| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: When I first started as a translator I felt _____ by other translators. Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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When I started working part-time (then full-time) as a translator, I was still in my mid-20s, and most other translators I met then were much older so I had nothing in common with them...actually I didn't feel the need to establish any contact. That was in Moscow, pre-Internet days. I would turn in work that I had typed on my desktop at home and I was surprised to find out that Russian translators wrote their translations by hand which were typed at the agency by dedicated typists. Even then (mi... See more When I started working part-time (then full-time) as a translator, I was still in my mid-20s, and most other translators I met then were much older so I had nothing in common with them...actually I didn't feel the need to establish any contact. That was in Moscow, pre-Internet days. I would turn in work that I had typed on my desktop at home and I was surprised to find out that Russian translators wrote their translations by hand which were typed at the agency by dedicated typists. Even then (mid-90s) that was antediluvian!
And now I *am* that older translator....
I took the UN translator's test (2x) in Geneva and New York in the late 90s and saw the working conditions there and the kind of people working in the language departments....that was discouraging. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't pass the test (haha!), I was too green then. I would've hated working in those conditions. They were using these ancient PCs with no CAT software! Although the tax-free P1 salary (+80k per year) would've been a nifty bonus.
Freelance all the way
[Edited at 2014-01-14 09:57 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:53
Spanish to English
+ ...
Welcomed and encouraged (by the people I already knew). One translator friend in particular had suggested it to me several times before I took the plunge...
| | | | Nigel Greenwood (X) 
Spain
Local time: 23:53
Spanish to English
+ ...
| I replied "Other" because | Jan 14, 2014 |
when I first started translating, I was an employee of a local Removal Company in Spain, and we were doing the removals for Foreign employees of a large Car manufacturing company near Valencia. I had to translate all the necessary communications and forms, etc. Much later I became full-time, when I was made redundant at 54. Then I just started looking for clients and "came across" ProZ.
I have encouraged many to take up translating due to its many benefits.
Have a gre... See more when I first started translating, I was an employee of a local Removal Company in Spain, and we were doing the removals for Foreign employees of a large Car manufacturing company near Valencia. I had to translate all the necessary communications and forms, etc. Much later I became full-time, when I was made redundant at 54. Then I just started looking for clients and "came across" ProZ.
I have encouraged many to take up translating due to its many benefits.
Have a great day
Nigel. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 06:53
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| The memories come flooding back | Jan 14, 2014 |
Chris S wrote:
I was so tired of agencies not giving me a chance due to my lack of experience - and persisting in using experienced old duffers who didn't have a clue.
This jogs my memory a little bit.
When I first started out, I made a tour of all the translation agencies/companies in Osaka armed with a CV and cover letter introducing myself as a translator (boy did I have balls back then!). There were not many at the time -- all of them barely accounted for less than half a page in the Yellow Pages. One of my cold calls was a patent translation 'office' in a condo. I knocked on the metal door which made a big rattling sound. I could barely make out the voice inside telling me to come in. I opened the door to find myself inside a tiny room (30 square meters or so, I guess) with bookshelves on all sides and with stacks of books in front of them reaching up to the heavens. Then, suddenly, a pair of glasses peeped over the piles of books at least a foot high on the desk. The proprietor of the establishment - a little wizened old man -- stood up as if he'd just jumped out of a Dickens' novel and then put his jacket on. I could literally see the dust flying up through the sun streaming through the windows. This was a miracle in itself since there had to be at least 10 years worth of premium grime on them. He negotiated a few piles of books without tipping them over and finally made his way to the door where I was standing. I gave him my well-rehearsed introduction in Japanese and handed him my CV and letter of introduction, once again handwritten in Japanese. He asked me just one thing before he excused himself and made his way back to whatever he was working on behind that wall of books -- "Do you speak Japanese?"
I really cannot call this experience encouraging. I do, however, remember the dust with vivid clarity. 
