Pages in topic:   < [1 2]
Where do you work as a freelancer?
Thread poster: Karvin Sun
Elizabeth Tamblin
Elizabeth Tamblin  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:25
French to English
At home May 8, 2019

I have a desk in a spare bedroom, and I go a bit stir-crazy at times after sitting for long hours in front of the computer screen.

However lonely I get, I would not be able to work in a cafe, as I would be too self-conscious. Besides, how many cups of coffee would I have to buy per hour to justify taking up a table? That kind of thing worries me.


Karvin Sun
 
Katherine Rucker
Katherine Rucker
United States
Local time: 12:25
Spanish to English
+ ...
Home office May 8, 2019

I have a very small guest bedroom that I turned into my home office. Just enough room for my desk and a futon if I need a break or have to take a phone call. It's sunny with lots of plants. And with a door so I can shut my puppy out when he gets too distracting...the cat gets to stay though

I have lots of friends who are students so I'll sometimes work with them as well, usually at one of our dining room tables.
... See more
I have a very small guest bedroom that I turned into my home office. Just enough room for my desk and a futon if I need a break or have to take a phone call. It's sunny with lots of plants. And with a door so I can shut my puppy out when he gets too distracting...the cat gets to stay though

I have lots of friends who are students so I'll sometimes work with them as well, usually at one of our dining room tables.

[Edited at 2019-05-08 10:56 GMT]
Collapse


 
Catriona Thomas
Catriona Thomas
Local time: 17:25
German to English
Working as a Freelancer - where? May 8, 2019

I mainly work from what was originally a co-working office. After the co-working office was dissolved, the small company taking over the lease said I could stay at my working space that is 1.60 m wide. One of my former co-working colleagues also comes in for 1 day a week. So I sit here 3 days a week on a very reasonable contract, and the company conducts its business around me. I love travelling into the office in the morning and popping out for lunch with colleagues or on my own before resuming... See more
I mainly work from what was originally a co-working office. After the co-working office was dissolved, the small company taking over the lease said I could stay at my working space that is 1.60 m wide. One of my former co-working colleagues also comes in for 1 day a week. So I sit here 3 days a week on a very reasonable contract, and the company conducts its business around me. I love travelling into the office in the morning and popping out for lunch with colleagues or on my own before resuming work in the afternoon. Surprisingly, I'm still here almost 4 years later. I really don't like working from home, it makes me feel very inefficient and depressed. But I can cope if it's only 1-2 days a week. My office at home is very pleasant with a nice view. When this solution comes to an end, I will likely try and find a new co-working space for a couple of days a week.Collapse


Karvin Sun
 
Adam Warren
Adam Warren  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 17:25
Member (2005)
French to English
Vary your activities May 8, 2019



[Edited at 2019-05-08 16:19 GMT]


 
Adam Warren
Adam Warren  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 17:25
Member (2005)
French to English
Vary your activities May 8, 2019

Hullo Karvin,

You seem to have some elements of a reply: your pets, seeking company, that fascinatingly beautiful Chinese calligraphy...

Could you perhaps use these to branch out from translation - as a sideline. Is there a local public library that could help you in your search? Your basic need is to find congenial company. Could the local town hall or chamber of commerce help you pinpoint your elusive linguist colleagues? Maybe these resources could also prove fruit
... See more
Hullo Karvin,

You seem to have some elements of a reply: your pets, seeking company, that fascinatingly beautiful Chinese calligraphy...

Could you perhaps use these to branch out from translation - as a sideline. Is there a local public library that could help you in your search? Your basic need is to find congenial company. Could the local town hall or chamber of commerce help you pinpoint your elusive linguist colleagues? Maybe these resources could also prove fruitful avenues for finding work, or opportunities for professional advancement. Perhaps also you could make contact with the consulates of the countries speaking your source languages to see what they can offer.

I hope these suggestions will help you. Avoid falling prey to depression, but get any help you need to fend off ill health.

The best of luck.

With kind regards,

Adam Warren (IanDhu - translator 41189).
Collapse


 
Daniel Frisano
Daniel Frisano  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 17:25
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
May 9, 2019

Karvin Sun wrote:

That sounds interesting, but how do you ensure your network connection? By mobile phone hotspot? And how to guarantee your laptop power? And you might waste a lot of time on your way.


Yes, of course I use a mobile phone for connection, or just work offline, or pick up whatever public network is available (and, no, nobody steals your data), and you can always find a power socket for charging.

If you are concerned about wasting time, there are endless ways to make every moment count. My favourite is mentally walking through basic vocabulary for the languages that I am currently learning, with a "memory palace" approach.

A friend of mine, an amateur musician, plays music in his head in its purest form, to be recalled later when performing.

You can practice your calligraphy, or just write or read or study.

And sometimes (hard to believe as it may sound) you may strike an interesting conversation with some fellow traveller...


Karvin Sun
 
Karvin Sun
Karvin Sun  Identity Verified
China
Local time: 00:25
English to Chinese
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Depression is bad May 9, 2019

IanDhu wrote:

Hullo Karvin,

You seem to have some elements of a reply: your pets, seeking company, that fascinatingly beautiful Chinese calligraphy...

Could you perhaps use these to branch out from translation - as a sideline. Is there a local public library that could help you in your search? Your basic need is to find congenial company. Could the local town hall or chamber of commerce help you pinpoint your elusive linguist colleagues? Maybe these resources could also prove fruitful avenues for finding work, or opportunities for professional advancement. Perhaps also you could make contact with the consulates of the countries speaking your source languages to see what they can offer.

