Poll: Would you describe your job as a translator as stressful? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Would you describe your job as a translator as stressful?".
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Because of the often massive amounts of words I have to translate for a single project, which is almost always a book, plus all the research I have to do for each one of them, esp .and by far if they are non-fiction projects, which they almost always are, as opposed to novels. And some clients are definitely much more demanding than others. This is all compounded by the fact that I am the only person that is keeping this household running, and because I sometimes have to help my 98-year-old moth... See more Because of the often massive amounts of words I have to translate for a single project, which is almost always a book, plus all the research I have to do for each one of them, esp .and by far if they are non-fiction projects, which they almost always are, as opposed to novels. And some clients are definitely much more demanding than others. This is all compounded by the fact that I am the only person that is keeping this household running, and because I sometimes have to help my 98-year-old mother with transportation to her doctors' office, where I also have to assist her in various ways.
[Edited at 2022-05-29 08:31 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-05-29 08:35 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-05-29 08:51 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-05-29 08:52 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Over the years, I’ve managed to get rid of some of the things I find more stressful: short deadlines (I don’t accept them) and late payments (all my customers pay on time, though at different periods). No offers for a while and then getting too many at once can stress me a bit, but that’s inherent to the freelancer’s life…
| | | | John Silva
Brazil
Local time: 11:37
English to Portuguese
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Fortunately, I really enjoy what I do, and talking about the translation activity itself, I really love it. What could be stressful in my opinion is related to negotiating with clients, for example.
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no more and no less stressful than any other, self-employed or not. Doesn't every job have its stresses?
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And then it is mostly my own fault not being realistic enough.
| | | | Mr. Satan (X)
English to Indonesian
Compared to my previous job as a cook, working in front of a computer screen is much more relaxing. At least I don't have to worry about losing my fingers when I'm butchering the chickens with a giant meat cleaver, while my chef is shouting down my neck.
| | | | Kevin Fulton 
United States
Local time: 10:37
German to English
| It's all relative | May 29, 2022 |
I feel stressed when I have to choose between two offers at the same pay and same immutable deadlines. A client sending a last-minute revision annoys me. Losing electrical power during a storm when I'm working makes me anxious.
But when I compare my working life with that of my daughter (e.g, taking a red-eye flight from California to New York when she has a 4:00 appointment with a client on the west coast and a 9:00 in-person company meeting the following morning on the east coast... See more I feel stressed when I have to choose between two offers at the same pay and same immutable deadlines. A client sending a last-minute revision annoys me. Losing electrical power during a storm when I'm working makes me anxious.
But when I compare my working life with that of my daughter (e.g, taking a red-eye flight from California to New York when she has a 4:00 appointment with a client on the west coast and a 9:00 in-person company meeting the following morning on the east coast), I realize I have it relatively easy. ▲ Collapse
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| Other: It depends | May 30, 2022 |
For me, the most stressful part is the physical effort of dealing with tricky formats, like replicating a PDF that has fancy formatting or squeezing words into PowerPoint boxes without altering the overall picture. A colleague used to say: "I don't do arts and crafts."
RUSH work can be stressful, though I usually don't accept those assignments anymore.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 16:37
Spanish to English
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| Yes, moderately | May 30, 2022 |
Probably the most stressful aspect of my work nowadays is the software strings I have to translate for my main direct client. The lack of context is mind-boggling and infuriating at times, and colleagues often tell me they don't know how I manage to deal with them. The answer is by researching as many sources as I can, and in this sense, proz, and particularly the kudoz section, has been a great help over the years, thanks to feedback and input from our esteemed colleagues in the ES-EN area.
... See more Probably the most stressful aspect of my work nowadays is the software strings I have to translate for my main direct client. The lack of context is mind-boggling and infuriating at times, and colleagues often tell me they don't know how I manage to deal with them. The answer is by researching as many sources as I can, and in this sense, proz, and particularly the kudoz section, has been a great help over the years, thanks to feedback and input from our esteemed colleagues in the ES-EN area.
Thanks again to all of you out there, your feedback and help is greatly appreciated here. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Miranda Drew
Italy
Local time: 16:37
Member (2009)
Italian to English
| The most stress is from Italian tax regulations | May 30, 2022 |
Unrealistic deadlines and downwards pressure on rates is definitely stressful, but over the years, the most stress I have had comes from Italian tax regulations. They treat freelancers exactly the same as big businesses, we have so many reporting requirements and have to pay 90% of taxes in ADVANCE. It's insane!
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 16:37
French to English
It can be, but in 25 years I've learned how to avoid most of the stress. No unrealistic deadlines, my rates don't budge, only clients who know what I do and appreciate me for what I'm worth.
At the agency it was stressful, because my job was to deal with everything that had to be translated into English, and the boss expected everyone to just put in as many hours as it took when the workload was too much. As the mother of small children choosing to work part-time to be able to pick them up... See more It can be, but in 25 years I've learned how to avoid most of the stress. No unrealistic deadlines, my rates don't budge, only clients who know what I do and appreciate me for what I'm worth.
At the agency it was stressful, because my job was to deal with everything that had to be translated into English, and the boss expected everyone to just put in as many hours as it took when the workload was too much. As the mother of small children choosing to work part-time to be able to pick them up from school, this wasn't very compatible. He also bullied me into doing jobs that I clearly had no talent for (accounting software being the worst).
As a freelancer I can pick and choose. If I get several jobs at once, like last week, I'll accept the interesting ones then see if I can fit the less interesting stuff in without any hassle. I rarely accept jobs if it means putting in more hours than usual, and I reckon I mostly work no more than 6 hours a day. I could spend less time at the dog park, but I think quality of life is more important than the amount in my bank account so long as expenses are covered, which they are. I've learned not to accept jobs out of my comfort zone, and not to let clients bully me into working harder than I want.
I do a 45-minute yoga routine every morning to start the day on the right foot and I don't take nonsense from anyone any more, so all is well. ▲ Collapse
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