| Pagina's in het onderwerp: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8] > | finding work in 2025 De persoon die dit onderwerp heeft geplaatst: edward o loughlin
|
|---|
Lingua 5B 
Bosnië en Herzegovina
Local time: 14:11
Engels naar Frans
+ ...
One time we had to pay a German interpreter €1k for two hours of interpreting. Why? There was no any other German interpreter available for that date, and the meeting was highly important for the client. She wasn’t even that good, in the report card, the client said she had a couple of “glitches” during interpreting, but generally it could pass overall.
In two years as an intepreting manager, and hundreds of booked projects, in hundreds of pairs, I can’t remember we ever h... See more One time we had to pay a German interpreter €1k for two hours of interpreting. Why? There was no any other German interpreter available for that date, and the meeting was highly important for the client. She wasn’t even that good, in the report card, the client said she had a couple of “glitches” during interpreting, but generally it could pass overall.
In two years as an intepreting manager, and hundreds of booked projects, in hundreds of pairs, I can’t remember we ever had to make a similar compromise price-wise in any other pair or project ever.
But that’s just one tiny example, when German was involved, it was always kind of similar. Dutch even more so. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
België
Local time: 14:11
Lid 2020
Frans naar Nederlands
+ ...
Lingua 5B wrote:
When I was a project manager, we routinely had problems finding Dutch and German translators, there were just a few. Comparing to other pairs, the demand-supply ratio was misaligned in these pairs. This of course led to an increase in price in these two pairs. When there is a shortage of supply, the price goes up (101 business course). You don’t even need a business knowledge or sense for this, just the math from primary school.
There are hundreds and probably more than 1000 freelance translators into Dutch. If you are only able to find a few of them, then you might want to question your project management skills.
| | | | | Ridicolous... your arrogance and abismal knowledge of your industry | Aug 20, 2025 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
There are hundreds and probably more than 1000 freelance translators into Dutch. If you are only able to find a few of them, then you might want to question your project management skills.
There are 37,700 English-to-Italian linguists registered on ProZ.com, 7,483 English-to-Dutch, and 2,105 French-to-Dutch.
You work in a niche and clearly show that you know very little about this industry overall.
It’s very easy to win new clients with your amazing communication skills when you have no competition whatsoever.
I would be very curious to test your superior business approach in an environment with five to fifteen times your current competition.
You’re actually ignoring the most basic rules of supply and demand, not to mention the basic rules of discussion, which would require you not to treat your counterparts as mere idiots, and to consider the broader market conditions.
Get your head out of your lucky cocoon before a painful reality check.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
België
Local time: 14:11
Lid 2020
Frans naar Nederlands
+ ...
Alessandro Marchesello wrote:
There are 37,700 English-to-Italian linguists registered on ProZ.com, 7,483 English-to-Dutch, and 2,105 French-to-Dutch.
You work in a niche and clearly show that you know very little about this industry overall.
And how large is the Italian economy compared to the Dutch/Flemisch one? And how large is the Italian population compared to the Dutch/Flemish one? One of us clearly knows very little about some basic concepts, indeed.
Alessandro Marchesello wrote:
Get your head out of your lucky cocoon before a painful reality check.
Well, everybody needs luck, that's for sure. But having 3 language pairs instead of 1, having 15 specialization areas instead of only a few, being prepared to work long hours every single day, having a high daily output, being extremely available to customers, responding to every e-mail within minutes and having an excellent price-quality ratio has got nothing to do with luck.
But please, stay focused on all those external factors you mention. It will undoubtedly make you feel better.
| | |
|
|
|
| Again, arrogance before any other consideration! | Aug 20, 2025 |
Lieven Malaise wrote:
And how large is the Italian economy compared to the Dutch/Flemisch one? And how large is the Italian population compared to the Dutch/Flemish one? One of us clearly knows very little about some basic concepts, indeed.
The Italian GDP is “just” twice that of the Netherlands, and—more importantly—the per-capita GDP is 50% higher in the Netherlands!
I’m not going to go into the other huge advantages of the Dutch economy over the Italian one in terms of B2B services, because this isn’t the right place.
And you should add the Belgian economy too.
So, again, no consideration of the bigger picture—which is definitely not the approach of a self-declared businessperson.
Well, everybody needs luck, that's for sure. But having 3 language pairs instead of 1, having 15 specialization areas instead of only a few, being prepared to work long hours every single day, having a high daily output, being extremely available to customers, responding to every e-mail within minutes and having an excellent price-quality ratio has got nothing to do with luck.
Of course you think no one but you offers that level of service, don’t you? (maybe including weekends and night sessions on requests)
And you certainly “strategically” decided to be born in a bilingual country, didn’t you?
Typical of someone who doesn’t even know what real competition is.
Step down from your pedestal and stop boasting about merits you don’t have.
[Edited at 2025-08-20 09:16 GMT]
| | | | Lingua 5B
Bosnië en Herzegovina
Local time: 14:11
Engels naar Frans
+ ...