I hope these suggestions will help you. Avoid falling prey to depression, but get any help you need to fend off ill health.

The best of luck.

With kind regards,

Adam Warren (IanDhu - translator 41189).


Thanks IanDhu, I really want to have some dogs but I cannot, I'm living in the city and it's not convenient to feed one. I'd rather stay in my hometown where I could have a whole big courtyard, as well as any animals I want to raise, but we have to live in the city so that my kid can have a appropriate school to join in. I'm not sure about finding local linguists. You know I'm living in a small city, I tried to contact some local translators years ago, but they were a bit too conservative in sharing information and they seemed to be low-level translators working at a very low unit price, so we didn't have much to talk, let alone cooperate on any projects. Well, I joined a lot of translation chat groups before, but I have to say, the atmosphere among translators in China is not very well, people don't talk much, all I could see in the groups are just ads.

[Edited at 2019-05-09 08:37 GMT]


Tom in London
 
Julie Barber
Julie Barber  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:25
French to English
Home office May 9, 2019

I have a spare room that I have set up as a home office, with desk, equipment etc. It is light and I have a nice green view which really helps. I have to try to remember to get up and walk around, drink water, take a break and stretch. I do think that company can be important so I try to connect with others online, stay in touch with friends, I often start the day with a coffee in a local cafe after dropping my son off. I always try to get out at some point in the day. If anybody gets lonely at ... See more
I have a spare room that I have set up as a home office, with desk, equipment etc. It is light and I have a nice green view which really helps. I have to try to remember to get up and walk around, drink water, take a break and stretch. I do think that company can be important so I try to connect with others online, stay in touch with friends, I often start the day with a coffee in a local cafe after dropping my son off. I always try to get out at some point in the day. If anybody gets lonely at home, perhaps also trying other work that might bring you into contact with others will help.Collapse


Karvin Sun
 
1581091 (X)
1581091 (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 17:25
English to German
+ ...
Coworking experience Jan 18, 2021

Hello, all,

I followed the discussion and I would like to relate my own experience and reccomendation about the matter, now after Corona Crisis has hopefully had its peak.

As I was also part of a general coworking, with grafic designers, IT specialists etc. also being part of it, there were some advantages, definetely, due to cross selling etc. But since 3 years I have founded a coworking space myself, mainly for translators, most of our customers ask us about other lan
... See more
Hello, all,

I followed the discussion and I would like to relate my own experience and reccomendation about the matter, now after Corona Crisis has hopefully had its peak.

As I was also part of a general coworking, with grafic designers, IT specialists etc. also being part of it, there were some advantages, definetely, due to cross selling etc. But since 3 years I have founded a coworking space myself, mainly for translators, most of our customers ask us about other languages, and since we are not an agency, but me, my wife and our employee do offer only English, Italian, Spanish and French, we could establish cooperation with other translators, for instance Turkish: check here: https://www.linguedu.de/coworking/index.html In that way, we keep our freelance status and do give each other mutual support. In case me or anyone in our coworking travels, we have arranged for e-mail-forwarding of any letters / requests etc.

It works quite well. I definitely do reccomend that. By the way, there is still space in our coworking for other translators, like Arabic, Polish and Russian.

Many greetings and a good start into 2021!

Christian

- Italian translator -
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:25
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Hell is other people Jan 19, 2021

After half a lifetime as an overworked, very stressed architect flying all over the place, working simultaneously in Italian and English, dealing with all kinds of "political" problems involving vain clients, dodgy professionals, powerful banks, Italian officialdom, seriously bad timewasters, office politics, empire-builders, and above all invidious colleagues who were out to get me because they couldn't stand watching someone else getting stuff done and done well, I was happy to become a lone t... See more
After half a lifetime as an overworked, very stressed architect flying all over the place, working simultaneously in Italian and English, dealing with all kinds of "political" problems involving vain clients, dodgy professionals, powerful banks, Italian officialdom, seriously bad timewasters, office politics, empire-builders, and above all invidious colleagues who were out to get me because they couldn't stand watching someone else getting stuff done and done well, I was happy to become a lone translator, sitting quietly in my pleasant home, with nobody to bother me any more. I can now look back, without regret, at my former existence. Now it's just me and my cat. The Covid crisis (lockdown) has had very little effect on me because that's how I live anyway. The need to self-isolate is a wonderful reason for no longer needing to get dressed, go out, and take public transport halfway across this endless city to attend meetings that are now all on Zoom or to see friends who are now on FaceTime. I have always enjoyed my own company. I am gregarious and sociable, but over the long time I just don't get along with other people. People are great - but at a distance. You don't want them in your home, moving things, breaking stuff, making a noise, or telling you what you have to do. Solitude is the only way for a translator. Working in complete isolation means you can totally focus on the task - and the kind of translation work I do usually does require 100% concentration.




[Edited at 2021-01-19 10:46 GMT]
Collapse


P.L.F. Persio
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Gudrun Wolfrath
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 16:25
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Wasting Jan 19, 2021

Daniel Frisano wrote:

If you are concerned about wasting time...


I love wasting time. I'm doing it now!


P.L.F. Persio
 
Pages in topic:   < [1 2]


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Where do you work as a freelancer?






Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »
Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »