Trends in the language services industry: Global concerns, part three

The Great Resignation, The Big Firing, and Other Epic Names

You have probably read terms such as The Great Resignation, The Big Reshuffle, The Big Firing, Quiet Quitting, and others which are commonly being thrown about nowadays, and which make for great clickbait in our news feeds. While the media coverage seems to focus mostly on these phenomena as they affect workers in the regular 9 to 5, it is important to keep in mind that they are also feeding into the pool of available freelancers in many industries, including language services. Many employees leaving their 9 to 5 jobs are going into freelancing; one estimate is that in the United States alone, 50% of the total workforce will be (at least partially) freelance by 2028. Having gone remote during the pandemic gave a large segment of the population a small taste of one part of the freelancing life, and most are currently grappling with remote work vs. back to the office. So now you have both necessity and desire fueling a shift to freelancing as a way of life.
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About that one ProZ.com team member...

Some of you may or may not have received an email recently, related to the year-end campaign discounts on membership, training, and software, with a ProZ.com team image that had one extra, rather canine-looking team member added to it. And some of you caught it, and asked about it. The truth is, there is an odd number of people on the team at the moment, so we weren't sure how to best add a team pic with just two rows and have it look neat. So: meet Max.
 
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Trends in the language services industry: Global concerns, part two

In early 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine, setting off a chain of events the full results of which we have yet to see. In the immediate aftermath, a great number of people in Ukraine were either forced to leave their country or internally displaced. Again, it was the freelance translators and interpreters who had the skills and tools available to weather the storm with just a tiny bit more of certainty when it came to securing an income, in a moment where everything was uncertain. 
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ProZ.com/TV Donation Drive to Celebrate 2022 Giving Tuesday Day

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving back. With the support of language professionals and trainers, ProZ.com organizes this free conference which, over the years, has raised money for many different charities.

The event includes sessions from experts in the industry and a free networking space. This year, we want to support Ecologi in planting trees to help restore nature, improve the climate and positively transform society.

Participate in this virtual event by attending and making a one-time donation. As always, ProZ.com will match, dollar for dollar, the first $1,000 USD donated.

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Music to translate to: a collaborative playlist

 

Some need absolute silence while working. It might also depend on the job, or the part of the job. For some, they work best when the music is just right.

 

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Trends in the language services industry: Global concerns, part one

The past two to three years have been, as many a corporate email would remind us during the COVID-19 pandemic, “challenging times.” A great many things changed from one day to the next, and now in 2022 we’re still figuring out what some of this means for our work and our lives moving forward. What does this look like to freelance professionals in the language services industry? This report will take a look at both global and industry-specific challenges and opportunities that have presented themselves since the last report, and how freelance language professionals are dealing with those challenges and taking advantage of those opportunities.

 
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Submissions open for ProZ.com's 30th translation contest

ProZ.com contests started back in 2007. Time flies, and so do submission phases of contests, so if you have a moment, don't wait! The latest translation contest, ProZ.com's 30th, is now open for submissions. There are source texts in English and Spanish, authored by two members of the ProZ.com community. 

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ProZ.com Awarded MCIS Professional Partner of the Year!

MCIS Language Solutions announced at their Annual General Meeting that ProZ.com is a joint winner (along with the Social Purpose Institute) of their Professional Partner of the Year Award! MCIS gives the award to a business partner that has contributed substantially to their growth and development. MCIS initially partnered with ProZ.com in 2019 and this year has strengthened the relationship further, with ProZ.com offering more of MCIS’ high-quality translation- and interpreting-related courses on its platform.

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Words that make a difference


This is the latest in a series charting the development of the embryonic Pro Bono Project, which matches volunteer translators with worthy non-profit causes. Our first “clients” have been environmental agencies, and few could be more urgent and important than the cause of Professor Bill Ripple and his film, the  Scientist’s Warning.

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Pro Bono Project: one month in



ProZ.com’s Pro Bono Project has completed its first real month in action, and there’s been a LOT of action, especially when it comes to environmental projects.

I thought the easiest way to tie the threads together would be via a monthly newsletter, keeping you updated on the non-profit clients and the translators involved, as well as updating you on other must-know areas of the project.

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Good money habits for freelancers

As a freelancer, you know that managing your money can be a tough task. You may not have an employer to help out with benefits like vacation time and health insurance. It's up to you to make sure you're saving enough for retirement and investing in ways that will grow your nest egg over time.

Here are some money habits that can help any freelancer stay financially secure:

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When is a workshop not a workshop?

When it’s an unworkshop, obviously. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…

Perhaps you’ve heard of Translation Mastermind, a group that I’ve been running for a few years now, several of which have been in partnership with ProZ.com. The participants (around 1,350 translators) are made up of a small minority who’ve joined independently and the vast majority who enter the group as one of the benefits of being ProZ.com membership Plus subscribers.

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Politely asking for invoice payment

I'm sure you've been there: you've finished a project for a client, and they're supposed to pay you the agreed amount. But they haven't paid yet, and now it's been weeks since you sent them your invoice. So what do you do?

You can keep calling or texting them every day asking where the payment is until they pay up. Or, you could be polite and friendly while also making it clear that this isn't acceptable behavior anymore—and how soon would it be possible for them to send over that wire transfer, PayPal, Payoneer, whatever?

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First pro bono translation delivered!

Shout-out to Anna Tribó who has just delivered the first completed translation under our new Pro Bono Project!
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Eliminate distractions from your work day

Time is money. If you're like most people, you probably think of this as an excuse to work harder and make more money. The truth is that time really does equal money, but only if you're working efficiently and not wasting your precious hours on distractions or unproductive tasks. The key to doing more with less time isn't just about working harder—it's about working smarter too.

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