Translating documents is a job that would require a lot of concentration and time. If you think it is a no-brainer job, think again. It actually takes a lot of effort to make sure that you are translating documents correctly.
If you are looking to work as a translator, one of your decisions would be whether to work as an in-house translator or a freelance translator. There are pros and cons to both, and in this article, we will be discussing the advantages and disadvantages of working as a freelance translator.
If you are working as a freelance translator, you get to work in the comforts of your home. You can wake up, brew your coffee, and start working while wearing your pajamas! You get to manage your own schedule, and you can take as many breaks as you want. All you need to do is complete all your assignments within the given time table. If you have kids, you can work around your children’s school schedule – you can really be a hands-on parent by working freelance.
Since you are given free rein of your schedule, it is also easy for you to take vacation breaks as needed. You won’t have to go through a long process of getting an approval for your leaves. You can just advise your client beforehand, and you can be on your merry way on your vacation. Just make sure, though that you do not have any pending tasks, or it will really inconvenience your clients.
Another advantage to working freelance is your ability to take on more jobs as needed. If your schedule can handle it, you can speak with other clients and continue working for both. You won’t be tied down with the income that you’re getting from only one client, you can work with as many as you want, and get extra income as a result.
However, no matter how much of a dream working freelance is, you will also find out that there are disadvantages to this set-up as well. If you’re the type to be easily distracted, then it might not be a good idea to work on your own. Your home will have a multitude of distractions that will disrupt work. Your TV set alone will set you back for a good hour or more. Operating expenses also come into play. Since you don’t work inside an office, you also have to understand that you will have to incur the costs of working on your tasks. That includes electricity, your computer (consider that this will break down in the long run), and even your coffee!
Working freelance also means that you do not have the security of having a regular job. Most of the time, freelance jobs are on a per-project basis. Even if the project is long-term, you will always have to be ready if the project suddenly ends. You have to rely on other projects or other jobs to keep you afloat should your main source of income ends.
If you are thinking of pursuing a freelance career as a translator, then make sure that you know the pros and cons well, so you can make informed decisions on how to go about working as a translator.
One piece of advice I can give to any freelance translator is to start using TO3000 as soon as possible. Believe me, it will save you a lot of time and efforts. TO3000 is accounting and project management software developed especially for freelance translators.
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