Poll: Do you accept projects outside of your areas of specialization? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you accept projects outside of your areas of specialization?".
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| | | | Michael Harris 
Germany
Local time: 07:55
Member (2006)
German to English
not any more. I did try a couple of other topics, but they went soooo wrong that I decided to stay in the very well occupied area I am and that I know.
I was just not worth the hassle, but happily this happened to a regular customer that knows my work so there were no adverse effects☺
| | | | | I am a generalist... | Aug 31, 2015 |
Perhaps the definistions of my specialist subjects are a little hazy, and I have to admit that I don't always specialise THAT much.
I have simply dabbled in too many things along the way to take on the very highly specialised work, even in my specialist areas. But within my limits, there is plenty to do, and I take on things like knitting patterns or other occasional jobs because I know enough to do them properly.
The PM with the knitting jobs approached me very cautiou... See more Perhaps the definistions of my specialist subjects are a little hazy, and I have to admit that I don't always specialise THAT much.
I have simply dabbled in too many things along the way to take on the very highly specialised work, even in my specialist areas. But within my limits, there is plenty to do, and I take on things like knitting patterns or other occasional jobs because I know enough to do them properly.
The PM with the knitting jobs approached me very cautiously after several other translators had run away screaming! Either you know what all those abbreviations mean, and you can do the job - and thanks to my grandmother and mother-in-law, I knew them in both languages... Or it looks a real nightmare! It is not something you can find easily in dictionaries.
I did not actually knit the models from my translations, but I can promise it would be feasible. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | I REJECT projects in the areas I've declared 'off-limits' | Aug 31, 2015 |
While I specialize in a few areas, I have defined some - so far, five - broad areas of human knowledge where I systematically turn down any job offer, if the material is intended for professional practitioners. Whenever possible, I refer such requests to dependable colleagues that I know (personally) as translators who specialized in these areas.
If the material is aimed at the general public, including me, I have no objection.
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| Yes, sometimes | Aug 31, 2015 |
especially if it is interesting and not too far from my experience
| | | | | Yes, frequently | Aug 31, 2015 |
It's a specialisation of mine
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 07:55
Member (2009)
English to German
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If a good client asks me to, then I will do the translation, provided it's not in those fields that I never work in. The other option is when the subject is very interesting and/or something I might want to specialize in at some point in the near future.
| | | | | Yes, sometimes | Aug 31, 2015 |
If I feel I can do it, then why not. If I feel I could mess it up, definitely no. Usually, though, I stay within my specialisations.
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José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
While I specialize in a few areas, I have defined some - so far, five - broad areas of human knowledge where I systematically turn down any job offer, if the material is intended for professional practitioners. Whenever possible, I refer such requests to dependable colleagues that I know (personally) as translators who specialized in these areas.
If the material is aimed at the general public, including me, I have no objection.
But while I am specialized in "Legal translations" , I systematically reject marketing, I really cannot translate marketing material.
[Edited at 2015-08-31 16:08 GMT]
| | | | Emin Arı
Türkiye
Local time: 08:55
English to Turkish
+ ...
| if ı do not have any work and plenty of time | Sep 1, 2015 |
Working on out of specialization area means less outcome with high effort. This all adds up to loss of time, i.e money.
As an example, in a unit time, say 1 hour, I can translate 300 words in Techy doc but just 100 words of social sciences.
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If I have time (more than needed for my usual projects) and the subject is interesting and if I have at least a minimum knowledge.
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 02:55
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Not the area, but the content | Sep 1, 2015 |
I have accepted many documents in areas that are not my expertise. When you have a chance to see the document first, than you can check if it's actually too technical or not.
For example, a client recently offered me a job in the Medical area, which is not one of my pro areas. I told them it was not one of my specialties, and they sent the document for me to see it. It ended up being an operation manual for a medical device. Although it had many medical terms, it was a manual, not a... See more I have accepted many documents in areas that are not my expertise. When you have a chance to see the document first, than you can check if it's actually too technical or not.
For example, a client recently offered me a job in the Medical area, which is not one of my pro areas. I told them it was not one of my specialties, and they sent the document for me to see it. It ended up being an operation manual for a medical device. Although it had many medical terms, it was a manual, not a surgery procedure. So I did the job, and I believe I did a good job, too.
So, it's actually not the area that matters, yet the content. I will not accept any job that could imply any harm to anyone if I translate something incorrectly (like a surgery procedure or phsychological report). But I often accept jobs of "other areas". ▲ Collapse
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| Yes, sometimes | Sep 3, 2015 |
I sometimes work for a development bank that pays very well. Banking is outside my area of expertise, but if I think I can figure it out, I'll give it a try.
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