Poll: Do you think you work longer hours than other translators? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you think you work longer hours than other translators?".
This poll was originally submitted by Anne Lee. View the poll results »
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I haven't the faintest idea, nor do I care...
P.S. By the way, some years ago, when I worked in-house, our translation unit secretary in order to distribute the workload fairly among the 15 translators kept this kind of statistics and accurate records to measure the team’s productivity, but since I retired I’m a FREElancer…
[Edited at 2016-06-10 11:04 GMT]
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Marjolein Snippe 
Netherlands
Local time: 14:13
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Lots of translators seem to work during the weekend. I don't - the weekends are when my friends have time to play, so I go play with them.
A fair few seem to work until late. I don't - it is when I wind down, read a book, go rowing and relax.
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EvaVer (X)
Local time: 14:13
Czech to French
+ ...
| Working long hours is not the point | Jun 10, 2016 |
Teresa Borges wrote:
I haven't the faintest idea, nor do I care...
The point is to do more work.
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:13
Spanish to English
+ ...
My mate Andy probably works about the same hours as me, if not more. Don't know about anybody else, really...
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Most people on this forum seem to work very long hours, not sure why, but I have no idea if you are representative.
A 25-30 hour working week works well for me. I prefer to work in short, concentrated bursts.
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Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 14:13
Member (2006)
German to English
Teresa Borges wrote:
I haven't the faintest idea, nor do I care...
Could not have said it better☺
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Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:13
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Quoting from an old Beatles song: How could I know? Why should I care?
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| I don't know | Jun 10, 2016 |
And I couldn't care any less.
I mean, how many hours you work depends on a huge number of factors, just a few examples:
- fast or slow typing
- CAT tools or not
- field of expertise
- bills to pay
- family with kids?
- personal expectations
- rates applied (linked to what you have to pay)
- how many days a week you want to work (if you prefer to work 3 days a week you can work 14 hours in a row and have 4 days off....)
Ok ... See more And I couldn't care any less.
I mean, how many hours you work depends on a huge number of factors, just a few examples:
- fast or slow typing
- CAT tools or not
- field of expertise
- bills to pay
- family with kids?
- personal expectations
- rates applied (linked to what you have to pay)
- how many days a week you want to work (if you prefer to work 3 days a week you can work 14 hours in a row and have 4 days off....)
Ok I stop.... given the above, any comparison in this sense is, in my opinion, useless.
The real balance is where you decide that the ratio working hours/free time is ok for you, not compared to colleagues.
[Edited at 2016-06-10 10:12 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 08:13
English to Spanish
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| Missing options | Jun 10, 2016 |
I understand there can be competition among translators in a team: who does what better, or as per Teresa's anecdote, a manager who estimates productivity based on hours worked.
That spirit may be expressed best with this lyric: ♫Anything you can do I can do better/I can do anything better than you!♪
Now, the missing options in this half-baked poll:
I don't know
I don't care
What is the point of this poll?
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Rolf Kern
Switzerland
Local time: 14:13
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam |
Vera Wilson
France
Local time: 14:13
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
Did you just call me slow?
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Rebecca Garber
Local time: 08:13
Member (2005)
German to English
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Don't know. Don't care.
I make enough to keep my family housed and fed, and I have enough free time to do what I want.
Why should I care if someone else is working longer/shorter hours? Does that affect my schedule/life in the slightest? I suppose if I wanted to feel jealous or superior, I might enquire, but why? Why invite negativity into my life when things are going well?
Life isn't a competition.
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 10:13
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
The questions posted in these polls sometimes make me believe there is a 2nd grade group in charge of them. What sense on earth does this question make?
[Edited at 2016-06-10 20:00 GMT]
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SteveMcD
Local time: 14:13
German to English
Don't know. Never thought about it. Not a concern.
What I do think about is whether or not I'm working longer hours on a project than maybe I should be and why.
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