleasures of office life, she mentions many of the things I consciously try to recreate here in my home office – to varying degrees of success. Sure, the coffee’s better here at home, but the thrill of playing a bit part in a mini soap-opera is just not the same when the only other actors are Pat the Postman, Ed the Electricity Meter Reader and Chu the local Shop Keeper.

Lucy’s full list includes:

* enjoying lattees with lids and eating danish pastries at your desk
* doing email in the morning before anyone gets into the office
* a really comfortable chair at just the right angle and height
* a new packet of paper for the printer
* a fully stocked stationary cupboard, with just the kind of pens and battery sizes you need
* playing a bit part in your very own office soap-opera
* air conditioning in summer
* IT helpdesks
* doing the supermarket shop during work (much more satisfying than on the computer at home)
* ego boosters from colleagues, including generally being noticed by other people

I think it’s a great idea to make a list of the little things that bring pleasure to your working day. Mainly because it’s good to know what you like in life, generally. But also because these small pleasures are often transferrable, so can be re-created or maintained should you ever face of period of transition. After all, why throw the baby out with the bathwater, or indeed waste your energy re-inventing the wheel?

But if you find your morning routine includes getting fully suited and booted before kissing your partner and/or cat goodbye, only to take a walk around the block and return to work at your home office or kitchen table, I’d suggest you re-consider whether homeworking is really the thing for you.

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Knowing your worth

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Pamela Slim over at Escape from Cubicle Nation has an interesting post about pricing, with tips for freelancers to ensure they are pitching themselves just right. I especially like point number 5. It shows value pricing in action and offers some interesting food for thought.

As you are discussing the project with your client, define success metrics. Ask them “How will you know that our work together was effective?” They should say things like “I will get more clients” or “I will deliver better presentations” or “I will improve my credit score” or “I will capture more names on my mailing list from my website visitors.”…

Translators may feel they don’t have much flexibility to manoeuvre in this area, but do you always know what, exactly, your client is aiming to achieve with your translation?

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Top Ten Misconceptions about Translation and Translators

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I’ve just found this great little piece on the website of NOTIS, a chapter of the American Translators Association (ATA). I don’t normally reproduce clips this long in full, but this one is worth it 🙂

Top Ten Misconceptions about Translation and Translators:
 by Caitilin Walsh. Reprinted from the August 1994 ATA Chronicle.

10. Anybody with two years of high school language (or a foreign-tongued grandmother) can translate.
9. A good translator doesn’t need a dictionary.
8. There’s no difference between translation and interpretation.
7. Translators don’t mind working nights and weekends at no extra charge.
6. Translators don’t need to understand what they’re translating.
5. A good translator doesn’t need proofing or editing.
4. Becoming a translator is an easy way to get rich quick.
3. Translation is just typing in a foreign language.
2. A translator costs $49.95 at Radio Shack and runs on two ‘C’ batteries.

And the #1 misconception about translation and translators:

1. That marketing copy that took a team of 20 people two months to put together can be translated overnight by one person and still retain the same impact as the original.

Seems to me the image of translators hasn’t changed much since 1994… but I’d love to be contradicted. Does anyone disagree?

Incidentally, NOTIS has a page full of interesting articles and resources on client education – definitely worth a look.

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Spit happens sometimes

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GREAT post by Kristen Fischer over at Freelance Switch addressing something no freelance translator really likes to own up to… making mistakes and more importantly, dealing with clients who drop you as a result. (Incidently, I have a feeling that this may not be such an issue for our inhouse brethren, given that extra layer of comfort between client and translator i.e. employer, but I’d be happy to be proved wrong on this…)

I especially like the acknowledgement that, regardless of ability and talent, real life is not always ideal and clients *do* have a role to play in ensuring their freelancers produce the best possible job.

…I’ve also noticed that on my big projects when I’m working with a client who gives me ample time to complete a project, and comes in with a positive vibe, there are no typos. Not so for this other client. Because of all the work they slam on me and the tight deadlines—coupled with a bad attitude—mistakes happen…

Aaaah yes. I’m afraid I too have learnt the hard way that I am only human and that clients can’t have it all. Have a look at the post and the comments that follow – I reckon they contain valuable advice for freelance translators at all stages of their career.

