| Páginas no tópico: < [1 2 3] | Poll: If your business has been affected by covid-19, have you considered applying for public assistance? Tópico cartaz: ProZ.com Staff
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Sanjin Grandić 
Croácia
Local time: 17:02
Membro (2020)
francês para croata
+ ...
| Is it wise to answer to this question? | Apr 22, 2020 |
By answering that specific question, you are revealing your financial situation. The translators are not the only one to read the forums, clients and outsourcers read them too. There are and always be clients whose primary goal is to get a translation as cheap as possible. So, now they know who is much more susceptible to accept a job for a lower rate than usual. There was also a poll recently on "how much do you have saved for rainy days" or something very similar—Businesswise, it is not smar... See more By answering that specific question, you are revealing your financial situation. The translators are not the only one to read the forums, clients and outsourcers read them too. There are and always be clients whose primary goal is to get a translation as cheap as possible. So, now they know who is much more susceptible to accept a job for a lower rate than usual. There was also a poll recently on "how much do you have saved for rainy days" or something very similar—Businesswise, it is not smart to answer to that sort of question.I am not saying that all the clients or agencies are like that, far from it. The reality is that every project manager has a specific budget for the projects/jobs they allocate. The less they spend, the happier their bosses are. The happier the boss, the better for the manager. ▲ Collapse
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Sanjin Grandić wrote:
The reality is that every project manager...
... has better things to do than trawl through ProZ forums like that....
... and if you’re offered a low price, you can always turn it down...
| | | | Sanjin Grandić
Croácia
Local time: 17:02
Membro (2020)
francês para croata
+ ...
Chris wrote
"The reality is that every project manager...
... has better things to do than trawl through ProZ forums like that....
... and if you’re offered a low price, you can always turn it down..."
Well, in general, I suppose that you are right, but how do you for sure know who is reading any particular topic?
I had a chance to talk via phone to a project manager who allocated me my first lucrative interpretation assignment. When I ... See more Chris wrote
"The reality is that every project manager...
... has better things to do than trawl through ProZ forums like that....
... and if you’re offered a low price, you can always turn it down..."
Well, in general, I suppose that you are right, but how do you for sure know who is reading any particular topic?
I had a chance to talk via phone to a project manager who allocated me my first lucrative interpretation assignment. When I asked her how and where did she find my profile, she told me that her assistant found me on Proz.com and that they are monitoring what is going on here regularly, forums and terminology (kudos) included.
I am sure that this is more an exception than a rule, but on the other hand, not only project managers are offering jobs here.
"... and if you’re offered a low price, you can always turn it down..."-> Ok, but if someone finds out that I or any of us is flat broke, the chances are that they will try to renegotiate the rate since they know your financial situation.
All I wanted to say is that it is not smart to tell the world your financial status in general even though I am quite a straightforward person, there are limits to everything.
Never mind, I do not want to polemize with a fellow biker enthusiast. Biking is my passion since childhood, and I built my MTB from the frame up. When I am not translating, I am riding my bike on the mountain near my town or in the park.-:)
Have a great day + happy trails....
Sanjin...
[Edited at 2020-04-22 22:42 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Yolande Hivart
Áustria
Local time: 17:02
Membro (2016)
alemão para francês
| I have no doubt that some of my clients are reading | Apr 22, 2020 |
But now I am in a stage of my life that prefers to face things the way they are than to show a shiny way just for clients to have an opinion that which is just for marketing.
I have seen the downside of losing all because of not embracing the shadows and becoming an unrecognizable face just because of how people would want me to be. Some will have gone through this and will understand and the ones that do not understand are not probably under my radar.
I said my country... See more But now I am in a stage of my life that prefers to face things the way they are than to show a shiny way just for clients to have an opinion that which is just for marketing.
I have seen the downside of losing all because of not embracing the shadows and becoming an unrecognizable face just because of how people would want me to be. Some will have gone through this and will understand and the ones that do not understand are not probably under my radar.
I said my country suffered greatly and I made the best of it. This does not say anything about opportunities or future business strategies. I love the way I had become and if your own business strategy is pedantism on what other may opinion, this does not affect me.
Last time I thought: oh a competitor worries about me, what a chance! ▲ Collapse
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IrinaN
Estados Unidos
Local time: 10:02
inglês para russo
+ ...
| Nikolay, you live on the cloud | Apr 24, 2020 |
Nikolay Novitskiy wrote:
For freelance translators it's a recession, not a catastrophe.
I'm afraid that your perspective is very distorted, when it comes to Western life, and you have no idea about compulsory expenses in Western countries. Have you heard about "2 checks away from bankruptcy?" Younger colleagues may not have had enough time to accumulate sufficient savings. Gosh, I hope I didn't instigate another lecture on wise businessmen .
Here, monthly: $85 - Internet, $315 - home association fee (flood insurance, water and basic cable included), $100 - light bill, $115 - phone bill, $72 - car insurance, $100 - additional hurricane/hail/wind home insurance. Mind it, for the US those are really tiny bills and only a few of all possible compulsory payments because I fully own just a fairly small condo (with a million-dollar lake view:-) ) and must feed only myself and my 3 cats.
Let's add an average $1200 for mortgage/rent ($2000+ rent in NY or LA means very modest accommodations, to put it mildly), at least $450 in the younger age group (or $750-$1400 for a younger family) for a pretty worthless health insurance.
Taking the smallest numbers with mortgage, for a younger single person who otherwise makes a steady decent living it's ~$2500 before food, gasoline (I can't park the car and use public transportation for a very simple reason - there is none to speak of and I still need to drive to Park-n-Ride to catch a bus that shoots down the freeway to downtown; no stops for nearest pharmacy or hair salon:-) ), household maintenance and some money put aside for quarterly taxes and annual property taxes. Student loan? Haven't started to save yet, right?
In Russia, without a mortgage, be it thanks to the privatized gift from the Soviet government or otherwise, and with enough clothes on his back a single person can survive the recession on $300/month, especially if not in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Surely, it will not be a luxurious life. You can call that life miserable, barely getting by, brink of poverty etc etc but we are talking true survival here. Getting by is still possible without announcing a moving-out garage sale or depleting the entire savings account by withdrawing 1-2K/month. With $300 in Russia, a single person in recession will not starve to death while keeping cell phone, internet, water and electricity in his 1-2-room flat.
Not here.
Just in case, I keep very close ties with Russia and go over there almost every year.
Nikolay, imperative statements require a certain insight. Sorry.
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