| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: After how many translated words can you consider yourself a "professional" translator? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Erzsébet Czopyk 
Hungary
Local time: 01:23
Member (2006)
Russian to Hungarian
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SITE LOCALIZER | The reply of the day | Sep 7, 2017 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
Some people get it right on their first try, others never learn, no matter how many years they have been doing it. Enough said on this part.
On another front, "considering yourself" doesn't help at all.
If you think it does, please read about Florence Foster Jenkins.
😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
| | | | | It depends on... | Sep 7, 2017 |
... professional attitude, ethical stance, which are not measured in wordcount 😊
| | | | Arina Alba
France
Local time: 01:23
Portuguese to French
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| It's not just about numbers | Sep 7, 2017 |
It's not just the number of words that defines whether you are a professional or not. It is the quality of your translation. If one translates 1 million words, but the work delivered is not good, could he/her be considered a professional translator? I don't think so.
| | | | | 10,000 hours - 3,000,000 words | Sep 7, 2017 |
If we equate "being professional" as "having mastered one's profession"... There have been several studies that seem to indicate that in any (or in many) activities that involve learning a skill, the most important factor is the time devoted to learning and practice it.
If those "10,000" hours hold true for translators, it means that one needs about seven years of full time translation work before one can say to have mastered our profession. At 300 word/hour, that means about 3,000... See more If we equate "being professional" as "having mastered one's profession"... There have been several studies that seem to indicate that in any (or in many) activities that involve learning a skill, the most important factor is the time devoted to learning and practice it.
If those "10,000" hours hold true for translators, it means that one needs about seven years of full time translation work before one can say to have mastered our profession. At 300 word/hour, that means about 3,000,000 words. ▲ Collapse
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Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 19:23
English to Spanish
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| Florence Foster Jenkins | Sep 8, 2017 |
José Henrique Lamensdorf wrote:
Some people get it right on their first try, others never learn, no matter how many years they have been doing it. Enough said on this part.
On another front, "considering yourself" doesn't help at all.
If you think it does, please read about Florence Foster Jenkins.
I'd rather suggest to listen to her and you'll get the gist faster.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 19:23
English to Spanish
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| It depends on your definition of “professional” | Sep 8, 2017 |
As some have summarized, a professional is someone who works at or practices a given profession. Is a nursing student a professional nurse? Of course not, as he or she obviously needs to get a diploma and meet other qualification requirements. I think that the more regulated an occupation is, the more “metrics” or standards of professional performance are imposed and verifiable.
Back to my title, it depends on your definition. Depending on the day or season of the year, I might ... See more As some have summarized, a professional is someone who works at or practices a given profession. Is a nursing student a professional nurse? Of course not, as he or she obviously needs to get a diploma and meet other qualification requirements. I think that the more regulated an occupation is, the more “metrics” or standards of professional performance are imposed and verifiable.
Back to my title, it depends on your definition. Depending on the day or season of the year, I might think that the term refers to productivity, knowledge of CAT or TEnT tools, communication skills, customer acquisition and retention, income level or ethical behavior suitable to a professional translator.
Add to that our own idiosyncratic attitudes about the profession. Some of us are more flexible than others. To me, for instance, a translator who can't write at least at a university level in all the languages she works with shouldn't call herself a professional translator, period. I admit, it's a very strict standard but I live by it.
I am reminded of a text conversation I had with an Argentine translator and interpreter, a colleague of mine, a very studious and accomplished professional. I consider her very professional in many ways, but she's on the very rigid point in the range of attitudes towards the profession. We were talking about clients and translation tests, and she mentioned “the premises of translation are inalterable.”
As Riccardo and Muriel have stated, it's not about the volume of words we translate that makes us or breaks us as a professional translator. I'm sure we all have our private checklists we feel beholden to in this matter. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Juan Pagola
Argentina
Local time: 18:23
English to Spanish
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| 1 Million words | Sep 8, 2017 |
One can be considered a professional translator long before hitting this record, but I would only consider a translator to work with after he/she's translated over a million words. Boom!
| | | | | Substitution? | Sep 8, 2017 |
Many say "professional" while they actually mean "good" or "trustworthy". But it is not the same. Profession means an occupation one make ones living with. One can do it good or bad. But it is supposed if you do it bad, you will fail to make your living with the profession. Normally, you will loose your clients. And the opposite, if you do something good, you will find your clients and succeed. With some marketing efforts, of course ... See more Many say "professional" while they actually mean "good" or "trustworthy". But it is not the same. Profession means an occupation one make ones living with. One can do it good or bad. But it is supposed if you do it bad, you will fail to make your living with the profession. Normally, you will loose your clients. And the opposite, if you do something good, you will find your clients and succeed. With some marketing efforts, of course ▲ Collapse
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Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 20:23
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| So many factors | Sep 8, 2017 |
This depends on so many factors, it's hard to comment. You could wirte a book about this!
If you have translated 100,000 words in civil engineering, that does not make you a professional translator in psychology, to begin with.
If you translate 100,000 words of chats in Whatsapp, you may not be considered a pro at all.
So, I'll stay here. I don't have time to write a book.
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If "professional" is intended to imply experienced, two months of full-time work are hardly enough to acquire significant experience.
But as long as you are entitled to issue an invoice, I suppose you can call yourself a "professional" translator from the first word invoiced.
Philippe
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