Sarah's Archives

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

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Working Identities

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A couple of months ago I read a great book called Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies For Reinventing Your Career, by Herminia Ibarra. I’ve been meaning to review it for ages, and it took reading an interview with the author recently to make me sit down and pull my notes together. So here’s my take on it.

There are a lot of books out there on career transitions, achieving your dream job and successfully maintaining a work-life balance. Ibarra’s book manages to touch on all of these issues and frankly blows all other contenders out of the water. It is impeccably researched, very well written and grounded in a real-life practical framework. If you read one business or work-related book this year, this should be it. But be prepared to work for it – much like life, there are no one-size fits all solutions here.

Ibarra works on two key assumptions:

  1. Our working identity is not a single hidden concept. It is made up of a range of possibilities, both tangible and intangible.
  2. We are many selves, therefore change is not a straightforward swap. It is a transition, during which we reconfigure our own set of possibilities.

Ibarra is a Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, and has interviewed a broad range of professionals from across Europe and the US who have already navigated a career change. In this book, she analyses these interviews to investigate how these career changes coincided with or provoked changes in identity. She also looks at the effect this process has had on the lives of the professionals, both internally and externally. In this way, the strategies she suggests are grounded and concrete, and offer a very real roadmap for anyone interested in reinventing themselves.

But don’t be fooled by the mental images conjured up by the words “career transition”: you don’t have to be a wizened (or at least middle-aged) professional in a crumpled suit looking to break free of your cubicle, surfboard and/or yoga mat under arm. This book is equally valuable for anyone of any age asking themselves what it is they want from their working lives.

I suppose what I found most refreshing about this book was that, unlike most business books, it doesn’t waste time mulling over why we transition, or lamenting the changing workplace we find ourselves in today. Instead, Ibarra jumps straight to the point: how did those who have successfully transitioned go about it, and how can I make this work for me?

  • Chapter 1 explains the process of questioning and testing working identities
  • Chapter 2 explains why, instead of asking “What do I want to become?”, we should ask, “Which amoung my various possible selves should I explore now? And how?”
  • Chapter 3 describes the inevitable chaotic period of transition as we navigate between our various possible selves
  • Chapter 4 shows how necessary this time is to help configure our identities
  • Chapter 5 explains how to transform abstract possibilities into tangible projects
  • Chapter 6 demonstrates how finding new mentors, role models and professional groups can help ease our transition into new communities
  • Chapter 7 maps out the process of how people rewrite the story of their lives to accommodate their new working identities
  • Chapter 8 summarises the unconventional, counter-intuitive strategies that have emerged from Ibarra’s studies

Also interesting is her argument that career changes are achieved by doing, and not by reflection or introspection alone. It is only by the process of actually doing that we can meet others, encounter new circumstances and experiences, and actually “try on” and test our provisional identities. These experiences can then form the basis for more decisive steps and are therefore the true catalyst for change. (Controversial advice for for those of us who prefer to consider our options from the safety of our armchairs 🙂 )

Working Identity is one of those books that I’ve decided to keep on my bookshelf as it is so full of valuable insights that I know I’ll refer back to it at various stages of my life. Definitely worth a read.

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.

Back to work bliss

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Well, I’m back (and in dire need of a holiday to recover 🙂 ) It was a great few weeks, the culmination of an 18 month project I’ve been working on and I can’t quite believe it’s (almost) all over.

I led a group of 3 other adults and 16 teenagers out to Urubamba, Peru, where we worked with a fantastic charity called Kiya Survivors for 2 weeks. We planned and fundraised the whole project ourselves from scratch and as we’re all volunteers, the sense of satisfaction has been enormous. It was a LOT of work and the learning curve was very steep – I reckon I’ve easily spent an average of one working day a week on it, not including the 4 weeks unpaid leave I’ve just had 🙂 (Personally, there’s no way I could have managed it without the freedom and flexibility of being freelance – although there are those that do manage it!).

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

A girl’s gotta balance her “me-lance”life with something, right?!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

More on theory in practice

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Anthony Pym’s article Redefining Translation Competence in an Electronic Age* is a good read for many reasons. But I like it because it offers a great argument in favour of the role of theory in translation.

In summary, Pym explains that if translation is basically a process of producing and selecting between different possible choices, then translators theorise whenever they translate. Theorisation is therefore an important part of the translation process.

He goes on to explain:

[Theorising] may help translators produce more alternatives than they would otherwise have thought of (pointing out the existence of a problem is often the most important task of theorization), and/or they may help them eliminate possible alternatives.

