ProZ.com Blog

Not many translators wake up every morning to the sound of cockatoos. Or find possums in their back yard. Or set out for a picnic, only to be joined by kangaroos, wombats or spiny anteaters. And don’t forget those sturdy shoes when out hiking in snake season. But then again, not many translators live in Canberra in Australia.

Have you added podcasts as a way to pass the time, or for targeted personal growth this year? If you have not done so already, I would suggest subscribing to the ProZ.com podcast hosted by head of training Paul Urwin.

These days, the most oft-cited example of an isolated country ploughing its own furrow, cut off from the rest of the world, is North Korea, but there were long decades in the aftermath of World War II when Albania was a strong contender for the title…

This blog post recaps a series of posts from Andrew Morris in the Translators & Interpreters (ProZ.com) facebook group.

A simple question. Unpack it or comment as you will. But all I’m going to ask for now is: 

Are you successful as a professional?

How much time have you spent improving your profile? Being critical of yourself it not easy for everyone. Do you need help? Get 3 friends to review your profile, but choose 3 different kinds of friends to review your profile to get more results. Find a friend in the language industry, a friend who hires people in any line of work, and a friend who loves you no matter what.

Are you a freelancer constantly on the move? In a world where living as a digital nomad is becoming more and more common, it leaves us wondering how to transition from a traditional lifestyle to one unencumbered by physical boundaries. 

One of the largest concerns is financing; how do freelancers bank without a home? Let's discuss how freelancers can bank while on the move.

It was a humble beginning. One of eleven children, nine of whom are still alive, Thomas Chahweta grew up in a rural village in Zimbabwe. As in many countries in the South, children were seen by the previous generation as an investment. His parents were subsistence farmers and he and his siblings worked hard in the fields growing crops, selling the excess harvest to pay for school fees.

Did you make any resolutions for the new year? Maybe you established some personal goals for yourself in 2021. I've got three ways ProZ.com can help with your resolutions in the new year - take the time to promote yourself, start learning today, and send your invoices on time.

In March 2020, perhaps inspired by the fact that travel was fast becoming a thing of the past amid a global lockdown, I came up with the idea of a series of Translation Postcards for ProZ.com, featuring colleagues from all around the world — a chance to share an insight into their localities, lives, professional ups and downs, and even habits and diets.

Of the 150 blog posts written by ProZ.com site staff in 2020, it is only fitting that a blog post about the disease that defined 2020, COVID-19, topped the list of most read blog posts. Other popular posts included those about how to position yourself for jobs, ways to improve profiles, explanations of some site features and the most popular from the translation postcard series.

ProZ.com annual reports give progress updates to ProZ.com members on accomplishments, improvements and new developments made on the site.

When you’ve spent many years of your life in two world cities: London and Istanbul, then a move to Devon certainly represents a change. But on those occasions when you miss the brightly lit skyscapes, the cosmopolitan hubbub and the busy shops and cafés, the bucolic countryside, spectacular coastlines and quaint streets of Devonian market towns and villages offer plenty of consolation.

This latest ProZ.com podcast covered working from home and parenting with ProZ.com director of platform Lu Leszinsky. ProZ.com head of training Paul Urwin chats with Lu about how to manage being a parent and working from home with your family. Leszinsky shares some great, practical tips for reducing stress and helping your kids get more involved, while still working effectively.
.

There are some places in the world where life just seems slower… Far from the frenzied bustle of Ho Chi Minh City (which locals still refer to as Saigon) – the economic powerhouse in the South – or Hanoi, the political capital in the North, Hue in Central Vietnam is a city of peace and quiet, palaces and pagodas, tombs and churches. The strains of gentle melodies waft around as you sample the spicy cuisine at cosy restaurants, or while away the time at coffee shops that once served as classrooms for the princes of the long-since deposed royal family.