Poll: Roughly what percentage of your working time you get to use for work? Persoa que publicou o fío: ProZ.com Staff
|
|---|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Roughly what percentage of your working time you get to use for work?".
This poll was originally submitted by Gabriella Vento. View the poll results »
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 03:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
Although I'm not sure I fully understand the question. As a freelancer, I claim to provide a service 24-7, but sometimes life gets in the way. I currently have plenty of work and am not looking for any more.
| | | |
Me too, I can’t understand the question. I suppose it means what percentage of time do I devote to other work-related activities (marketing, invoicing, accounting, quoting, answering emails, etc.) but translation itself? Well, for me all these other things are an intrinsic part of the job…
| | | | Peter Simon 
Netherlands
Local time: 03:15
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Could you perhaps rephrase your question in proper EN? I can't really answer it...
| | |
|
|
|
Muriel Vasconcellos (X)
United States
Local time: 18:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
I think this means "How busy are you relative to the time you want to make available to work?"
I'm as busy as I'd like to be, but it's also true that I could work more hours and make more money.
| | | |
It varies so much, and it goes from one extreme to the other - sometimes more than enough work, sometimes no work at all.
By the way, I think the question is easy to understand, especially when you read the response options.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 03:15
French to English
I take it to mean that if you intend to work 40hrs a week (for example), how many hours do you actually work for?
In my case, I really have no idea and it depends from one week to the next. I mostly have enough work, in fact I'm offered more than I can handle, I've had to turn down a fair bit this year. I could work more but I don't really want to.
| | | | Paul Jackson (X)
Germany
Local time: 03:15
German to English
| The Brexit effect? | Aug 9, 2019 |
[Hello all, first post from an occasional lurker]
Up until last winter I’d have answered with ‘80%’, but since then things have really gone downhill, to the point that I’ve just answered with ‘20%’. There could well be a number of factors at work, but since things dropped off a cliff edge in March (when the original Brexit date was delayed), I can only assume that’s the main reason.
German manufacturers of machines presumably don’t currently need their m... See more [Hello all, first post from an occasional lurker]
Up until last winter I’d have answered with ‘80%’, but since then things have really gone downhill, to the point that I’ve just answered with ‘20%’. There could well be a number of factors at work, but since things dropped off a cliff edge in March (when the original Brexit date was delayed), I can only assume that’s the main reason.
German manufacturers of machines presumably don’t currently need their manuals translating into English, and German businesses in general presumably don’t need translations of their websites, brochures or press releases…
Having said that, some of the things I translate are aimed at more general English-speaking audiences, not necessarily British, so who knows? It could also be the result of general trends in the industry (low rates, MT) or maybe just problems at the agency I’ve been too reliant on by far. (Yes, my own fault, but when times are good, which they were…)
Here's hoping things soon pick up! *gulp* ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
[Edited at 2019-08-09 18:08 GMT]
| | | | Ventnai
Spain
Local time: 03:15
German to English
+ ...
| Until recently | Aug 9, 2019 |
Until recently, I would have said 120% - I had more offers than I could handle - but like Paul above, I find that I am receiving fewer offers and I too am wondering if it is the Brexit effect.
| | | | Gabriella Vento
United States
Local time: 18:15
Membro (2015)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
| Sorry about the confusion | Aug 10, 2019 |
although my question is correct. "To get to do" something means "to have the opportunity". It is a widely used expression in the English-speaking countries, but I understand, not everyone of you have met it, if you live somewhere else.
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/16104/get-to-do-something
[Edited at 2019-08-10 01:58 GMT]
| | | | | My working time is when I work... | Aug 10, 2019 |
..... so when I don't work, it's not my working time. In other words, not being an employee, I don't have set "work hours". If you are hired to work 9 to 5, and if half that time you sit around but you have to be "at work", then you use 50% of your time for work. But in a freelance situation, you work 100% of your working time since that's when you work. (If that makes sense )
| | |
|
|
|
Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 23:15
Membro (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I could get a bit more work for sure.
On the other hand, I work late at night, on weekends, etc.
I think 80% is a reasonable estimate.
| | | | Gabriella Vento
United States
Local time: 18:15
Membro (2015)
English to Hungarian
+ ...
| I can make it easier to understand with an example: | Aug 11, 2019 |
Peter Simon wrote:
Could you perhaps rephrase your question in proper EN? I can't really answer it...
if you would like (plan, intend, be able to) to work e.g. 30 hours a week, but you get orders from the clients/outsourcers only for 15 hours work, then you are using 50% of your capacity on that week. I am trying to find out, what percentage of our capacity is utilized in average?
| | | | Samuel Murray
Netherlands
Local time: 03:15
Membro (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
...
[Edited at 2019-08-14 12:13 GMT]
| | | | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Roughly what percentage of your working time you get to use for work? | 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 » |
| | 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! » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