Of course, he also outlines why theory may not always at first appear relevant to the practicing translator – but for that you’ll have to click through to the article 🙂

* Anthony Pym. “Redefining Translation Competence in an Electronic Age. In Defence of a Minimalist Approach. Meta : journal des traducteurs / Meta: Translators’ Journal. Volume 48, numéro 4, Décembre 2003, p. 481-497

Turn 'no' into a 'yes, but…'

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Shawn Wood over on Dumb Little Man* has some great ideas on how to say no without ever actually saying the word no. As a freelancer, saying no can be hard because you never know where your next job is going to come from, or indeed, whether it will come along at all. Shawn reckons that his way of saying no ensures you still come across with a positive and all-important can-do attitude, while still asserting yourself and controlling the situation. This round-about way of saying things may not suit everyone (it reminds me of my management consultancy days), but whether you chose to deploy it or not, it’s an increasingly important skill to master in today’s marketplace. Excellent advice for all freelance translators, newly established and long practising:

Five ways to say yes and never say no:

  • Yes. I can do this in your timeframe and in your budget.
  • Yes. I can do this in your budget but I am going to have to change the timeframe.
  • Yes. I can do this, but not in your timeframe or your budget. Let’s negotiate.
  • Yes. I can do this, but I do not think it is the best way. May I make suggestions?
  • Yes, I can have someone else do this for you.

* hat tip to Fortify Your Oasis – thanks Rowan

Forget translation sites, check out Web Worker Daily

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I’ve been reading lots of Web Worker Daily lately. If you’re serious about being a freelance translator, this blog will contain more useful information than all the translation sites in the world put together! (Oops, have I just shot myself in the foot with this recommendation?! No, just proved how genuinely I care for each and every one of my readers :)) Check it out, it’s great.

More on pricing

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I recently found this excellent article in Business Week about how translators can stay in business despite decreasing rates, etc. It’s an oldie (from 2004) but a goodie, and reinforces what I’ve said before about the importance of not competing on price alone. It’s in the form of a Dear Debbie column for small business owners, and the question is:

Q: My wife and I work as a team providing bilingual copywriting and translation services for the U.S. and Latin America. Most of our clients are PR agencies. We are finding that they are outsourcing their translation work to Latin America, where they can pay 5 cents a word, as opposed to the 12 cents that we charge. Should we shift our focus to clients not yet aware of freelance outsourcing over the Internet?

Even if you reckon you’ve heard it all before it’s worth clicking through for the advice, if only because it’s unusual to see a mainstream business journal address an issue specific to translation professionals in such a constructive way (you may have to ignore the slightly overdone heading though 🙂 ).

Are you a Grindhopper?

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Laura Vanderkam’s Grindhopping: Building A Rewarding Vareer Without Paying Your Dues is an interesting read if you’re considering moving into a freelance career to create the role that no one seems prepared to offer you.

Laura defines a grindhopper as someone who uses self-employment as way to bypass the years of slogwork that is often required to climb even a step up the ladder of many careers. She uses real life case studies, anecdotes, and labour statistics to turns the traditional school of thought upside down – the one that says you should put your time in when you’re young and wait until you’re established before striking out on your own. Most of these examples relate to more entrepreneurial style start-ups, but they contain many valuable lessons for anyone considering whether they should start out on their own as a freelance translator regardless of how many years of work experience you have behind you.

I guess what makes this different from any other book on entrepreneurs or self-employment is that it starts with the assumption that you have relatively few years of work experience under your belt. It also assumes that you are prepared to work hard for not very much money, and that like most Millenials, you’re looking for a bit more than a cubicle career and so are not setting out to conquer the world.

But the key distinguishing feature is that grindhoppers do not chose a route of self-employment simply for the sake of it. In fact, many of them re-enter the corporate world once they’ve spent a few years working in postions of their own creation. And as a result of working in a role with plenty of autonomy and real chances to stretch themselves, they usually re-enter at a higher level than if they’d stuck to the grind.

I was pretty relieved to read this as I’ve often wondered whether going freelance too young would spoil me forever, and I’d love to have read a bit more about how these grindhoppers cope with re-entering a workplace of someone else’s creation.

The book also offers some refreshing and genuinely useful advice on things like:

  • creating alternative revenue streams (i.e. moonlighting with panache)
  • networking (i.e what to do when you don’t have a mass of established business contacts)
  • minimising risk (i.e. how not to miss your rent/morgage payments)
  • keeping up your motivation levels (i.e. how to stay sane)

Most of all, I like the assertion that you need to be prepared to be judged 100% on results and how you deliver them. I subscribe to the idea that by allowing yourself to be distinguished in this way, you’ll never need to worry about being outsourced as you know you can deliver something no-one else can.

Of course, there are bits I don’t agree with too. For example, Vanderkam’s assertion that you should think about what you love so much that you’d do it for free, and then turn that into a career. Hmm. Maybe I’m revealing too much about myself when I say this, but there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING that I love so much I’d do it for free, every day of the week, 365 days of the year. So I’m not sure where that piece of advice leaves people like me.

There are also areas where I think she borders on the naïve. For example, her claims that the internet has abolished “all barriers” to self-employment just seem silly, and there is no discussion of the challenges created by this new, free-for-all style work culture, e.g. more competition, less face to face contact, etc.

But all in all, this is a great book. It makes an exciting and informative read for grindhoppers of all ages, or anyone interested in the motivations behind this new wave of freelancers.