Friday 14 November 2014

The revenge of the introverts

My favourite student job was a short stint at Siemens Healthcare in Erlangen in 2002 which involved testing newly developed software. I simply had to play around with it and try to find out where it didn’t work as it should. Or, in computer programming speak, my job was to define bugs. I was in a room with a lot of computer programmers. Among other things, they fixed the bugs that I and another student, who came in on different days, had identified. Work in this room was focused, productive, and above all quiet – just as work for me as a translator is today.


People doing quiet work, many of whom are introverts, have had a lot of good press in recent years. This is good news to all introverts, including geeks, nerds, and translators too: it is now okay to be an introvert! This has not always been the case. An article on Psychology Today in 2010 therefore even referred to it as the revenge of the introvert. Previously overlooked as people who love hiding behind their computer screens, they are now valued much more for what they’ve got to offer.




So what exactly defines the personality trait of introversion? Introverts enjoy solitary work, in particular work that allows them to dive in with few interruptions. They tend to be better at writing and listening than talking, and prefer one-on-one conversations to group activities. Perhaps, introversion can best be defined as a preference for environments with low external stimulation.

 
Many introverts have had a profound influence on the world, and a lot of the products that we use and love today were in fact designed by introverts. One just has to think of a couple of famous introverts such as Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Immanuel Kant, Charles Darwin, Mahatma Gandhi, Vincent van Gogh, Queen Elizabeth II., Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Larry Page, Steve Wozniak, Mark Zuckerberg, Joanne K. Rowling, Claudia Schiffer, Joachim Löw, Angela Merkel, Michael Jackson, Steven Spielberg, or Emma Watson.




Are you an extrovert, an introvert, or an ambivert? According to the psychologist Jung, “there is no such thing as a pure extrovert or a pure introvert”. This means every single one of us is situated somewhere between the extreme ends of the introvert-extrovert spectrum.


For a closer look at how introverts interact differently with the world, I recommend this Huffington Post article, which has proved very popular on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook in the past few months.


Thursday 23 October 2014

Should translators blog?


Should translators blog, or is it a waste of time? I recently came across “The Case Against Blogging”, a guest post by Karen Tkaczyk on Corinne McKay’s blog. Karen argues blogging is not the best use of a translator’s time and advocates a blog should be uncommon, regular with a predictable posting pattern, novel, and/or entertaining or instructive.

Blogging helps reduce translators’ invisibility

I’m aware there are a couple of excellent specialised translator blogs out there. But what about all other, more general blogs, including mine? Judging from my own experience, I agree with Karen on the following:

Starting a blog will not bring in lots of new customers.

This is true of my business, too. My customers have come to me via other avenues, but certainly not via my blog. There are numerous other – and to my mind much more effective – strategies to make yourself known as a translator and bring in business. I, too, doubt strongly that potential clients are keen on reading translator blogs.

The style required for a blog is different from the style required for many types of translation.

Yes, and it also applies to my work. The style needed to attract blog readers is worlds away from the style required for patent translation, which typically is dry, verbose, and heavy-going. The style that I have to use tends to be awkward and over-exact – also because I’m sometimes required to reproduce errors, for example.

Most translators should not have a blog.

There are very many translator blogs out there overall. Off the top of my head, I can even think of more people who blog than of people who don’t. And many of us write more or less on the same topics. So is the translator blog market for less specialised content saturated? I think Karen may well be right on this.

It is okay to blog if you find it personally satisfying and don’t care if anyone reads it.

And that hits the nail on the head for me! I find it extremely satisfying on a personal level. I’m not a typical blogger in that my posts are infrequent and I do not even allow comments. However, I’ve never regretted starting this blog, and I’m going to continue writing posts whenever I find the time. Here’s why:


Blogging is intellectually challenging.

I can give my brain a task to work on that is different from translating. It is therefore often really nice for a change! Note that translating involves sticking to the source text to a greater or lesser degree – greater in my case – and conveying every single aspect and nuance. By contrast, when it comes to blogging, I can write freely and creatively.


Blogging helps me gain a clearer perspective.

Writing something down provides a clearer view of what is going on within me. I am sure I’m not the only one who encounters problems in translations with the answer suddenly popping into my head just because I’d started writing an email to a translator forum! The same is true of blogging. It can also motivate to bring about change in various circumstances.


Blogging helps me get things off my chest.

My blog offers a space not just for event write-ups (which I love doing), but also a platform for venting my thoughts. I can write about anything I like, whenever I like. How often have I felt so much better after sending out a post into the cybersphere – especially when I’d been really annoyed about something! It’s curious, too, that others tend to take you more seriously once you’ve published something “officially” on your blog.