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| Other: I knew no other translators then | Jan 14, 2014 |
When I first started, back in 1973, I was an Enginerring intern "who translated and "assembled" (which later became DTP, done on computers instead of paper & glue) the technical manuals and catalogs for all those machines, and who took dazzling photographs of industrial installations.
I can't recall when I first met a professional translator in my life, however I'm sure that it was quite a while after I had become one.
| | | | Claudia Cherici
Italy
Local time: 23:53
Member (2010)
English to Italian
+ ...
| another oldie (who felt encouraged) | Jan 14, 2014 |
I'm with Julian and the other 'oldies' on this one. Typewriter, electric typewriter (wow!) and then a huge computer with a tiny screen - it felt wonderful to finally be able to store a few pages and make corrections without having to rewrite it all. Fax machines or just jump in the car and go deliver a floppy disk - or a hard copy...Our world has changed so much. However, I did feel encouraged by fellow translators back then: my teachers at Scuola Interpreti were, in fact, the first ones to pass... See more I'm with Julian and the other 'oldies' on this one. Typewriter, electric typewriter (wow!) and then a huge computer with a tiny screen - it felt wonderful to finally be able to store a few pages and make corrections without having to rewrite it all. Fax machines or just jump in the car and go deliver a floppy disk - or a hard copy...Our world has changed so much. However, I did feel encouraged by fellow translators back then: my teachers at Scuola Interpreti were, in fact, the first ones to pass on some work, and so it all began. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Julian Holmes
Japan
Local time: 06:53
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Oldies but goldies | Jan 14, 2014 |
Claudia Cherici wrote:
I'm with Julian and the other 'oldies' on this one.
@Claudia
Thanks for the thumbs up!
Having a warm, fuzzy moment here right now. Enjoy, enjoy....hmmm
I hope I'm not turning into that crusty old barnacle in my wee, little yarn above.
| | | | Claudia Cherici
Italy
Local time: 23:53
Member (2010)
English to Italian
+ ...
| crusty old barnacles | Jan 14, 2014 |
Crusty old barnacles know a lot about how to enjoy fuzzy warm moments, Julian!
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Parrot
Spain
Local time: 23:53
Spanish to English
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I was just glad I passed the screening. Like everyone else around me, so there was a certain camaraderie. Since I worked in a convention center and we were all fielded by combination needed at any given time, the only sign of seniority was function: for example, revisors were the more experienced among us. The biggest benefit of the job was in-house training over the years. That included computer literacy. (The previous generation had worked with electric typewriters, and stencils for mimeograph... See more I was just glad I passed the screening. Like everyone else around me, so there was a certain camaraderie. Since I worked in a convention center and we were all fielded by combination needed at any given time, the only sign of seniority was function: for example, revisors were the more experienced among us. The biggest benefit of the job was in-house training over the years. That included computer literacy. (The previous generation had worked with electric typewriters, and stencils for mimeographing were still being used).
To take translation courses we all had to go abroad. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Enrico Zoffoli
Italy
Local time: 23:53
Member (2013)
German to Italian
+ ...
They said I would make little money. Luckily they were wrong.
| | | | | I was another of the lucky ones who started in-house | Jan 14, 2014 |
While we are on the subject of warm, fuzzy moments, I treasure my memories too.
I was already grandmother age, and amazed to get the job at all.
My colleagues were really kind - and kind enough to tell me in the nicest ways when I did anything unprofessional or simply not good enough...
At the same time I could see what the others were doing. I had my first e-mail about then. I also had a Monday computer that used to seize up at the slightest provocation, so I le... See more While we are on the subject of warm, fuzzy moments, I treasure my memories too.
I was already grandmother age, and amazed to get the job at all.
My colleagues were really kind - and kind enough to tell me in the nicest ways when I did anything unprofessional or simply not good enough...
At the same time I could see what the others were doing. I had my first e-mail about then. I also had a Monday computer that used to seize up at the slightest provocation, so I learned to press Ctrl and S at the end of every other sentence, to save my work! Deep breath, shut down, count to twenty and pray it was all still there when I logged in again...