Why dabbling in short-term contracts is good for your freelance career

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I’ve taken some short-term contract work which means I’m back to 9 to 5 this week. Michelle Goodman over at The Anti 9-to-5 Guide gives her run-down on the pros and cons of this:

Pros:

  • Steady money
  • Priceless experience that helps flesh out your resume
  • Contacts you can use when you do go freelance later (or try to land a staff
    job with the company you’re temping at)
  • Not having to attend most employee meetings or perform other maddening
    employee tasks (annual reviews, feigned enthusiasm for special projects)
    […]

Cons:

  • Commuting
  • Dealing with office politics
  • Commuting
  • Getting treated like a second-class citizen because you’re not a “real”
    employee
  • Commuting
  • Being expected to hit the ground running, sans training (because you’re not
    a “real” employee)
  • Commuting

I largely agree with her pros, but she’s probably missed out my main one:

short-term contracts are fun!

They let you try on another working identity for a bit, with very little risk. You can also use them as an opportunity to learn more about a particular industry, or observe people at the very top of their game.

But my cons would probably be different. For example, I’m not so bothered about not having training as I tend to learn best by getting stuck in. In fact, I like to think my hitting the ground running impresses those around me (granted, expectations can be pretty low) and gives me an air of mystery (i.e. “Wow! Who is that girl?!”). Especially as most of us like to think our job is much harder/more complicated than anyone else’s.

I don’t feel like I have to deal with office politics either as everyone knows I’m only on a flying visit – so when I invariably put my foot in it, I’m excused 🙂 (of course, they don’t need to know I’d do that regardless of how long I’d been there). Plus, office ins and outs are SO much more interesting from with a bird’s eye view, and I notice the kinds of things that would probably pass me by if I were there everyday.

So, my revised cons list would be as follows:

  • Commuting
  • Losing my autonomy and flexibility, i.e. having to be at my desk for 9am, having to wear proper shoes, not really being able to dash outside whenever I fancy some fresh air, etc.
    Commuting
  • Having to pretend all the time, i.e. that I’m bovvered about things that bore me senseless, that I’m not bovvered about things that I find pointless
  • Commuting
  • Not being able to talk out loud to myself (a thinking tactic I didn’t realise I’d become quite so dependant on…)
  • Commuting

Like the true grindhopper I am, I still don’t know if I want to freelance forever. But thanks to my recent foray into the 9-to-5 marketplace, Tuesday will see me returning to my little home office with renewed enthusiasm and energy.

Bring it on!

Do Freelancers Do It Better?

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If you’re thinking about taking the plunge to freelance, or are currently freelancing and wondering why you ever thought it was a good idea (it happens…), then have a look at this article called 101 Reasons Freelancers Do It Better.

Yes, I know there is no shortage of posts out there along this theme. But I like this one because it scratches just enough below the surface to convince me that it’s not another self-congratulating article written by freelancers for freelancers with the sole purpose of justifying their freelance existence. I also like it because it uses gentle humour to avoid the nah-nah-ne-nah-nah tone adopted by far too many of us who have been foolhardy/brave enough to escape the cubicle. Which is nice 🙂

It looks at the benefits of freelancing under several headings:

Time
Sticking it to the man
Money
Relationships
Mental health
Physical health
Motivation
Working conditions
Flexibility
Fun bits

Worth a read, whichever camp you fall into.

—
It was only on re-reading my post that I detected some not-very-veiled criticism directed towards the freelance community in general, and its attitudes towards our cubicle-dwelling brethren. Am I justified in this? Hmm, something to explore in future posts perhaps.

Blogging is great.

In defense of Facebook

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I’m SO tired of reading articles like this about how social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo are a waste of work time. It’s almost as stupid as the argument that translation memories make for bad translators! Applications are mere TOOLS people (and we all know what a bad workman does with his tools). And yes, as with all new tools, of course there may be a bedding-in period while users develop effective working habits*, but that does not mean they are a waste of time.

I also find the hypocrisy of employers more than a little irritating. Since when is cultivating human contacts a waste of time? Do you not hire us for our people skills? Do you not benefit from the industry contacts made during our pricey postgraduate degrees? When someone in my network comes through with business and/or other useful information, why does it matter the way in which I maintained that relationship? Or would you rather I spent hours flicking through a Rolodex filled with dog-eared business cards, or devising search queries for my snazzy little database of names, numbers and conversation pointers?! Clearly, what really annoys these people is that we’re doing things differently to The Way They Have Always Been Done.

Online networking sites create and nurture opportunities for human interactions, they don’t replace them. I mean, I’d be only too happy to arrange to meet all my friends face to face, only I don’t have the time – I’m already expected to work longer hours than anyone else in Europe…

With so many employers with attitudes like this, is it any wonder that many of us are turning our backs on traditional forms of employment?

* If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this post i.e. excessive time on social media, then I suggest you check out Chris Brogan’s post for an excellent approach on managing your social media tools. In complete confidence.