So, it’s not “I don’t have any competitors”, it’s “I have superior communication skills”. Says who? Much like people grading their own entries in ProZ translation contests, you are evaluating your own communication skills? Shouldn’t that be evaluated by others?
I thought I kind of asked people who are not native Dutch to step in and say how they are doing. But again, I got the opposite. Ah yes, 18k people in a different language pair are doing bad because none of the... See more So, it’s not “I don’t have any competitors”, it’s “I have superior communication skills”. Says who? Much like people grading their own entries in ProZ translation contests, you are evaluating your own communication skills? Shouldn’t that be evaluated by others?
I thought I kind of asked people who are not native Dutch to step in and say how they are doing. But again, I got the opposite. Ah yes, 18k people in a different language pair are doing bad because none of them has good communication skills. Got it. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
België
Local time: 14:11
Lid 2020
Frans naar Nederlands
+ ...
Alessandro Marchesello wrote:
Step down from your pedestal and stop boasting about merits you don’t have.
[Edited at 2025-08-20 09:16 GMT]
Denying merits to a quadrilingual translator with 25 years of experience that is still doing good (unlike a lot of Dutch/Flemish colleagues, so there goes your "privilege") amidst an apparent pool of dark misery. Talking about arrogance. 😂
Anyway, time to call it a day. You're full of baseless assumptions (with "you don't know what competition is" being the absolute showpiece) and are basically ignoring every aspect that might improve your situation. No surprise you're struggling, to be honest. Good luck, you'll need it.
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italië
Local time: 14:11
Engels naar Duits
+ ...
| let's explore possible reasons | Aug 20, 2025 |
Alessandro Marchesello wrote:
it was all going great until about eight months ago
US market?
| | |
|
|
|
Lieven Malaise
België
Local time: 14:11
Lid 2020
Frans naar Nederlands
+ ...
Lingua 5B wrote:
So, it’s not “I don’t have any competitors”, it’s “I have superior communication skills”. Says who? Much like people grading their own entries in ProZ translation contests, you are evaluating your own communication skills? Shouldn’t that be evaluated by others?
Every professional translator worthy of that name has (at least written) superior communication skills. It's not that difficult.
On a more general note: why don't you try to keep your assumptions to yourself and start reading what people actually write? Or ask for clarification if you have doubts? You always tend to create your own misinterpreted reality. Bonus: it might help you professionally.
[Bijgewerkt op 2025-08-20 16:24 GMT]
| | | | | No, thanks... | Aug 20, 2025 |
Zea_Mays wrote:
Alessandro Marchesello wrote:
it was all going great until about eight months ago
US market?
Honestly, given the patronizing approach you and Lieven have taken so far, I don’t feel comfortable sharing any further information about my situation.
The assumption that “you have problems with clients because you’re doing something wrong” is irritating, insensitive given the topic, and short-sighted, because it completely ignores the extremely fragmented nature of our profession.
As I’ve already said, I had my best years while my direct competitors were already struggling, but I didn’t come here saying “I’m better than you, that’s why you’re struggling,” or “You're struggling because you're not professional enough,” because that would be inhumane and ultimately wrong.
So, thanks for your analysis (and no, it’s not a regional issue), but I’ll look elsewhere for a solution.
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italië
Local time: 14:11
Engels naar Duits
+ ...
Alessandro Marchesello wrote:
the patronizing approach you and Lieven have taken so far
I can't remember being patronizing. The discussion started when I said that we as freelancers set our own rates and/or negotiate them, and that if a job looks really interesting, there are ways to get in touch with the recruiter and so on. I know a German communication approach is sometimes perceived as a bit 'rude', but is the substance wrong?
I look at things with almost two decades of experience and have seen what usually works and what not. I also know the crowded Italian market, but what I dislike most about it is the often aggressive manner among 'colleagues'.
Overall, I am still convinced there's a global economic crisis, that's an aspect I also consider here, and tarifs slowly being reflected in consumer prices in the US will not make things better for their businesses. On the other hand, Europe could be recovering slowly.
| | | | | Bad job market everywhere - And what I believe the future holds. | Aug 21, 2025 |
Colleagues, let me put my two cents in, as I am also worried about this 2025 that is so different from my previous years.
The economy is going through a cycle of very high inflation and high-interest rates, making jobs scarce across many industries, not just ours, so it's even difficult to change careers (if you are thinking about it), not impossible though.
Companies will keep laying people off for some time, and when unemployment rates are high enough (I have no idea ... See more Colleagues, let me put my two cents in, as I am also worried about this 2025 that is so different from my previous years.
The economy is going through a cycle of very high inflation and high-interest rates, making jobs scarce across many industries, not just ours, so it's even difficult to change careers (if you are thinking about it), not impossible though.
Companies will keep laying people off for some time, and when unemployment rates are high enough (I have no idea when it will be), inflation is likely to decrease as overall consumer demand tends to decline.