Later, we had a Hungarian IT manager who replaced my computer. We loved his visits - he used to do impressions of colleagues in the other departments... and the Big Boss, also Hungarian, was a favourite! Funny accents and mannerisms abounded, of course. I bet he had real fun in the other departments imitating our plummy English and the Canadian's unmistakable drawl.
The agency also sponsored my diploma and forced me to try first an early version of Déjà Vu and then Trados.
I would never go back, but it was good while it lasted! ▲ Collapse
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I will never forget the day I met Igsa and Margie. We were working as interpreters for a financial company and they really seemed to hate it and were glad that there was someone else to take on more of the work (the ended up shifting quite a bit of it my way).
They used to get me into so much trouble with the boss (who didn't speak a word of Spanish) by sending jokes and making fun of the boss in our private chat. I couldn't help but laugh, but the boss would ask what was so funny ... See more I will never forget the day I met Igsa and Margie. We were working as interpreters for a financial company and they really seemed to hate it and were glad that there was someone else to take on more of the work (the ended up shifting quite a bit of it my way).
They used to get me into so much trouble with the boss (who didn't speak a word of Spanish) by sending jokes and making fun of the boss in our private chat. I couldn't help but laugh, but the boss would ask what was so funny and I had to find a way to mistranslate the chat text so no one would get in trouble.
I sure do miss those two! I think it might be time for a visit to the old office. ▲ Collapse
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| In-house translating | Jan 14, 2014 |
It's interesting that those of us who started as in-house translators all felt supported and encouraged. For me, it was an invaluable experience. I believe that all translators could benefit from this experience. It's also humbling. You don't get to think you're the only smart person in the room.
As for working at United Nations headquarters, I know many of those translators personally and have visited them in their offices many times. No one was complaining about the working condit... See more It's interesting that those of us who started as in-house translators all felt supported and encouraged. For me, it was an invaluable experience. I believe that all translators could benefit from this experience. It's also humbling. You don't get to think you're the only smart person in the room.
As for working at United Nations headquarters, I know many of those translators personally and have visited them in their offices many times. No one was complaining about the working conditions! The morale is pretty good. The main problem is that some people who get promoted to "reviser" status can get obnoxious.
As for UN revisers (and this is *not* off-topic!), I've been reviewed by a number of them at conferences. Most of them are great and appreciate my work, but I remember one who, reeking with alcohol, scribbled all over one of my translations with off-the-wall changes and handed it back to me barking: "Now retype the whole thing!" He was very, very arrogant. I think the UN headquarters system that promotes translators to revisers brings out the bullying instinct in some people. In my first job (the nice one where the senior translators supported and encouraged me), after a certain point in my training I reached the level where we all reviewed each other. If you were a reviewer, you never knew if you were going to be reviewed by your reviewee next time around. So you were careful to be sure that your comments were warranted and you knew you might have to justify them.
[Edited at 2014-01-15 08:06 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Diana Obermeyer
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:53
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
| First experiences put me off for 20 years | Jan 15, 2014 |
I did a 2 week work placement in a translation agency, when I was 13.
I don't know what these things are like in the rest of the world, but in Germany, we have to arrange our own work-placements throughout high school and it has to be in a job that typically requires formal training.
I had just become regional champion in the national foreign language competition and loved all my languages, so this seemed a natural choice for me.
However, my experiences in that agency w... See more I did a 2 week work placement in a translation agency, when I was 13.
I don't know what these things are like in the rest of the world, but in Germany, we have to arrange our own work-placements throughout high school and it has to be in a job that typically requires formal training.
I had just become regional champion in the national foreign language competition and loved all my languages, so this seemed a natural choice for me.
However, my experiences in that agency were that bad, that I absolutely decided against the translation profession.
Most of my work in the meantime involved an element of translation, but it wasn't until I discovered that it is possible to translate on a freelance basis 20 years later, that I came back to it.
When I did, I felt encouraged by most.
In a way I envy those that arrived here along the more traditional route, so comments about formal study requirements etc. tend to carry a bitter taste. ▲ Collapse
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