It can be uncomfortable to talk about money when it comes to raising your rates, and freelancers may fear scaring your hard-earned clients off. Unfortunately, inflation is something to include in your business model because it affects daily business and living costs. 

Mike Donlin

The answers ranged from “None whatsoever” to “I would not be able to function without it”. But what was the question? 

Andrew Morris

Getting consistent work is one of the most challenging aspects of being a freelancer. Often,  hours are spent pitching to new potential clients, creating quotes and polishing your profile  in the hope that clients will choose you.  This post explores the importance of following up and how to do it to increase your job conversion rates.

Mike Donlin

It takes a certain flexibility to be able to completely change the backdrop of where you live and make the effort to fit in with your new surroundings. Moving between countries is the most obvious example of this for translators – but even within countries there are often stark contrasts between the capital and the provinces, large and small towns, and city and village life. And with stints in San Sebastian and Barcelona under her belt, not to mention life in a small rural Spanish village of fully 27 inhabitants, followed by a return to a slightly bigger village in her native Czech Republic, Mira Dornakova has experienced a real variety of backdrops in her life.

Andrew Morris

In the fast-paced language industry, it's essential to have a strong and attractive resume always ready to go. Of course, what makes a resume work for one language professional may not do the trick for another, and there's no one-size-fits-all. On the contrary, you should aim to stand out from the crowd: your resume, like your ProZ.com profile, will be more effective if it's personalized.

These suggestions are meant to help you arrive at your ideal resume, or even resumes: plenty of freelancers will have different CVs to use in the various markets they target or to represent their different services. Remember that you should update your resume regularly, so don't stress about landing your perfect CV on the first try —it's likely you'll find something new to improve every time you look at it with fresh eyes.

Andrea Capuselli

When outsourcers and service providers connect via ProZ.com, neither side is charged any commissions or fees. However, to make payments for work provided there is always a cost to getting money from one party to another. They are commonly referred to as payment processing fees.

So who pays these fees?

Mike Donlin

A translator with a cat is nothing new. Or a dog. Even a couple of each. But it’s safe to say that providing a loving home to a mix of no fewer than thirty-two stray animals is pretty remarkable by any standard. And indeed, it’s not all that’s fascinating about German and English translator Christine Strobel.

Andrew Morris

Throughout history, the general direction of migration within countries has been from the rural areas to the city. The imperatives of escaping labour on the land or seeking work and a regular wage have driven millions to pack their meagre bags and set out for their national or regional capitals.

Andrew Morris

There are few cities more tumultuous – and full of contrasts – than India’s capital New Delhi. From the teeming streets and markets to the soaring architecture, from the manicured lawns of the luxury hotels and upper-class districts to the overcrowded markets, from the street eateries to the dazzling array of fine-dining restaurants, and from the twisting and choked narrow streets to impressive boulevards, all set against the cacophonous background of permanent traffic jams, shouts in a dozen Indian languages, and year-round searing heat, while the aroma of curry leaves, pomegranate flowers and roses hovers in the air. The centre for many ruling dynasties down the centuries, Delhi is a palimpsest where history and legacy have left their marks wherever you look. A city of extremes, where the one guarantee is that you’ll never be bored.

Andrew Morris

You have completed the work for your client. All aspects of the project have been submitted as requested. You have sent an invoice for your services. However, the client has not started your payout from the work. Why not?

Mike Donlin

The second Video Game Localization Meetup took place on July 29. Sara Rodríguez and Guillermo Umpiérrez from the Terra Localizations team dove into how CAT tools are used within the video game localization industry and gave attendees some tips and at the end one lucky member won a memoQ license. 

Like last time, there was a myriad of questions and our speakers couldn't answer all of them. But don't worry, we'll get to them right here and now:

Rocío Tempone

For years, ProZ.com's translation industry forums have been a place for open discussion on topics related to translation, interpreting and localization. The topics are always an interesting read, they are often entertaining, worthy of hours of your time for education, and an opportunity to engage with the world's largest community of language professionals.

Mike Donlin

When agreeing to work with a client, it is important to discuss or understand the employer's process for sending out payroll. Is there one unified method or outside service used for sending payments? Are there multiple ways to receive your money? Can this company pay you in your country?

Mike Donlin