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Poll: On average, what percentage of your total working capacity are you using?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
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May 24, 2017

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "On average, what percentage of your total working capacity are you using?".

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Julian Holmes
Julian Holmes  Identity Verified
Japan
Local time: 00:17
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
Haven't the foggiest May 24, 2017

Define 'total working capacity'.

From the time I start rubbing my eyes in the morning up to when I hit the sack? Between artificial working hours I set for myself?
My 'working capacity' naturally increases once I decide to work 10 instead of 8 hours or work Saturdays.



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 15:17
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I don't know (and I'm not interested in knowing) May 24, 2017

I have worked occasionally at full capacity for one or two months (weekends included) but then I’m not trying to wreak havoc on my health and sanity…

 
Jeannette Issa
Jeannette Issa  Identity Verified
Brazil
Member (2016)
English to French
+ ...
It depends May 24, 2017

Nowadays, I am working at full capacity, juggling between several projects, but sometimes, 25% of working capacity is more than enough, allowing me more time for other activities.

 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
This is a little imprecise May 24, 2017

At a guess:

- I work about 75% of a standard 40-hour week

- I produce about 50% of the maximum volume I think I could sustain

- I have work on my desk about 80% of the time

- I actually work for about 90% of the time I'm at work

- Translation uses about 10% of my potential

That makes me sound pretty lazy but I like to call it a good work/life balance.

[Edited at 2017-05-24 09:21 GMT]


 
Elena Aleksandrova
Elena Aleksandrova  Identity Verified
Bulgaria
Local time: 17:17
Member (2009)
English to Bulgarian
+ ...
What is "'total working capacity"? May 24, 2017

I guess just before you fall asleep on the keyboard.

Then I would say - 50%. But I've reached 100% in the past The keyboard is not very comfortable ...


 
Ventnai
Ventnai  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 16:17
German to English
+ ...
110? May 24, 2017

I am lucky enough to be fully booked most of the time. I do get an odd few days with little work on rare occasions but the rest of the time I'm working flat out.

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 16:17
English to Italian
Other May 24, 2017

I do not know as I do not understand what the question means.

I use my time to work, pauses are necessary during the day... I also work at weekends...


 
Jan Truper
Jan Truper  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 16:17
Member (2016)
English to German
120 % May 24, 2017

I should probably work less.

 
DianeGM
DianeGM  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:17
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Shudder to think May 24, 2017

... and I am wondering if this is the kind of thinking that leads to emails which start, "Dear language resource"

 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:17
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other May 24, 2017

Call me daft (I can understand that in at least half a dozen languages), but I haven't a clue. In fact, I don't really understand the question. I have a vague notion of what my "working capacity" is, but "total" is a rather baffling addition to the equation, and as to how you would then express that as a percentage, seems like Martian to me. Which isn't one of my working languages.

As they say in Spain, "soy de letras"......
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Call me daft (I can understand that in at least half a dozen languages), but I haven't a clue. In fact, I don't really understand the question. I have a vague notion of what my "working capacity" is, but "total" is a rather baffling addition to the equation, and as to how you would then express that as a percentage, seems like Martian to me. Which isn't one of my working languages.

As they say in Spain, "soy de letras"...

PS: Right now, I'm sitting here trying to find certificates of withholdings for my annual tax return, because apparently I can't claim anything without the darn things. So far, I've found 4, but there must be about half a dozen somewhere else. I can feel my "working capacity" dwindling apace as the frustration mounts... Although I have nothing to blame but my own laxity. (Just had a Trump "surety" moment there, but I checked on Google and "laxity" is indeed a word...)

I suppose it all boils down to the fact that I dislike administrative tasks, and from my point of view trying to answer this poll query falls within that grey area.

[Edited at 2017-05-24 10:17 GMT]
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Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:17
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
I don't know May 24, 2017

I never thought of it that way.

My ability to perform isn't always the same. I may be slower than I used to be as I get older, or tired, depending on the time of day and how much sleep I had. Every text is different. Sometimes I'm motivated and other times I'm not. I can do 450-500 words an hour on some days on some texts (even more when I was younger), but other times I can't push myself beyond 300 words an hour and might even fall asleep at the keyboard. Last weekend I did nearly
... See more
I never thought of it that way.

My ability to perform isn't always the same. I may be slower than I used to be as I get older, or tired, depending on the time of day and how much sleep I had. Every text is different. Sometimes I'm motivated and other times I'm not. I can do 450-500 words an hour on some days on some texts (even more when I was younger), but other times I can't push myself beyond 300 words an hour and might even fall asleep at the keyboard. Last weekend I did nearly 7000 words in two days and found almost no mistakes when I proofread it.
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EvaVer (X)
EvaVer (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:17
Czech to French
+ ...
Used to be 100% May 24, 2017

i.e., I worked like crazy and wouldn't be able to do more. I voluntarily reduced my workload, 50-75% could be about right.

 
Hege Jakobsen Lepri
Hege Jakobsen Lepri  Identity Verified
Norway
Local time: 16:17
Member (2002)
English to Norwegian
+ ...
What is total working capacity? May 24, 2017

Usein Bolt can run faster - but can't keep up that speed very long.
Eliud Kipchoge can keep up a pretty good speed for 42 km - but for how many years can he keep doing that?

Like several others here, the speed and accuracy of my work varies over time - by how well rested I am, the area I'm translating in and various other factors. I pretty much put in full days most days, but that doesn't mean I translate the same number of words every day.
I've been working on translat
... See more
Usein Bolt can run faster - but can't keep up that speed very long.
Eliud Kipchoge can keep up a pretty good speed for 42 km - but for how many years can he keep doing that?

Like several others here, the speed and accuracy of my work varies over time - by how well rested I am, the area I'm translating in and various other factors. I pretty much put in full days most days, but that doesn't mean I translate the same number of words every day.
I've been working on translating some research articles for an academic publication lately, and the time spent on consulting with the authors and the editor is just mind-boggling. I'm working at full capacity, but full capacity right now, is very different from my last large project.

And since I moonlight as a writer, whenever there is a gap between projects, I dedicate myself to ongoing writing projects (that generally pay very little, but getting published is still satisfying).
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Luiz Barucke
Luiz Barucke  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 12:17
Spanish to Portuguese
+ ...
120-240 May 24, 2017

High voltage

 
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Poll: On average, what percentage of your total working capacity are you using?






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