Blogging is enjoyable and a way of connecting with the world.

Writing is fun. A blog may not be overly beneficial from a marketing point of view (which I don’t need mine to be as I’m usually inundated with work anyway). Personally, however, I think a blog is a must for anyone who lives and works on the web, as translators do. I only felt I was properly living on the web after starting this blog. It’s also fascinating to occasionally go and check in which corners of the world it’s been accessed – be that the US, Thailand or Austria.


Blogging is a way of connecting with the world


Blogging lets me tap into a skill I am better at than talking.

Translators are by nature better at expressing themselves in writing than verbally. There is some illuminating research into how introverts’ as opposed to extroverts’ brains work. Put simply, introverts’ brains have a higher level of internal activity, and it takes thoughts longer to travel around brain pathways. It’s hence no wonder that many introverts (although notable exceptions exist!) are drawn to professions like writing, translating, researching, accountancy, or computer programming. Therefore, isn’t a blog the perfect tool for communicating with the world?


Blogging helps reduce translators’ invisibility.

Translation is an industry worth an estimated 33 billion US$1; yet it often seems the public is not even aware of its presence. What better way than via a blog to throw light on what translation is about, what translators do, and why it’s important? The more of us who blog, the more effect it will have. We should all make an effort and promote a more positive image of the translation profession. Blogging is just one tool to help achieve this, but it’s a particularly powerful one! A blog also lets you control your own public image. I feel this applies also if you publish posts infrequently.

You can gain a clearer perspective by blogging


So my take on whether translators should blog or refrain from it is this: It may turn out to be a waste of time if you’re still building your business. However, if any of the above appeals to you and you have some time to spare, why not?

1 source: Found in Translation by Nataly Kelly and Jost Zetzsche

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Business skills workshop in Bristol


On 5 July 2014 ITI‘s WRG held a workshop on contracts, terms & conditions, contract-related problems and getting paid at the Watershed, Bristol’s popular venue on the harbourside. It was aimed at freelance translators and interpreters and attended mostly by WRG members from the Bristol/Bath area, although a few attendees had travelled from further afield, such as Cardiff, Gloucester or Exeter.

The workshop was led by Andrew Leigh LLB, MA, MITI, who has previously run similar workshops and written articles for the ITI Bulletin and the Society for Editors and Proofreaders on these topics. The topics were in fact well worth addressing. After all, we tend to be very good linguists, but at university we are not usually taught about the business aspects of translation and interpreting!




Basic knowledge about contracts for freelancers


Andrew initially conveyed basic knowledge about the formation of contracts. He covered typical concepts such as consideration (which means the client receives the translation, while in return the translator is paid for it); counteroffers (if the translator suggests new terms in response to an offer by an LSP, this constitutes a counteroffer and will need to be accepted by the LSP for it to become binding); or express and implied terms (the latter being deemed to be incorporated into the contract by implication, but not being stated).

Andrew, an engaging and accomplished speaker, offered plenty of useful advice. As clients sometimes do not issue a purchase order, it is advisable to send your own PO or order confirmation, which is a practice that Andrew always applies in his dealings with direct clients. An order confirmation does not need to be signed; it is usually sufficient if the client acknowledges receipt of it. If the terms of the contract change (e.g. if the source text is amended or a new deadline agreed), the translator should request an amended PO or himself issue an amended order confirmation.

Next on the agenda were terms & conditions, which can be defined as a set of standard terms that apply to all contracts entered into with customers. It is strongly recommended to draw customers’ attention to your T&Cs constantly in the following places: on your website; as a link in your email signature; on the reverse of quotations; on the reverse of order confirmations; and on acceptance of a job. Andrew stressed it is too late, technically, if they are only sent with your invoice.

Andrew kept us active throughout the day by splitting us into groups for work on relevant exercises. One exercise saw us scrutinising clauses in T&Cs under Andrew’s expert supervision. A delicate issue that is sometimes found is the stipulation that all copies of your work must be destroyed on delivery, which may conflict with professional indemnity insurance provisions requiring you to keep copies of your work for evidence purposes. Other questionable clauses concern provisions more applicable to employees and copyright issues.

If a translator has T&Cs, and the LSP has T&Cs, too, whose then actually apply? Under English law, the counter-offer prior to the beginning of performance voids all preceding offers. This is known as the last-shot rule. Clients’ T&Cs should always be scrutinised for the following keywords: indemnify, hold harmless, penalties, limit of liability, and responsibility. You are then faced with these options: accepting them outright; rejecting them outright; or negotiating, i.e. querying their meaning or scope and crossing out or adding clauses yourself.