Then central banks will be able to lower interest rates without increasing inflationary pressure, which will bring optimism to the market and boost economic activity.
However, it is essential to end the ongoing tariff war before considering interest rate reductions, as these tariffs contribute to inflationary pressure.
As interest rates fall, companies will start hiring again and expanding their businesses, and we'll have more jobs again, because reputable companies won't put their image at risk with automatic translations.
For example, a Brazilian newspaper published that a vehicle was made with “coal fiber” (ouch) instead of carbon fiber because that newspaper was using AI translation without proofreading.
AI is often incorrect, but confidently so. And I don't consider it the main cause of this crisis.
When this downturn we are experiencing now is over, most jobs will likely involve proofreading AI or MT drafts (because it is cheaper).
Using AI without proofreading is “a scythe fight in the dark” for companies, just too dangerous.
[Editada em 2025-08-22 00:47 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
Paulo Roberto wrote:
For example, a Brazilian newspaper published that a vehicle was made with “coal fiber” (ouch) instead of carbon fiber because that newspaper was using AI translation without proofreading.
AI is often incorrect, but confidently so. And I don't consider it the main cause of this crisis.
When this downturn we are experiencing now is over, most jobs will likely involve proofreading AI or MT drafts (because it is cheaper).
The current state of AI translation varies depending on the language pair. Since most AI companies are from the USA, the development involving English (either as a source or a target language) is far more advanced than in other language pairs.
As AI is developing fast in other languages too, it opens the door to different possible jobs besides translation/MTPE, such as prompt writer/reviewer, or jobs related to refining the speech-to-text or image-to-text AI development. So, if we want to work with AI, we have to be creative and change our POV to find other jobs related to it.
I think that no AI can match human creativity. And nobody knows what will happen with AI development after the bubble bursts - it could all backfire, like with GPT-5; it could face tariffs; it could be reduced by higher costs; or it could be regulated to reduce energy waste - so we just have to hold on to our human skills and use them because no machine has them.
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italië
Local time: 14:11
Engels naar Duits
+ ...
| the skills paradox | Aug 22, 2025 |
Maria Laura Curzi wrote:
As AI is developing fast in other languages too, it opens the door to different possible jobs besides translation/MTPE, such as prompt writer/reviewer, or jobs related to refining the speech-to-text or image-to-text AI development. So, if we want to work with AI, we have to be creative and change our POV to find other jobs related to it.
These tasks actually require excellent language skills, but are they also paid accordingly? Anyway, if things evolve further, there won't be anyone left with the necessary skills to do them in a few years. So...
| | | | | Like MTPE or a little more | Aug 22, 2025 |
Zea_Mays wrote:
Maria Laura Curzi wrote:
As AI is developing fast in other languages too, it opens the door to different possible jobs besides translation/MTPE, such as prompt writer/reviewer, or jobs related to refining the speech-to-text or image-to-text AI development. So, if we want to work with AI, we have to be creative and change our POV to find other jobs related to it.
These tasks actually require excellent language skills, but are they also paid accordingly? Anyway, if things evolve further, there won't be anyone left with the necessary skills to do them in a few years. So...
I think they pay more than many of the MTPE jobs posted here, and for me, are easier/faster tasks.
There are monolingual tasks where I hear the clip once while reading the transcription made with AI. Depending on the length of the clip, it usually takes at most 2 minutes. When I read some part that doesn't match the audio or is misspelled/ungrammatical, I select/change it accordingly. On some platforms, those tasks are paying $0.03 per task.
And there are the bilingual tasks where I hear the clip once while reading the translated transcription made with AI. Then it's the same, it takes about 2 minutes (that's the usual length of the clips/videos) and I select/change any issue accordingly. I've been paid for those tasks up to $0.05 per task.
Sadly, it seems that if the tech moguls keep forcing the use of AI in anything even if it makes no sense (like those AI glasses of the poll), the danger of dumber human brains is high, but we have to remember that we do not need to use AI in anything the whole time. As it's good to turn the TV/streaming off and read a book on paper, it's also good to disable AI.
Then, we have another resource to our advantage: languages are living things that change with time, and **we** are the speakers who make them change. Native speakers will always be a little ahead and will have a slight time advantage until the data are fed into the machine.
In the end, I think that human reviewing/correcting/adapting machine outputs (whether it is in languages, or in facial recognition, or whatever other tasks) will remain a needed/must-do job in the future.
IMHO, the more AI tools are developed, the more human specialists will be needed to review/correct/adapt the outputs.
| | | | | Pagina's in het onderwerp: < [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » finding work in 2025 | CafeTran Espresso | You've never met a CAT tool this clever!
Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer.
Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools.
Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free
Buy now! » |
| | PerfectIt | Check translations faster for consistency, quality and style guide compliance
PerfectIt helps professional translators deliver error-free documents in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. It helps improve consistency, ensure quality, and enforce style guides. ProZ members receive a 30% discount off individual purchases of PerfectIt.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
