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Poll: Have you ever turned down a really interesting project because it would not have paid well?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
Philip Lees
Philip Lees  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 03:48
Greek to English
Tautology Jul 12, 2022

Michael Newton wrote:

For me, a "project that would not have paid well" is not "a really interesting project".


But this argument, like the many similar versions of it above, just avoids the question by turning it into a tautology.

I could equally well argue that any "really interesting" project is by definition going to be poorly paid, because it will demand more emotional and/or intellectual input from me compared to other projects that are paid at the same rate.

Addressing the question as it was intended, I would say that I might consider taking on a poorly paid project if I felt that it was interesting enough to compensate. And in fact, I have done so on several occasions, without any regret.

Kay Denney
Jocelyne Cuenin
 
Sadek_A
Sadek_A  Identity Verified
Local time: 04:48
English to Arabic
+ ...
... Jul 12, 2022

A few days ago I dropped a silly project over PM's haughty attitude.

Weirdly enough, or not, that PM wrote back mentioning the word "interesting" in a way indicating that even the PM knows it's a silly project and that acting all haughty was not justifiable!

And, yes, it would not have paid well. But, I didn't care to wait and see if it would, because in my book PM's attitude must be superb for me to reciprocate.
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 02:48
French to English
. Jul 12, 2022

First off, "interesting" is highly subjective. I reserve the right to decide for myself whether a project is interesting to me or not. A PM I've worked with a lot will know of course, because I always tell them when I like the projects they send me, as an encouragement to send more of the same.

Philip Lees wrote:

any "really interesting" project is by definition going to be poorly paid, because it will demand more emotional and/or intellectual input from me compared to other projects that are paid at the same rate.


Hmm yes very much so when the project is interesting because it's something I don't know much about. For example I do a lot of work for museums and art exhibitions. If I get a translation about an artist that I like but have never really studied (and there are lots!), I know I'm in for a treat. I will spend lots of time researching and reading up about the artist while translating. In purely financial terms I might be losing money, but I'll be having such a good time, it won't even feel like work. I just need to keep an eye on the clock, because rabbit-holes can use up a lot of time.
 
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Poll: Have you ever turned down a really interesting project because it would not have paid well?






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