Having your own T&Cs has clear benefits, but who of us actually have and actively use their own T&Cs? Andrew proposed several options for obtaining T&Cs: using an off-the-shelf set such as those offered by the ITI; writing your own; adapting an existing set; or asking a solicitor to draw one up. The important thing to bear in mind is that T&Cs should be tailored to you and your business!

After a delicious cold buffet lunch, which allowed us to catch up and network or have a stroll in the gorgeous sunshine by the water outside, we reconvened for the afternoon sessions, starting with contract-related problems. Andrew gave practical pointers on how to respond to client complaints such as acting professionally and maintaining good communication. Sometimes an apology to the client is in order; otherwise, don’t be afraid to stand your ground! Other options include the opportunity to rectify the problem; an independent third party opinion; or legal remedies, once all other avenues have been exhausted.

After taking in quite a chunk of heavy-ish legal terminology, we welcomed Andrew’s humorous, light-hearted approach to imparting the contents of the session about getting paid in the form of a role-play. The role-play was based on The Three Little Pigs, featuring Sally Swine, Paula Pork and others – and rather unexpectedly brought out real acting skills of some attendees! It illustrated in a fun way what can arguably turn into the most tedious, headache-inducing tasks of running a business: checking out clients and their creditworthiness; negotiating terms; chasing up invoices; recovering debts; applying late payment legislation; and, of course, accounting practices, too!

In summary, the workshop provided ample opportunity to brush up on or learn about contract law knowledge. It was a day packed with useful advice, hands-on activities, and encouragement to handle contract-related aspects of our freelance businesses with more confidence in future. Thank you, Andrew, for sharing your valuable knowledge with us, and Sandra Mouton, for organising this informative, well-run event!

TweetOutWest's first ever tweet-up at Bristol's Watershed

Many of us stayed on for TweetOutWest’s first ever tweet-up, which took place at the Watershed right outside the workshop room afterwards. It was also the first ever tweet-up that I had attended myself. Does anyone else experience this or is it just me? Translation is a quiet profession, there are lots of introverts among translators, and I, too, am usually not much of a talker. Yet, when I’m among fellow translators, this always feels so good as after all there is quite a lot to talk about… I therefore felt sorry I had to head back home so soon!

Tweets in connection with the tweet-up can be found under the hashtags #TweetOutWest and #LinguistsUnite. Thank you, Lloyd and María @TweetOutWest, for arranging it. Bring on the next one!

Sunday 2 February 2014

168 hours

How many hours did you spend at your job, exercising, on Twitter or doing school runs last week? According to Laura Vanderkam, bestselling author of the e-book “What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast”, we all have 168 hours each week. Every single one of us. But do we spend these 168 hours well? Do we spend them in a way that satisfies us personally, that is good for our careers – and our families? Say you work about 35 hours per week (which is what I do) and sleep 7 hours per night, that still leaves 84 hours for other things.

Getting a better grip on your time management

Inspired by the suggestions in Laura’s book, I embarked on a time log experiment in the first week back at work this year. First, I listed all my routine daily activities in a spreadsheet and then logged the duration of each of them for a couple of days. For years now I have tracked time spent in the office week in and week out. As a translator I can get really absorbed in what I do, so my work time log gives me a clear indication of when it’s time to stop. Tracking my time meticulously for everything else, too, has revealed some very interesting insights and, hopefully, will help increase my efficiency. (And I love thinking about efficiency!)

Weekdays I am usually up before everyone else in the house. I watch the news in English, Italian or German first. (I have been doing this in Italian a lot recently as I really need to practise my listening and comprehension skills.) This is followed by reading and having breakfast on my own – in absolutely perfect quiet! Reading is one of my favourite pastimes and, like all translators, I have to read a lot. Yet I sometimes find it so hard to make time for it. Translators read anything, from newspaper articles and non-fiction books to blog posts. They do this to learn about terminology, get a feel for good writing, and stay current with industry trends. I’ve always done a bit of reading in the morning, but I’ve now managed to carve out a bit more time for it.

Laura suggests getting up early for things that are not terribly urgent, but overall are important to us. Of course, we all tick differently, and what works for me might not work for you at all. And on some days all my good intentions can go out the window too. In principle, however, I love Laura’s idea of getting a jump on the day. I find it’s particularly suited to any of us who juggle a busy career and family commitments. Especially if it’s a career (like translation!) that tends to fill more than the usual office hours and so often seeps into weekends, too.

If you feel like getting a better grip on your time management, you’ll have to get your hands on “What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast”! It also includes great tips in the sections “What the Most Successful People Do On the Weekend” and “What the Most Successful People Do at Work”. Check out Laura’s website here or follow her on Twitter @lvanderkam.